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A FRANK AND FRUITFUL FACE -OFF

Jun 10, 2010 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, deserves accolades of appreciation for his intervention with the Guyana Cricket Board. In intervening, the Minister may have sent a message to his more highly regarded political bosses about how they should proceed to settle differences and resolve controversies.
Controversy was brewing with the Guyana Cricket Board for some time now. Just a few months ago, there was an uproar about who should have chaired a meeting in the absence of the President who was on sick leave and in arguing their case, it seems that one set of persons were using one constitution and another set of individuals were using another.
Then came an unfortunate incident in which a corrosive substance was thrown in the face of a cricket board official. The reports in the newspapers suggest that the official believes that the attack on him was linked to differences he had over the finances of the Board. So far the police have not yet indicated whether their investigations have proven such a link or whether in fact they are examining any such motives.
But the incident and the consequent throwing of allegations about malfeasance in the administration of certain affairs of the Board were enough to cause the Minister to summon a meeting of the members of the Board.
It was a most responsible and commendable thing to. The Minister no doubt recognized the importance of cricket and the need for the local Board to avoid an ongoing war of words and counter- exchanges which could possible lead to a lack of confidence by the WICB in the local Board and affect the future hosting of international matches.
The press has reported that the outcome of the meeting with the Minister led to a menu of measures including reviews of building works and a forensic audit to be conducted, it was reported, by the Auditor General.
This column is not about those measures, except to say it is hard to understand why the Auditor General was mentioned. The Office of the Auditor General cannot be commanded to carry out any examination of the accounts of a private organization such as the Guyana Cricket Board of Control. The Auditor General is responsible for auditing public accounts.
The real purpose of the column is to highlight the positive role that the Minister took in inviting the Board and in finding a way to determine facts and to take actions that would restore confidence in the working of the local cricket Board. It is a fine example of the way disputes should be settled and the Minister’s superiors can certainly take a leaf out of his book in settling other major controversies within our society.
There is no need within Guyana for us to be constantly at each other’s throats trying to show who is right and who is wrong, who is better and who is worse, who can do what and who cannot.
We are a small society with a great many things to do and we should not be wasting our energies in fencing over things which can be resolved through the approach taken by the Minister.
We need to sit down in this country and resolve differences rather than one side being accusers and the other side trying to be defenders. We need to stop the pulling and the tugging, the pushing and shoving and the ducking and weaving. We need to sit down and settle our differences like grown adults.
Most differences emerge out of different interests. But a great many differences are as a result of misunderstanding and persons not trying to reconcile their differences. The Minister no doubt was aware of these things and by talking to the members of the cricket board he was able to come up with an agreement that while not pleasing everyone would have laid the foundation for increased public confidence in the cricket board.
The Minister should be commended for his approach. From all appearance she did not impose himself on the cricket fraternity but simply offered himself as a good officer to resolve a controversy. We need more of that to help mend the differences in our country. We need more frankness and fruitful face- offs.

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