If we turn a blind eye to corruption...

Friday, March 12, 2010

The contractor general, Mr Greg Christie, took what he said was an unusual step in passing on to the media a breaking news story which had been sent to him, minutes before, by his colleagues at the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday.

The story regarded the conviction of Mr Sheiku Koroma, the former Sierra Leone minister of health and sanitation, on corruption charges related to Government procurement and contracting issues.

According to Mr Christie, his motive in passing on the story was to encourage us to "give deep thought to similar issues with which we are currently faced here in Jamaica, particularly as they relate to matters which have to do with public procurement and government contracting and the abuse of office on the part of those in whom the Jamaican taxpayer has reposed his/her confidence".

Additionally, Mr Christie pointed out, the story, which may be found at http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/archives/6426 and http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/archives/2417, speaks to "the unbelievable expedition with which matters, such as corruption offences, which are deemed to be gravely inimical to the public interest, are dealt with in other jurisdictions which are demonstrably serious about tackling corruption".

We suspect that there is more to Mr Christie's communication than meets the eye, given his recent report concerning the air service agreement between Jamaica and American Airlines (AA).

According to Mr Christie, the deal which guaranteed AA US$4.5 million for continued airlift, was improperly arrived at, chiefly via Mr Edmund Bartlett, the tourism minister, behind the Cabinet's back.

True to form, Mr Bartlett responded with speed and eloquence, pointing out that the deal was transparent and above board.

His response was met with even more stinging feedback from Mr Christie who has refused to take anything back.

This space is not going to get into this particular aspect of that controversy today.

Suffice it to say that every well-thinking Jamaican has a duty to take an active interest in the issues raised by the contractor general.

All of us have a stake in this country that needs to be defended through the appropriate constitutional channels.

Let us not indulge in the type of unproductive bickering that has never and will never get us anywhere.

Corruption is, as Mr Christie said in yesterday's communiqué, literally strangling Jamaica to death.

If we turn a blind eye to it, if we choose not to get involved, we will surely suffer and ultimately die.

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COMMENTS (2)

Iva Elliott
3/13/2010

Corruption is so prevalent in Jamaica, that the younger Jamaicans think it is the normal business practice. Thirty years ago as a civil servant I met that ugly monster. There was no secure/confidential institution to file a report. The seniors/supervisors were part of the corrupt system. A junior servant filing a report on corruption would be writing his own resignation/suicide note. The solution for many of us was exiting Jamaica by accepting the US visa. Many of us today are in the middle and upper class and we are making major contributions to our adopted home. Yet we mourn the Jamaican situation because we still have a place in our hearts for Jamaica. We also realize we are in voluntary "exile" because returning residents are sitting ducks.

Bobby Sharpe
3/12/2010

When do we start locking up our crooks? Bruce Golding has carried on from where the PNP under Patterson left off; Patterson having presided over the corrupting of every national institution in this country. Bruce is a garrison politician as is Portia....Where or how do we get the changes needed; in the National Interest!!!!

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