A GUY'S VIEW
“They want to know why the young people going astray
They want to know why they no longer seem to care
They want to know why they disregarding the law
And why the morals and values not like before
They talking about the life the youth living
The materialism they worshipping…”
– They Want To Know – Brian “Bumba” Payne
I could see it now. As the dulcet but almost haunting strains of the brass instruments rose from the darkness of the National Stadium, smoothly climbing from the horizons of the souls gathered to worship at the temple of our calypso music, a rubber-like figure danced across the stage, his body seemingly responding to every note of his song.
As we anticipated his offering, he extended our wait with a wordless prologue: “Hhhhmmmm”. A glide. A half turn. A pause. This extended the hush that had fallen over the crowd after the applause that accompanied his introduction. And then he served us his fresh water for us to drink, in an uncomplicated baritonish voice: “They want to know why the young people going astray.”
Of late, it seems that a lot of Barbadians want to know what is happening with a number of things in this country, but seem afraid to ask. So they talk among themselves and ask anyone they believe would listen, even if they are not in a position to answer.
I am asking for a friend. A senior civil servant asked a question about the new process of having Members of Parliament cross examine civil servants about the estimates of expenditure for their departments. She wants to know how her Government could forget that she is a servant in service of a Minister and it is the Minister who is ultimately responsible for the affairs of his or her Ministry. In her view, it is wrong for a Minister, when questioned on the finances of his Ministry by his peers, to call on his servant to answer. What should the civil servant say if the Minister took a decision contrary to the advice given within the Ministry?
According to her, she is mystified as to why Parliamentary time is being wasted to extend the process of approving estimates that have already been approved.
She explained that department Heads identify the needs of their departments under the supervision of their Ministers; refine their estimates of expenditure for their
departments, under the supervision of their Ministers; justify them to their Ministers’ satisfaction; accompany their Ministers to Government Headquarters where those estimates are thrashed out, cuts and other adjustments made before eventually being approved at the highest level in the land. The estimates approved through this process are then presented for Parliament’s stamp of approval.
By the time the Estimates reach Parliament, every single aspect of them would have been seen and approved by the Minister of Finance, who is the only person who can change them. That Minister’s advisers would have overseen the entire process and would have advised on the final position that Parliament would be asked to
accept.
Parliamentary debate of the Estimates was useful when some Members of Parliament were not in the loop and were seeing the figures for the first time. Since leaking became mainstream under the last administration and the then Opposition was provided with Cabinet and departmental information before those who made decisions rose from their seats, the likelihood of anything being seen for the first time when it was officially presented in Parliament disappeared.
But more interestingly now, there is no meaningful Opposition, for every Member of Parliament was elected as a member of the ruling party. In the absence of any Opposition and no fresh eyes to review the Estimates, what is the point of the exercise?
Maybe it was for this reason that a charade was developed to add some interest to the exercise. But governance is not a circus show. Some person seems to be forgetting that smoke and mirrors are useful for winning an election, but the people have a right to expect serious business where the running of the affairs of the country is concerned.
Another friend asked about water tanks. What is the difference between water tanks being erected by the previous administration and the erection of water tanks by the current administration? Of course, other than the fact that those erected before never fell apart.
When water tanks were first used as a temporary solution to ease the water woes of persons in some rural parishes, the then Opposition cried out like they had lost their mothers and proclaimed that the Government was taking Barbados back to a previous age.
Now, there has been a proliferation of water tanks in areas that never saw them before. No tanks were set up in those areas previously because their water challenges were not as dire as other places of low supply. But it seems that the areas of challenge are expanding.
Redman’s Village, St. Thomas is one such area. One resident there concluded that tanks have now come because it seems that the authorities have no intention of trying to solve their water issues. She wants to know if her fear is indeed reality and if so, she wishes someone would tell her so she could try to relocate. According to her, when she was a girl she went to the stand pipe, now she has to go to the tank pipe.
People want to know whether bus fares will increase and if so by how much. They have seen through the strategy of flying a kite to see the reaction before the true hike is imposed. If there is to be a hike, they want to know.
Those who were hoping to learn what they would have to budget for were left in the dark when the Minister responsible for the Transport Board said that he did not know what the rate increase would be. Well, if the Minister who is responsible does not know, persons should stop asking and guessing and just wait. Now we know that some Ministers take directions rather than make decisions.
They want to know whether it is indeed true that a consultancy contract worth millions of dollars was agreed with a foreign company called White Oak on May 30, 2018, five days after the Government came into office.
Barbadians want to know when the persons administering the affairs of this country will stop cracking jokes by attempting to blame the previous administration for every ill of this country. Laff-it-Off is good levity, but a country cannot be run through continuous mirth simply because one has no respect for the intelligence of the people.
The country’s problems should be addressed forthrightly and the distractions should be left until the next election cycle. That is when free food, drinks and music are most effective.