KEVON FELMINE
Senior Reporter
kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
While some critics have questioned the Government’s support for the United States' actions against Venezuela, Justice Frank Seepersad has urged citizens not to ignore the scale of migration from the South American country or the territorial threats it has made against neighbouring Guyana.
Speaking to Guardian Media after a service at the Marabella Presbyterian Church yesterday, Seepersad said citizens should support actions that seek to level the playing field. He said even in a season of goodwill, people must not forget the plight of the poor and those who have been repressed or subjugated, nor should they engage in revisionist history. He said there was an inescapable reality that, within the last decade, the region had witnessed the largest hemispheric migration from Venezuela, alongside statements that threatened Guyana’s territorial integrity.
“Therefore, people should not pretend these things did not happen and support decisions and actions which may be focused on the levelling of the playing field. Remember, millions of people do not leave their homes because all is well, and it suggests something may be awry and there may be the need for reassessment, realignment and readjustment,” Seepersad said.
As a man of faith, Seepersad said people must pray that whatever decisions are taken ultimately serve the interests of ordinary citizens, not only in T&T’s neighbour but globally. He said this was necessary if the Caribbean was to remain a zone of peace, harmony and free trade, where people could live safely without the scourge of crime experienced in recent years.
Seepersad said sovereignty vested a state with the authority to make laws and govern for the welfare of its citizens. In exercising that mandate, he said governments had a duty to prioritise the interests of their people, even when this required difficult decisions or the formation of strategic alliances. He said such alliances could be military or economic, particularly where they were needed to protect security interests or ensure that bilateral trade arrangements continued to grow.
He noted that in recent times, there had been significant anxiety about developments in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, with many opinions offered on the legality of certain actions.
“At this stage, however, and in the absence of the required evidence, a lot of that opinion is really speculative and the subject of conjecture. Natural justice always requires the evaluation of all the available evidence before any judgement can be rendered, and the reality is that we do not have all the evidence or the positions which have guided the actions which have been undertaken, and therefore it is really premature to proffer an opinion that what have occurred amounts to a breach of international law or there is a violation of fundamental human rights.”
During his guest sermon, Seepersad also addressed public servants who have begun receiving long-awaited salary increases and retroactive payments following the conclusion of protracted negotiations between the Government and the Public Service Association. While the payments have been welcomed by workers, they have also reignited public debate about performance and accountability.
Issued just ahead of the Christmas period, the payments have prompted renewed calls for public officers to match improved compensation with higher standards of professionalism and efficiency.
Seepersad said while workers must be treated fairly, employment should be regarded as more than a pay cheque. He said time and talent must be applied to promote efficiency, integrity and meaningful service.
“The love of Christ brings clarity and helps us to serve above self as we are guided by grace and encouraged to prioritise productivity and propagate peace and goodwill,” he said.
He urged believers to heed the biblical injunction that to whom much is given, much is expected, stressing that individuals must discharge their responsibilities conscientiously while rejecting mediocrity and complacency.
Seepersad said underperformance was widespread, noting that poor and selective service was often dispensed within the public service. He attributed this to a weak work ethic and the absence of effective accountability. He added that disciplinary processes were frequently undermined by bureaucracy and outdated Public Service regulations.
He said reform of the public service and the framework governing service commissions was long overdue.
