Dear Editor
NO one should be surprised at the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo’s continued comments on the recently appointed member of the Police Service Commission, Paul Slowe.

Editor, we are all au fait with the background to what is clearly the well-known trade mark of the PPP/C behaviour towards those who would have decided to challenge their unfair decisions – spite and raw vindictiveness.

It is a simple case of Jagdeo not being able to live with the fact that Slowe challenged the former PPP/C’s government arrogance of power, via the courts, and won. As a result, he never got the promotion that he had earned, becoming Deputy Commissioner. In fact, in order to deny Slowe his due, there were no promotions to this rank, until the latter retired. That was how horrible in mind, and still is, the mind-set of the PPP/C

It was to have been expected, negative comments from Jagdeo, when Slowe had been appointed to head the COI into the alleged plot against the President’s life, especially given the fact that the senior officers involved were all favourites of the PPP/C. For not only did Slowe’s findings exposed glaring instances of incompetence and unprofessionalism among the senior collective that had to lead the investigation into such a very serious issue, as it surrounded the latter; but also personality conflict which can only result in affecting the force’s morale.

What Jagdeo and adherents of his thinking should understand is that Slowe was not prepared to sacrifice professionalism in the face of political threat, and bow down to its god; nor was it his intention to sweep his damaging findings under the rug of concealment because of the senior ranks that were involved. Here was a former police officer, who had lost none of his no-nonsense approach to policing, who was prepared to do what had to be done to expose the truth.

There is no doubt that the appointment of this well-deserving officer to the Police Service Commission signals the further dismantling of the jagdeo hegemony over some sections of the senior hierarchy of the Guyana Police Force. This will be good for the professional health of such a key security institution, as well as improving its capacity and professional competency.
Hands off Slowe, Jagdeo!

Regards
Earl Hamilton