Archbishop Gordon, you’re right: fairness hasn’t been a strong commitment in T&T, whether at the individual, group, or national level. But if we dig deeper, I’m certain we’ll uncover evidence that our government administrations have been enablers of white-collar crime over time. What’s even tougher to accept is that in many corners of our society, only a handful of people truly champion what’s right. And why should they? It often appears that doing wrong brings rewards, while consequences are absent. It’s as if the template we’ve been handed from the church is totally different from the one being used in everyday life here.

Let’s pause and consider what occurs when a political party wins an election. They don’t act like responsible leaders; rather, they behave like a group that’s “in charge now.” They rapidly hire their own friends and allies while sidelining those from opposing parties, even if those sidelined people are better fit for positions. It’s as if the concept of governing is completely absent from the government.

To me, three specific cases stand out from the current government. The Finance Minister dismissed the former head of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT), Jawala Rambarran. The court deemed this unfair and awarded Rambarran $7.5 million for his 2015 job loss. But why did the Finance Minister not face any consequences?

Then there’s Arjoon Harripaul, once in charge of the Deposit Insurance Corporation (DIC). He walked away with $2.75 million as a settlement for his lawsuit for unjust dismissal.

Another case involves 20 former employees of the Security Intelligence Agency (SIA), who received over $10 million in total for being let go during the Persad-Bissessar regime.

These three cases have cost taxpayers $20 million, yet no one has borne any consequences for this misuse of funds. If good leadership were the aim, there should have been a stronger focus on evaluating these individuals’ performance. Instead, it’s more like, “We’re in control, so we’ll remove anyone who supports the opposing party or voices disagreement.”

Our society suffers due to the unintended repercussions of poor leadership and corruption. In fact, ineffective leadership is allowing criminals easier access to government systems, enabling them to break the rules.

Many believe that knowing the right people lets you escape consequences. Hence, some build homes on public lands, fully aware it’s against the law, but they’re confident nothing will happen. Others occupy old train lines or flout rules as the norm.

For a better society, we must alter our approach. The current leaders have demonstrated their inability to bring about meaningful change. To see different outcomes, we need a fresh strategy. It’s our responsibility to discover our voice and express our concerns in a new way.

So I ask: how can we, as individuals, collectively shape a brighter path forward? The silence facing my question speaks volumes.