Clear lessons in Petrotrin situation

THE EDITOR: As I write, news of the injunction won by the OWTU – an injunction which assures me that at least some sectors in our society are upholding justice and demonstrating competence and fearlessness – dominates social media.

Indeed, how in the name of common sense and proper protocol could the board of Petrotrin be so reckless, callous, and dumb? Where was its understanding of the basic caveat – not to meddle with issues under judgment in the courts?

To me, this behaviour represents the tip of the iceberg. There are clear lessons to be learnt – especially that one which advises: never play the fool when the outcome of a battle tilts in your favour.

I have been writing and saying for at least a decade that things in TT have been sliding and getting out of hand. Yes! We boast of world class education and training but like so many other countries today, including developed countries, our leaders, managers, and technocrats are proving that while they obtained paper qualifications of excellence, none have been supported by significant brilliance, intellectual rigour, compassion, and empathy in leadership.

Once again, as an educator, I insist that we have to revisit our education system. We have to empower our citizens (the young in particular because it may take a miracle to save our adults) with a philosophy immersed in an ideology which demands fearlessness, logistics, tactics, strategy, integrity, humanity, humaneness, and morality in public affairs.

Good heavens! No one on that board sat down and invited the others to take a 360-degree approach to analysing the conundrum of Petrotrin? Are board members unaware of the six compelling perspectives to analyse organisational problems – the political, psychological, sociological, cultural, legal, and economic?

RAYMOND S HACKETT
, Curepe