No unity without good leadership

THE EDITOR: Nalini Dial is a local leader of a political party who has been asking the politicians to cast aside their ego, their desire to be prime minister and unite for the betterment of TT. While I agree with Dial on the need to unite, I do not concur with her inference that anyone can lead or be prime minister.

Leaders are not your everyday people. While it is possible for a leader to be like anyone, not every and anyone can be a leader. The people can elect someone to a position of leadership, but they cannot create a leader from a person who is not.

Most great leaders do not need the votes or approval of the many to be the leader. Leaders are known through their wisdom and works. TT currently needs a good, true leader and, without ego or love for office, I am boldly saying that I am the person we need now.

There are way too many simple things, ordinary things, that elude us because of poor leadership. Take for example the legislation that Dial has been clamouring for with regard to animals. Why has the Government failed to make the required changes to facilitate her demands?

Why is it not illegal to pick up crabs and lobsters during their reproductive season? When crabs are “running” we gather them by the bagful, oblivious to the fact that they are going towards the water to reproduce. All that is required is a law that states do not pick them up during that time.

During the hunting season hunters can catch as many animals as they wish, no stipulation on size or gender. How difficult is it to say that the period should be much shorter, that the animals must be mature, and the quantities limited to allow for preservation?

Dial must know that guns are made to kill. They are not made to frighten people. How difficult is it to say that if a person takes up an illegal gun we consider that a threat to life and there will be special courts to deal with threats to life and extremely harsh penalties for gun possession?

It has been months now that the Commissioner of Police has indicated an intention to add to the police standard equipment tasers so that they do not have to use deadly force to subdue perpetrators. How difficult is it to buy these tasers, perhaps make the appropriate legislation to facilitate their use and conduct the required training?

We fail to have an effective emergency plan to evacuate our cities and towns in an emergency, our water courses are filled with junk and bush like the Diego Martin River that is seen by everyone who traverses the Diego Martin Highway, our emergency shelters are ill-equipped to offer relief to the population.

These and many other failures are a result of poor leadership, not an absence or paucity of funding.

Real leaders don’t walk away from their supporters when they lose an election. They do not encourage people to vote for them by instilling fear of others into their campaign. Real leaders see the potential of making the Alcoa deep water facility in Chaguaramas a new port for cruise ships with modern facilities, markets and restaurants.

They see the need for a new alternative roadway to Chaguaramas and the need to transform the area into a modern tourism centre to augment initiatives like the modern water park.

Tourists can, through appropriate tour guides, explore the Gasparee caves, which are among the most beautiful underground caves in the world.

Real leaders know that they don’t know much nor need to know much but understand the benefits of having knowledgeable people around them. Real leaders are not afraid of competition or change. In fact, they embrace change. What does it take to amend our legislation to meet the concerns of our LBGTQA community?

We are failing because of poor leadership. Good leadership is what I offer and I am not prepared to sacrifice the hope of our nation on the altar of unity if it results in a continuance of poor leadership.

STEVE ALVAREZ

political leader, DPTT