Dear Editor,
In 1965, a mere two years before Guyanese independence, the visionary Lee Kuan-Yew boldly took control of the reins of leadership in a newly independent Singapore at which time our native Guyana combined with Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago were literally years ahead of poor, tiny, struggling, impoverished Singapore. Now forty years onwards, the best and brightest that could leave have left those Commonwealth Caribbean nation states for greener and often times secure pastures in the developed metropoles in Great Britain, Canada, the United States and some even further afield in Australia, New Zealand to name just a few other locations.
Our problems at home here in the Caribbean are a manifestation of poor governance, corruption and a shameless absence of accountability. If ever there was a time for radical change then this is it because the citizenry are just about fed up with the ‘business as usual approach’ that their leaders have forged ahead with.
Everyday, our headlines are punctuated with stark but necessary reminders of the corruption and moral turpitude that has now become the national standard yet no one seems empowered to do anything about it. What a tragedy that we had it all going in the 1960s but look at the miserable lot our societies have degenerated into today.
There is an urgent if not overarching need for a centre for ethics, good governance and public-private partnership modelled after that of the National Singapore University (NSU). I call upon like-minded Caribbean citizens and private entities including the respected. Caribbean Media Group to join Telkom Caribe in such an undertaking.
Yours faithfully,
Mike Singh
