Nizam Mohammed Thread

[Tallman]

Statement from the Office of the Prime Minister on the Nizam Mohammed issue
T&T Guardian

When we see each other for who we are rather than what we happen to look like, when the grounds of suspicion fall away and no one looks for shades of differences to determine their own value, when realities are not created by pigments of someone’s imagination, then we would have arrived as a nation.
 
Within this context, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago categorically condemns the statements made by Mr. Nizam Mohammed, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) regarding the allegations of discrimination and the need for ethnic balancing within the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
 
The five leaders that formed the political grouping that brought this Government to power is the broadest- based representation ever held in this nation and the insularity propagated by Mr. Mohammed’s reckless and senseless comments run against the very grain of the philosophy that now governs this country.
 
Mr. Mohammed must be held accountable for his inflammatory and unwise remarks which in no way represent the views of the Government.
 
Statements such as the one by Mr. Mohammed are divisive and serve no useful purpose other than to undermine the trust that is reposed in him as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission.
 
Our mission as a Government is to embrace everyone, to create a meritocracy based on people’s ability to do their jobs; race must not and will never be a consideration.
 
Whatever our ethnic origins, we are citizens of Trinidad and Tobago first and our Government believes the words of our National Anthem: “Here every creed and race finds an equal place,” express a philosophy that determines the way this Government functions today.

[Bourbon]

I hearing so much different chords from dis choir dat i wondering if all ah dem singing from de same song sheet.

Moonilal i think? : Doh shoot de messenger.

Warner: He should resign

now Kamla: He should be held accountable.


Who else i forget?

[Bakes]

Lol... Kamla and Anand push de issue on "not enough Indians in de police service" and chain up Nizam into talking.  Nizam di'n read de script properly and instead ah saying "not enough Indians" he say "too much Africans"... now Kamla wait and watch de ride good before throwing him under de back wheel.

Nizam scratching he head trying to figure out de license plate ah dat bus 

[Jah Gol]

 Finally the PM respond and condemn the statement. Who the hell writing this flowery garbage though ?

[Jah Gol]

Lol... Kamla and Anand push de issue on "not enough Indians in de police service" and chain up Nizam into talking.  Nizam di'n read de script properly and instead ah saying "not enough Indians" he say "too much Africans"... now Kamla wait and watch de ride good before throwing him under de back wheel.

Nizam scratching he head trying to figure out de license plate ah dat bus 

Rolled neatly under bus.

[congo]

This government is a big joke. They are all thinking this. They just used Nizam to get the debate going. Ask Chandresh Sharma. He say that it's the message that's important, don't shoot the messenger. AG come out and make same remarks to Police executive in front of Kamla. So what it is she really saying now?. Anyways, I didn't vote for that. A zebra can't change its stripes..!!!

[Daft Trini]

Where did we go wrong..... sometimes I does want to have a conversation with de almighty on why he make man...

[weary1969]

This government is a big joke. They are all thinking this. They just used Nizam to get the debate going. Ask Chandresh Sharma. He say that it's the message that's important, don't shoot the messenger. AG come out and make same remarks to Police executive in front of Kamla. So what it is she really saying now?. Anyways, I didn't vote for that. A zebra can't change its stripes..!!!

IT GOOD 4 WE. They drank d koolaide.

[Flex]

OVER TO MAX
Govt condemns Nizam's statements as divisive and reckless
By Ria Taitt Political Editor

President George Maxwell Richards appears to have no choice but to remove Nizam Mohammed as chairman of the Police Service Commission.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the leader of the Government who promised a new kind of politics, roundly criticised Mohammed, in effect clearing the path for his dismissal. It is, however, only the President who can act.

In a strongly worded statement from the Office of the Prime Minister, titled: "Statement from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago", the People's Partnership Government "categorically condemned" Mohammed's "reckless ... senseless ... and divisive comments".

Speaking at a Joint Select Committee meeting last Friday, Mohammed expressed concern about the ethnic composition of the Police Service, saying the records showed there were more Africans than East Indians. He pledged, as chairman of the PSC, to deal with this imbalance "with the assistance of the Parliament" and cited this commitment as the reason why "the guns were now aimed at him". Mohammed has previously been the target of criticism because of a traffic incident in Port of Spain last year.

