Dear Editor,

Dudus has left Jamaica but the Dudus affair lingers on like a haunting nightmare. The reports coming out of the Commission of Enquiry do not seem promising at this stage. It seems unlikely that any valuable lessons will be learnt from the horrible experience. Nevertheless, it is incumbent on all Jamaicans to reflect on what has happened to Jamaica in the past 20 years or so. Our political, social and religious leaders have uniformly manifested a tragic dereliction of responsibility in surrendering to individuals the legal, moral and customary prerogatives of state and society.

The politicians, for whatever reason, allowed the national sovereignty to be effortlessly appropriated by individuals without the proper legitimacy of elections or public consultation of any kind. Religious leaders who are usually considered the repository of moral standards have been tardy in leading strenuous opposition to the relentless deterioration of civil society. Yet it is not too late to recognise that Jamaica can be saved from the dismal aftermath of the Dudus affair, but only if collectively we make the decision that enough is enough.

Frederick Barnett

Mandeville

Manchester