Calling in the cavalry

THE EDITOR: With the 2021 budget process being mostly wrapped up in the Lower House of Parliament, the Prime Minister mounted the political platform as his party’s headliner last Thursday night for its usual post-budget meeting.

That of course was perhaps the only typical element of the night, as Dr Rowley kicked off his rapid-fire attack at the St Francois Girls' College with a mere 20 people in tow given the covid19 restrictions, rather than the usual “red sea” rally crowd at Piggott’s Corner in Belmont.

Despite such, Rowley didn’t pull any punches, taking off both mask and gloves as he waded into the “Drug” Sou Sou (DSS) matter, trumpeting the impending arrival of UK and Barbados officers to investigate its operations as well as possible links to both criminal gangs and senior members of the protective services.

Such unparalleled declaration however raises several concerns, as not even those highly touted multi-billion-dollar corruption scandals seem to have rose to the level of requiring the Prime Minister to publicly call in the cavalry before.

Perhaps it’s because the Prime Minister only recently realised that the one bad apple was left with the bunch too long or maybe it’s just that the DSS operators bucked the financial establishment too hard.

I’m sure the banks are taking a hit as people continue to withdraw their funds to invest – or rather gamble – in the DSS and similar-type operations, with some benefactors even choosing to completely settle their loan and mortgage agreements.

The former is particularly worrying, given Police Commissioner Gary Griffith’s latest statement not only acknowledging consultation with the Prime Minister but being in full agreement. This is a clear indication that he and the entire National Security Council have lost all trust and confidence in the Police Service which he leads.

Whatever the reason, it remains a welcome initiative to be embraced by the population, so the chips can fall where they may. One only hopes the overseas investigators will stay on a little longer to treat with some of those other critical corruption issues plaguing TT.

In the meantime, while the Prime Minister awaits the arrival of the cavalry, I would suggest he considers the reason why, despite his proclamations, citizens (even some of his own Tobagonian comrades) continue to withdraw their money from the banks and gamble it in such risky schemes.

This is conceivably an act of desperation on the part of some, but certainly one of pure defiance by others as they revolt against the stranglehold of the banking sector. Undoubtedly, citizens are tired and fed up of those oligopolistic, bourgeoisie banks using their money to make billions in profits, while giving them a few cents in return, only to take them back in fees with a couple more for good measure.

A PHILLIP

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