Dear Editor,

It has been said that success requires no explanation and failure accepts no alibi. This comes to mind in relation to the current Outameni “scandal”, even before Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller’s anticipated, post-Cabinet announcement on the fate of the remainder of the Easton Douglas-chaired National Housing Trust (NHT) board.

The truth is that good and even pure intentions can easily be sincerely attributed to all primary and secondary players in the Outameni saga; among them former Prime Minister Bruce Golding and other Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) players, former Outameni property owner Lennie Little-White, owner of the related intellectual property in Canada, Easton Douglas, Prime Minister Simpson Miller.

Hence, there has not been much sustainable traction for the understandable JLP-inspired charge of cronyism. This because any objective observer can recognise that the Outameni project is a venture worth preserving, if possible, and if it could be made to succeed.

No well-thinking member of the public, Government, or Opposition would want the project or Little-White to fail permanently, especially after all the honest effort he has put into the project.

Nor should we hold it against him too long for desperately throwing into the mix the “black man/brown man” red herring, which also gained little or no traction.

Under the circumstances, the PM and her Cabinet colleagues might very well attempt to simply “patch-up” or name additions/replacements to the NHT board and proceed with “business as usual”.

Notwithstanding all the good intentions attributable to all, there has also been clear evidence of failure leading to actual and potential corruption, arising from ignorance, incompetence and a clear failure to communicate. There are no acceptable alibis for these critical failures. Nor should we allow them to be ignored or swept under the carpet. Rather, we should move together to ensure that mistakes and failures are recognised and acknowledged. Lessons should also be learned and applied in the days ahead to eliminate or significantly minimise the chances of similar corruption creating similar errors — even in the face of innocence or good intentions.

C Anthony

Kingston 10

carltongor@gmail.,com