National Transformation Alliance Christmas Message 2022, by the party’s political Leader Gary Griffith is one of prayer as he says the country faces what appears to be its darkest hour, in light of current crime statistics.
“God chose wisely in who he sent to lead and save us, teaching the lesson that we also must be very selective in who we choose to serve us*
On behalf of myself, my family, and my NTA family, I want to urge every citizen to pray, join that prayer with good and righteous actions, and to know that even as we face what appears to be our darkest hour, God always has a plan, and Good will always overcome evil.
As a lifelong practicing Catholic, I want to support Archbishop Jason Gordon’s call for all citizens to commit to justice and that corruption and difficulty in conducting business damages the country. But we differ on some of his other comments that he made whilst he addressed the Transparency Institute of Trinidad and Tobago, with specific reference to the role and function of the leadership of the TTPS, the Ministry of National Security and the Office of the Prime Minister itself, as it pertains to solving murders, and for reducing crime in general.
And whilst Keith Rowley, Fitzgerald Hinds and McDonald Jacob can’t be blamed for crime, no single person or office holder should, it is much more their responsibility to address the crime situation than any of the other citizens in our country. Logically speaking, they have billions of dollars in resources at their disposal, and have powers bestowed on to them that the average citizen does not have. And as both a former Commissioner of Police and Minister of National Security, whose tenures saw crime reduced, anomalous to the years before and after, the facts are, I knew the huge responsibility I took on, when I accepted the call to service, and as such worked 18 hour days to serve citizens.
Additionally, I am confident that Archbishop Gordon knows the greater role of those who hold high office have, since in another part of his address to the Institute, he spoke about Whistleblower Legislation and Procurement Legislation, which is the purview of government and other representative officials, and not the average citizen. This underscores the important responsibility of our present office holders, who after 7 years have failed to pass these important laws to protect the nation’s patrimony. A pattern of behaviour that does not seek the interest of the common man, add getting rid of the team that brought the country record reductions in crime to that list.
But as I’ve seen and experienced countless times in my life, God works in mysterious ways, so Archbishop Gordon’s comments, crystallised the direction of my message for this special time of the year for Catholics, the Christian Community and indeed all citizens, as it reminds us all of why leadership matters, and why it is important for the right people, who embody strength and a deep desire for Justice; that word again, to be placed in positions to lead.
As the Bible teaches us, when God, father in heaven, decided to embark on a mission to save the souls of all humans, he sent his only begotten son to do the job, and not one of his senior angels. He also chose both Abraham and Moses as the ones to best shepherd his flock, at pivotal points in time, and not others. And to bring it closer to home, this is why Archbishop Gordon is at the helm of the Catholic Church in Trinidad and Tobago, and not an acolyte.
I have the greatest respect for Archbishop Gordon and have sought his counsel on many occasions. This is why I know his message wasn’t about being political or about defending those charged with the responsibility to provide safety and security to citizens, our most basic human right. It was about reminding us not to stone or crucify, but rather to be united in purpose, something which I know most citizens also hold dear to their heart.”
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