Submitted by Douglas
Since late last year, and again earlier this year, some persons in the BLP had been telling this country that they had no confidence in the Police Service Commission. They wanted to see the back of the the Commission that was chaired by the highly respected and above-board Dr. Trevor Carmichael, and the other members.
I guess after all the griping and bad-mouthing of the Commission, Dr. Carmichael, an outstanding Barbadian of impeccable character, appeared to have had enough of the idle talk and stepped down.
A new Chairman, an attorney at law, an untarnished former senior police officer and former Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Barbados Anti-Money Laundering Authority, Mr. Guyson Mayers, a man with an unblemished reputation, was appointed.
Now Mia Mottley is crying foul. She says he is too young. Too Young! She wasn’t too young to serve in the highest institution in the land? Nor was she too young to be Deputy Prime Minister or Opposition Leader? Bear in mind that Mr. Mayers is older than Ms Mottley by years. Yes, it is true that her party and its then leader, as well as the sensible Barbadian electorate, decided that she was too young, too immature and too rash to be Prime Minister of this country; and with much justification. Indeed, a former Prime Minister said somebody was not fit for public office. Something to do with that person’s lifestyle.
Like, you don’t know how to please the woman. Apparently she and the BLP want to appoint the members of the Police Service Commission. I wonder who is in charge? They think that they are still the government. By the time they awake, they will realize that they are 6 years behind time.
On a related matter, I see Sir Roy Marshall and Ricky Singh have jumped on the band wagon of persons critical of the most recent action by the PSC. I hope they have the salient facts. They are quoted in last Friday’s Daily Nation as saying the decision to send the COP on early retirement was unprecedented in the Caribbean. “It was wrong ……., it should never have happened,” the story screamed.
Talk about a rush to judgement without having an inkling of the facts! Those two are very guilty. In fact, Singh is calling on fellow COPs in the region to register their disapproval.
Well, I wonder if we live in the same area. I am sure regional Police Chiefs have been summarily dismissed before or retired prematurely in the public’s interest. So, there is nothing unprecedented with the recent development here.
In fact, I am reliably informed that back in the 1960s right here in Barbados, Major Ronald Stoute, the COP, was retired early and replaced by Captain Wilfred Farmer. The only difference with this one is that the then Prime Minister dismissed the COP; whereas the PSC sent this COP on early retirement; it wasn’t our PM or the AG.
When all the dust has settled, both Marshall and Singh will be privately wiping egg from off their face.
I would advise Ms Mottley, her cohorts and the ever-present government antagonists in the print and electronic media to desist from their inflammatory statements and partisan views; hold their breath and await the evidence. They will be shocked at the overwhelming proof; and that is putting it mildly.
But, then again, they may be well aware of the evidence, and are only trying to put on a brave, defensive face or helping their political appointee, who not only in 2003 leapt-frog over other senior police officers (aka – supersession), but was also appointed retroactively. So much for merit, transparency and fairness. That was blatant political involvement!
Please bear in mind that the PSC is an independent, statutory body, with vested authority under Section 91 of the Constitution. It is not made up of madmen or imbeciles. They are decent, qualified Barbadians, who did not wake up one morning and out-of-the-blue decided to act ultra vires or without just cause, as some nutty detractors would want the public to believe.
So, we should all ‘cease and desist’, or as the youth say: “cease n’ settle” and wait for the evidence.
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