TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO has become the land of enquiries instead of being known for our lovely people where we host a boisterous Carnival featuring Calypso and Soca music.
One travesty after another as the Government seems to be launching one commission of enquiry after another.
Several investigations have been launched recently, I remember the one into the Drugs Sou Sou (DSS) investigation; the investigation into the Mosquito Creek or is it “cracked” highway; the investigation of the public healthcare system and how under the stewardship of Minister Deyalsingh was handling the Covid-19 pandemic; and the investigation of the Venezuelan baby that was shot dead in the high seas, to name a few.
Now we see another investigation, the latest in a line of investigations to yet again gloss over the real facts and be used as a political ploy to placate the masses.
The investigation into the deaths of four divers who were trying to repair an underwater pipeline for Paria off Pointe-a-Pierre. Just another report is forthcoming and possibly to cover up any wrongdoing from any government-related parties.
It seems to me just to make the government look good in every aspect of their management of Trinidad and Tobago. However, anyone with eyes can see this is just another pappy show as some of the people chosen for that investigation committee are alleged to have serious ties to the Government and their ministers in some way or the other.
Let’s look at other instances internationally for reference. Like miners getting trapped underground elsewhere in the world and where we see the never-ending attempts to rescue them alive no matter the cost.
It is very ironic that in T&T we always seem to have managers at public institutions and state-owned companies that always want to follow the rules to an extreme when emergencies are happening in front of them without proper foresight or judgement as to what the situation calls for.
It’s amazing to me how easy it is to bend the rules or cut side deals to subvert the regulations when it suits them but when they need to make decisive decisions to save lives, they must get approvals, delay decisive action at the cost of lives and follow the bureaucratic red tape to cover their behinds.
Only recently a family member of mine was denied a Pfizer booster shot at a Government dispensation site despite a doctor’s letter stating that the person had a lung condition that made him more vulnerable than others.
However, 260,000 doses were incinerated!
Now that makes perfect sense. We are so harsh on our own citizens or our own brothers and sisters that we miss the bigger picture to lend a helping hand or make judgement calls that can assist a person in need at the right time while still obeying the essence of the regulations or rules.
Our taxpayers are constantly treated with disrespect and denied the resources of this country at every turn which leads to frustration and even loss of life. Yet we bury our heads in the sand and protect ourselves by using some ancient regulations or some archaic laws.
The Government strategy is to use the commissions of enquiry to appease the population and the families of the aggrieved parties, basically to stop the public criticism of their total failures we keep seeing in handling the affairs of this country’s state-owned companies and assets properly.
A strategy that seems to be working for them. However, when the findings into an enquiry are made public if they ever are and make recommendations on how to improve the system or show anything done under the circumstances were found to be done in a wrong manner, it seems to be sugar-coated to protect the government.
It always seems to show them in a positive light. The findings are not used to set the record straight, improve operations in the future, in fact, it’s never used to let the people that made the wrong decisions or mistakes pay for their mistakes or even give the families affected any resolution, comfort or relief.
We have had many investigations in the past however let me ask you straight, have they changed anything really.
We keep seeing these commissions of enquiries but they make no impact on how things are done or any restitution to any aggrieved parties.
Neil Gosine is an insurance executive, the North East Regional Coordinator of the United National Congress and a former chairman of the National Petroleum Marketing Company of Trinidad and Tobago. He also holds a Masters in Business Administration. The comments and opinions expressed by him in this column are not necessarily those of AZPNews.com, a division of Complete Image Limited.
Commentary: Investigations to What End
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO has become the land of enquiries instead of being known for our lovely people where we host a boisterous Carnival featuring Calypso and Soca music.
One travesty after another as the Government seems to be launching one commission of enquiry after another.
Several investigations have been launched recently, I remember the one into the Drugs Sou Sou (DSS) investigation; the investigation into the Mosquito Creek or is it “cracked” highway; the investigation of the public healthcare system and how under the stewardship of Minister Deyalsingh was handling the Covid-19 pandemic; and the investigation of the Venezuelan baby that was shot dead in the high seas, to name a few.
Now we see another investigation, the latest in a line of investigations to yet again gloss over the real facts and be used as a political ploy to placate the masses.
The investigation into the deaths of four divers who were trying to repair an underwater pipeline for Paria off Pointe-a-Pierre. Just another report is forthcoming and possibly to cover up any wrongdoing from any government-related parties.
It seems to me just to make the government look good in every aspect of their management of Trinidad and Tobago. However, anyone with eyes can see this is just another pappy show as some of the people chosen for that investigation committee are alleged to have serious ties to the Government and their ministers in some way or the other.
Let’s look at other instances internationally for reference. Like miners getting trapped underground elsewhere in the world and where we see the never-ending attempts to rescue them alive no matter the cost.
It is very ironic that in T&T we always seem to have managers at public institutions and state-owned companies that always want to follow the rules to an extreme when emergencies are happening in front of them without proper foresight or judgement as to what the situation calls for.
It’s amazing to me how easy it is to bend the rules or cut side deals to subvert the regulations when it suits them but when they need to make decisive decisions to save lives, they must get approvals, delay decisive action at the cost of lives and follow the bureaucratic red tape to cover their behinds.
Only recently a family member of mine was denied a Pfizer booster shot at a Government dispensation site despite a doctor’s letter stating that the person had a lung condition that made him more vulnerable than others.
However, 260,000 doses were incinerated!
Now that makes perfect sense. We are so harsh on our own citizens or our own brothers and sisters that we miss the bigger picture to lend a helping hand or make judgement calls that can assist a person in need at the right time while still obeying the essence of the regulations or rules.
Our taxpayers are constantly treated with disrespect and denied the resources of this country at every turn which leads to frustration and even loss of life. Yet we bury our heads in the sand and protect ourselves by using some ancient regulations or some archaic laws.
The Government strategy is to use the commissions of enquiry to appease the population and the families of the aggrieved parties, basically to stop the public criticism of their total failures we keep seeing in handling the affairs of this country’s state-owned companies and assets properly.
A strategy that seems to be working for them. However, when the findings into an enquiry are made public if they ever are and make recommendations on how to improve the system or show anything done under the circumstances were found to be done in a wrong manner, it seems to be sugar-coated to protect the government.
It always seems to show them in a positive light. The findings are not used to set the record straight, improve operations in the future, in fact, it’s never used to let the people that made the wrong decisions or mistakes pay for their mistakes or even give the families affected any resolution, comfort or relief.
We have had many investigations in the past however let me ask you straight, have they changed anything really.
We keep seeing these commissions of enquiries but they make no impact on how things are done or any restitution to any aggrieved parties.
Neil Gosine is an insurance executive, the North East Regional Coordinator of the United National Congress and a former chairman of the National Petroleum Marketing Company of Trinidad and Tobago. He also holds a Masters in Business Administration. The comments and opinions expressed by him in this column are not necessarily those of AZPNews.com, a division of Complete Image Limited.