Trinidad and Tobago really is not a real place

THE EDITOR: If the public's perception of TSTT and the TTPS is really low at this moment, one ought not to be that surprised.

One also should not be too surprised at the lack of accountability over the sad and worrying state of affairs which have bedeviled these two important state institutions following two major recent incidents.

Let's look at TSTT first. Its line minister Marvin Gonzales is on record as initially denying there was ever any data breach at the state-run communications company.

However, a few days later, this same minister was again on the record as acknowledging that there was indeed a breach, and so serious was it, that he felt compelled to instruct the board of TSTT to initiate an in-depth and independent investigation.

Now where is the accountability in all of this? Did this minister knowingly seek to paint the wrong narrative by his initial "it's not true" response? Or was he himself hoodwinked by those in TSTT into believing there was no breach? What is the truth here?

Also, why has there been no public remonstration by the Prime Minister – himself an apparent victim of the TSTT breach – over his minister's about-turn on such a highly sensitive and potentially grave matter of people's data being placed on the dark web, as a result of this breach?

Why has there been no accountability from TSTT in terms of what transpired that led to this major security breach? Will heads roll in the wake of this breach? One would hope, but then, realistically, one would not expect anything or anyone to be held accountable.

Meanwhile, people's private information including their home address and ID/DP numbers is floating around in cyberspace waiting to be plucked and used by online criminals.

On to the TTPS.

I was astounded at the spectacle of a national security minister chairing a press conference where he was celebrating TT's first ever human trafficking conviction while at the same time revealing that the convicted criminal was at large and free as a bird. I mean, what madness!

This is akin to me coming home to my family declaring loudly that I had won the lotto but lost the winning ticket.

Again I ask, Mr Hinds sir, where is the accountability in this matter? How was it possible for an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet's alarm to be triggered and no discernible swift action taken by the police to try and prevent the wearer from absconding?

Ok, so the convict has gotten away scott-free, what has been done in terms of getting accountability and redress for this sorry state of affairs? Has anyone in the TTPS, responsible for the ankle bracelet monitoring system, been called to account? Has anyone been disciplined for what transpired?

Where is the justice for the teenaged sex-trafficked victim who no doubt would know by now that the man responsible for her ordeal and trauma was convicted but is still out and about?

We are in the year 2023. Our Government bristles whenever people remark that Trinidad and Tobago is not a real place. Any dissenting voice is deemed unpatriotic.

But day by day, we see clear and tangible evidence of mismanagement, lack of accountability, empty, hollow posturing by politicians and a runaway crime rate – all of which points to the fact that, yes, TT is truly not a real place.

One gets the feeling that this government and the line ministers responsible for TSTT and the TTPS are waiting for the nine-day wonder mentality of the people to kick in, as a newer shame comes to grab our attention. I shake my head: TT is not a real place.

LEE MERRICK

San Fernando