Broken promises

“If you wish to be a success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing.” [Napoleon Bonaparte – French General, Politician and Emperor 1769 – 1821].

When Dr. Eric Williams began his journey to crystallize a political movement here in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955, I am sure that he would have never envisaged his party adopting wholesale the credo of Napoleon Bonaparte as was indicated above. In fact, the ruling party has become so adept at promising the moon and the sky I am convinced that they now never give thought to implementing what they say.

This is not an outright condemnation of the party. There are elements within the ruling party who, given the encouragement and the scope are willing to implement policies that will truly improve the lives of citizens. In order to win an election, the PNM of today will say anything that will get support and attention, without understanding the ramifications of their actions. Henry Louis Mencken, an American journalist [1880 – 1956] puts it, “If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would promise them missionaries for dinner.” I couldn’t put it better myself.

Unfortunately for us, politicians of today take no account of what Abraham Lincoln [16th U.S. President 1809 – 1865] had to say back in his day. He said “We must not promise what we ought not, lest we be called upon to perform what we cannot.” The latest debacle to beset the current administration is the issue of free tertiary education for all.

On September 28, 2005 whilst presenting the 2005/2006 fiscal package to the Lower House of Parliament, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Patrick Manning stated that “With effect from January 1, 2006, all nationals of Trinidad and Tobago enrolled at public tertiary institutions, namely UWI, UTT, COSTATT and other institutions where government sponsors students, will be eligible for free tuition, that is free public tertiary education.” Keep in mind that this statement was made on September 28, 2005.

However, it was no surprise that when January 1 2006 was upon us, no institutions were given letters from the Ministry of Science and Tertiary Education verifying government’s commitment to fully sponsor all Trinidad and Tobago nationals who are enrolled in public tertiary institutions. Why I say it was no surprise because if you have the laziest Minister in the Cabinet at the head of the Science and Tertiary Education Ministry, do you really expect anything to get done on time.

A simple letter clarifying government’s position had to take in excess of three months to be written. Minister Mustapha Abdul-Hamid has time and again demonstrated his incompetence, lack of foresight and general lethargic ambivalence. We should have also known though that he would not have gotten much help from his almost equally unimpressive junior minister Satish Ramroop, who is currently fighting for his political life in Central Trinidad. I hear that Satish is in the bad books of some powerful PNM heavy weights- poor child; I almost feel sorry for him.

More than three months I tell you. It took UWI Principal Dr. Bhoe Tewarie and others to bring this issue to the public domain before the Ministry was to respond to their growing concerns. The strange thing about it though is that “free” for all nationals enrolled in public tertiary institutions wasn’t free at all, at least not for everyone. This leads me to the point now of exposing government’s two-tongue approach to governance. Free tertiary education for all now became free for Trinidad and Tobago nationals pursuing undergraduate and distance learning programmes.

So after this grand statement on September 28 and in his New Year’s Message, the Prime Minister has revealed once again that we are not to believe in his statements that give off a sense of “grand scale design.” In truth and in fact, it was another hoax. Well then, so be it! It must be exposed though. What was once thought of as free comes down to this- Students pursuing accredited post-graduate programmes at approved local and regional public tertiary institutions including distance learning programmes will be eligible to access GATE for grants to cover 50% of tuition.

Students pursuing accredited post-graduate programmes at approved local private tertiary education institutions will be eligible to receive a grant representing 50 % of tuition fees up to a maximum of $10 000 per year. However, in the case of post-graduate distance learning programmes at private institutions, the existing 50% of tuition fees up to a maximum of $5 000 per year will be maintained.

We, as a people, have been deceived once again. After celebrating the re-introduction of free tertiary education, we are now being told that the process is selective. The sums allocated as grants for post graduate students are ridiculous. Are the technocrats ignoring the ever increasing cost of post graduate education, not only in the West Indies, but throughout much of the world? $10 000 is not even a drop in the bucket for what I had to pay for a post graduate programme. Deception, lies, half truths and innuendoes; that’s the true intent of this government and its grand programme for free tertiary education!

This, of course, is not the first time that this government will make promises and proceed to break them forthwith. Take a trip down memory lane to government’s promise to provide free health care at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex at Mount Hope. According to the Prime Minister in his budget statement of fiscal 2004/2005, “There exists in this country today an inequitable and pernicious system whereby residents of Mount Hope and surrounding areas receive free medical treatment at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, while other citizens have to pay. We shall put a stop to that. With effect from the first of January 2005, all medical services including the use of the medical facilities offered at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex will be free to all nationals of Trinidad and Tobago.”

As you would have seen, the statement included all medical facilities and services, yet this is not the case, even today. Come on Mr. Prime Minister, this is unacceptable. Do we forget the promises made about agriculture in the same budget statement that I just quoted from? In his presentation, the Prime Minister claimed to have recognized the critical importance of food security and outlined a medium term strategy for self sufficiency which included sustainable rural development, youth involvement in agriculture and increased competitiveness in the export and domestic markets.

In spite of all of these promises, agriculture continues to suffer incredible declines, flooding remains a perennial problem and even the newly created Sugar Manufacturing Company failed to meet its 47 000 tonnes quota of sugar to the European Union last year. This government also promised a reduction in crime, but I have already dealt with that issue. From health care to the environment to small business development to tourism, to poverty alleviation, this government has fallen short on all its promises, yet some people seem contented. As the saying goes, we like it so! Well, I for one know I deserve better, so the government better get its act together.

“His promises were, as he then was, mighty; But his performance, as he is now, nothing.” - William Shakespeare, [The Life of King Henry the Eighth]