The dismissal of the CANU Head is an unjust one

Jun 26, 2017 Letters

---

Dear Editor,
Permit me to register my concern and disappointment on a matter which I am of the view can be deemed worrying in respect to the future political directional dimension our country is heading. This reference is specific to the unjust and unfair egregious politically motivated manner in which the now former head of CANU, Mr. James Singh, was relieved of his duties – a portfolio which he held for almost a decade.
During his tenure, he executed his mandate with the highest degree of professionalism and integrity. Mr. Singh has never had an allegation of corruption levied against him. It is worthwhile to mention that under this current government there was a Board of Inquiry (BOI) launched into the ‘Barry Dataram’ case wherein his credibility was called into question on that particular matter.
The current president however, upon the completion of the workings of the BOI, publicly announced clearance in his favour – implying that based on the findings, his credibility and ability to function within that capacity were not compromised. The United States Embassy also at one point commended Mr. James Singh for the manner in which he conducted his stewardship of the institution.
It must be noted that when the government was in opposition, they never criticised the workings of CANU under Mr. Singh’s leadership; in fact, they renewed his contract for another three years after successfully bringing down Barry Dataram, one of the country’s biggest drug lords.
He had a zero tolerance approach on corruption and though he is no longer at the helm of the entity, he has left a well-trained and competent team. How can such an act be befitting a man of his caliber in the light of the commendable service he has given to his country? A shameless act on the part of the government – He does not deserve this. I would like to urge the government to reconsider this and confer upon him the dignity and respect he commands.
There was absolutely no solid ground or basis for such a decision – an unfortunate political decision which sought to discredit and embarrass Mr. Singh’s professional stature. The Minister of Public Security cited that it was all part of a restructuring programme developed to strengthen the entity – stemming from some vaguely cited recommendations? By whom were these recommendations made and what added value will they bring to the entity?
Now, these are all carefully crafted plans, by the government of the day which are in keeping with their own hidden political agenda and pursuits. What could be their agenda we must ask ourselves as patriotic citizens and seek to derive plausible answers? Having done so, this is what occurred to me as I pondered upon these disturbing developments which of course, I must mention unapologetically – are not in the best interest of the people of this nation and the economic development and prosperity of the nation. Government officials and the head of state will come out and publicly seek to display their political diplomacy tactics by defending their actions with the view of brainwashing the populace – but they have to realise, there are a lot of intellectually developed citizens who can read the hidden agendas – action speaks louder than words.
These are my thoughts nonetheless; recent actions and policies are indicative that the government is apparently creating a framework for a central command/dictatorship regime in time for the next election – designed to keep them in power and as such, there is likely to be a repeat of history. Our democratic system will be broken and the socio-economic fabric will be destroyed – the country will be sunk into a sea of economic disasters.
The basis for the aforementioned assumption is evidenced by the number of ex-military officials that were appointed to head key national institutions. This is despite the fact most of them do not possess the requisite and appropriate qualifications for the portfolios they hold. Hereunder, is a list of some of these officials to whom references are being made and the institutions to which they are attached.
Note that this is not a complete list, there are about 27 or possibly more (lined up for future appointments) former military officials who are in strategic government positions. Hence, with all that being said, we can further build on this assumption to say that, with the appointment of ex-military personnel – a military takeover is imminent premised on the perception of retaining political control and power.
In conclusion, I must commend Mr. James Singh for the way in which he received this politically unscrupulous act against him – very calmly, quietly and professionally. It demonstrates the level of his maturity and wisdom. At the end of the day, the power does not lie with him; it is in the hands of the political hierarchy.
The Minister of Public Security attempted to polish the uncouth act by stating he hopes to re-engage him at some point. I can bet my bottom dollar, those words are weightless and meaningless. It is just a failed attempt at a cover up statement. The nation should not be surprised if the country gets a new Prime Minister in the next few months and a new Minister of Public Security way before the next elections – implying the current personnel in those two capacities might very well be diluted and eventually evaporate in thin air within the political hierarchical structure.
Only recently the country has witnessed one such outcome in which the now former Minister of Education, who is an Executive member of one of the coalition government’s political parties it has partnered with, was ousted from a substantive ministerial capacity. Many analysts have argued that the Minister was demoted and we also saw that the party took its concerns into the public domain with complaints of being side-lined by the government. These events leave much to be desired in respect to the future of our country.
Financial Economist

---

---