What is TT really ready for — Ivan, tsunami, fire?

THE EDITOR: It seems to me that every time this country gets a wake up call we seem to turn off the alarm clock and go back to sleep! For lack of space, I will highlight the three most recent events. Our first wake-up call — Hurricane Ivan watch/Tropical Storm Ivan alert. NEMA, Defence Force, Police and the like were put on the alert. A press conference following that event assured us citizens that every effort will be made in the very near future to beef up our protective and emergency institutions. Secondly — the devastating Asian tsunami, which left almost 200,000 people dead and many more homeless and missing. Our Government ministers admitted that we are not prepared for anything close to that but quickly assured us that every effort will be made now to remedy that dilemma.

Thirdly — the all day fire in Port-of-Spain that caused $35 million in damages and left hundreds of people unemployed. WASA blames Fire Services, Fire Services blame the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Works blames...? While our highly paid, highly qualified and highly skilled officers play the blame game, our working class citizens are left on the bread line. Once again we hear the Government ministers promising the country that they will try to be more prepared. I can also pinpoint the flooding situation in Caparo. After last year‘s devastation in the Central region, the residents and country at large were promised that the construction of the Mamoral dam would begin January of this year. We are already in April, the rainy season is fast approaching and nothing has happened.

How many more life threatening events must we encounter before our leaders wake up of their slumber? Government ministers don’t have all the answers so a Cabinet appointed committee filled with Government ministers may not be the way forward. Our lay people and our youths have ideas, strategies, energies, motivation, common sense, drive and transparency. These are some of the key elements that this country requires if we intend to move forward. It is time we stop operating after the fact and become more proactive. We need to start operating at the higher level, which is operating before the fact. Prevention is better than cure. Our country is too small and too rich to be so distressed and found wanting. This is clearly not a case of money woes but administration and management woes.

NICOLE MOHAMMED
Arima