Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley cannot beg God to solve T&T’s crime crisis and not show any well-conceived crime-fighting initiatives, says UNC MP Rodney Charles.
Charles is also calling on Government to bring promised law to expedite senior T&T Police Service acting appointments.
Charles gave his take on yesterday’s National Service of Reflection and Thanksgiving at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, which Rowley had advocated, during a press conference hosted by the UNC at the Office of the Opposition in Port-of-Spain.
Charles asked if God had “...forsaken T&T?”
“Why is every aspect of our crime-fighting failing? This week, Dr Rowley catches another vaps and summons us to a Day of Prayer.
“Scripture tells us that faith without works cannot save a man and neither a nation. Dr Rowley, read the book of James, which tells us that deeds or actions are the by-products of a living faith.
“You cannot beg God to solve our crime crisis and have nothing to show in the form of well-conceived crime-fighting initiatives. You have to have ‘works’ or a track record of performance on crime...”
He added, “Faith without works cannot save you Dr Rowley, even in the spiritual realm. Do the work. Then seek God’s help.”
Charles said Rowley cannot call for a Day of Prayer “and advocate for Mafia Cosa Nostra style.” He said Rowley needed to “beg forgiveness” for the four LMCS divers who died and couldn’t consort with community leaders, give them state contracts then beg forgiveness.
He said it was Rowley’s right to have a Day of Prayer but hoped Rowley had prayed for forgiveness over the death of nine-year-old murder victim Jamal Modest, for “illegally closing” Petrotrin, thousands of lives destroyed by floods and Rose Hill RC Primary School pupils.
Charles said the T&T Police Service couldn’t blamed, but it was squarely on Rowley and the Government.
He said last Friday in Parliament, where the nomination for DCP Erla Harewood-Christopher to act as Police Commission was approved, “We dealt with the symptom of the leadership crisis in the TTPS and not the cure. “
“The cure would have been a streamlining of the process granting unilateral powers to the Police Service Commission (PolSC) to make acting appointments in the TTPS’ topmost offices.
“In October, Dr Rowley gave Parliament his word that he’d bring legislation to Parliament very soon to ensure that short-term acting appointments for the CoP and three DCoPs would be handled exclusively by the PolSC.
“He did so when Mrs Erla Harewood-Christopher first acted for the acting CoP when he was on a short UK visit. We now once again call on Dr Rowley to bring that legislation immediately.”
He added, “That cannot be the most difficult piece of legislation to draft and bring to Parliament. Bring it, but don’t include extraneous provisions to contaminate the bill. Bring a straightforward bill, vesting powers in the Police Service Commission of making most senior TTPS acting appointments.
“Discuss it with us beforehand if you will condescend to so doing, and let’s get this convoluted, time-wasting, inefficient process over and done with.”