Much ado has been made of the so called $28,000-a-month housing allowance for the President. In my opinion, too much attention is being paid to this non-issue at this point in our nation's affairs, when so many other ills afflict us.I have to ask if someone has declared open season on the president. In the wake of recent open disrespect to the President and his wife, and to the Office of the President, we now have all and sundry criticising and questioning the President's integrity.
When this President was nominated, not a single voice was raised against him in the entire country; he was the best in every way. I ask you now, what has changed?My understanding of the situation is that the approved long-standing residential quarters for the President, his family and staff, has not been made ready and available for His Excellency to take up. For the President to request an allowance of $28,000 a month, there must have been justification. There is certainly inconvenience involved and maybe the President had to dig into his pocket in the present situation. Was the cost of maintaining the grounds of the five buildings taken into account in the new arrangement? Did the cost of the new arrangement fall short in any way?
These are the things we need to find out before we run all over the place crying that the President was wrong to request this allowance. It is clear to me that this $28,000 dollars is an "inconvenience allowance," and is probably of a temporary nature, until everything is regularised. As citizens of this country, we need to be more responsible and mature in our thinking, and see the forest instead of the trees.In this country, where corruption and graft is so common, we see it fit to criticise our President for seeking an allowance for his accommodation and attack his integrity?! Come on, people of this country, we are better than this. You don't even know quality when you see it.
Joel Quintal
Cross Crossing, San Fernando