SPEAKER of the House, Mr. Raphael Trotman’s more than candid statements on the physical conditions surrounding the environs of the National Assembly, adds another voice to the national shame of a city that can be categorized as seemingly being unredeemable, as far as its daily sanitation and maintenance are concerned. 

Specifically, this is about a practice that has gradually metamorphosed into a full-blown culture: about the general citizenry continuously littering and abusing the environment, unfortunately becoming embedded in the national psyche. This is a position that had been concluded in one of the many pieces on the shocking state of our city, editorialized sometime ago.
Therefore, again, we must highlight the unbridled disrespect with which sections of our citizenry continue to treat their capital city, extending such to even the immediate surroundings of the Assembly of the people’s representatives, our lawmakers, a situation that has been evident for quite sometime.
It is not that those guilty of such an environmental sacrilege are not aware of their actions. Of course, they are! But the fact that those elements can deposit their litter, on the inner periphery of the Assembly’s grounds, as well on its outer borders, depicts a challenge to the good order of society, which can only be remedied by very condign measures by the relevant authorities.
It has always been questioned as to the continued stagnant ditch on the western flank of our nation’s Parliament, and its horrible smell, as alluded to by the Honourable Speaker. Such a high and imminent threat to public health and safety, has not seen any corresponding remedial action carried out by the Mayor & City Council for however long such has been existing. Even the pavement on this section, as well as on the southern side, needs to be resurfaced, as is evident by the many large cracks in sections of the walkway.
Certainly, since this is the most important institution in our nation, then one expects that it be given the regime of maintenance and attention that goes with the status, particularly with ensuring the removal of any litter deposited within the far corners of its grounds. There can even be a combined arrangement with the M&CC for similar action around the immediate environs, with the latter ensuring that vagrants and other types are removed.
One agrees with the Speaker that urgent action needs to be taken, especially given the growing number of persons who now occupy sections of the surrounding pavement, for whatever reasons. This is not the kind of illustration   which visitors to our country must behold.
But although one must empathize with the Speaker for an untenable state of affairs, one must indeed take issue with him for talking about “protest”…. “Thinking hard about turning up for duties on Thursday” and about Parliament having its own budget for such functions as cleaning and security.
Would not his absence interrupt the proceedings of the House? And is this not a clear hint of  the political  in these suggested actions, given the fact that he and the parliamentary opposition have been advocating that there be a detached financial dispensation for the management of the daily functions of the House?