Since his explosive statements on Friday, criticism has continued to mount and pressure has persistently piled up for Mohammed to go, with many persons calling on the Government to state whether he had been given a mandate to address the ethnic imbalance in the service and whether Government supported this position.

Apparently responding, the Government, which vehemently supported Mohammed's appointment, reversed itself by pulling the rug from under him, stating: "Mr Mohammed must be held accountable for his inflammatory and unwise remarks which in no way represent the views of the Government. The five leaders that formed the political grouping that brought this Government to power is the broadest-based representation ever held in this nation and the insularity propagated by Mr Mohammed's reckless and senseless comments run against the very grain of the philosophy that now governs this country."

It added: "Our mission as a Government is to ... create a meritocracy based on people's ability to do their jobs, race must not and will never be a consideration."

The statement, however, stopped short of calling for Mohammed to be fired. The statement was, however, in tandem with comments given by Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis, who led the charge in immediately condemning Mohammed's remarks at the very JSC meeting, followed closely by Senator David Abdulah. Works Minister Jack Warner was also quick out of the blocks when he too expressed his "hurt and disappointment", saying had he been in his shoes, he (Warner) would have resigned immediately. However, in sharp contrast, Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal said Mohammed raised a "legitimate" development issue, while Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma stated that people should not shoot the messenger and debate must take place on the issue with a view to addressing any disparity which may exist.

The police executive, who for the first time in this country's history have come out publicly against a PSC chairman, have also named the Attorney General Anand Ramlogan as another government official who expressed sentiments similar to Mohammed's at a meeting with the police executive earlier this year.

The Congress of the People, who met in emergency session yesterday to discuss Mohammed's comments, called on the Prime Minister to advise the President that Mohammed's appointment be revoked "with immediate effect".

Today, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley meets the President at 2 p.m. with a view to renewing his request for Richards to remove Mohammed from office on the grounds of "proven unsuitability". Rowley, who had written to Richards last week calling for Mohammed's dismissal, stated yesterday: "Nizam Mohammed's behaviour as chairman of the PSC has become even more untenable in the face of his reckless, self-serving comments ... in which he outlined for himself the task of redressing perceived racial discrimination in the Police Service. Mr Mohammed's unfortunate statement does not only attack the integrity of previous Police Service Commissions but also disturbs the morale of the Police Service and threatens the social fabric of stability which has been the hallmark of our existence as a multi-ethnic society."

Rowley added that "in the light of similar statements made by the Attorney General at the New York Mission and locally to First Division Police Officers", the Prime Minister should state whether any assurance was given to Mohammed that her Government would use its parliamentary majority to rectify his perceived racial discrimination in the Police Service.

Rowley had objected last July when Richards proposed Mohammed as one of the nominees for appointment to the PSC, arguing he was a "serial politician" and thus unqualified to serve on a commission.

[zuluwarrior]

 Seetahal: He's not fit to lead

Story Created: Mar 29, 2011 at 12:45 AM ECT

(Story Updated: Mar 29, 2011 at 12:45 AM ECT )

Attorney Dana Seetahal SC said yesterday that Nizam Mohammed is not fit to be chairman of the Police Service Commission. Seetahal, who was recently elected as president of the Law Association, was speaking in her private capacity.

She said the PSC's constitutional remit was to appoint persons to hold or act in offices in the Police Service, specifically the Commissioner of Police and deputy Commissioners. She said the commission used to have overarching concerns about the Police Service, but its function with the new (2006) legislation has been restricted to appointments of the two top posts (CoP and his deputies).

"Nothing in that includes any prerogative to address any issue of bias in terms of the persons or an imbalance in terms of the persons who are appointed to the hierarchy of the Police Service," Seetahal said. She added that the PSC chairman is supposed to administer the law and the regulations in a fair manner.

"So when he says, 'I intend to address this (the racial imbalance) with the help of the Parliament. We need the protection'. I don't know what he is talking about. And I don't know what is the basis for saying that he has any mandate to address any issue of imbalance in the Police Service as he perceives it," Seetahal stated.

She said she also took exception to the generic statements Mohammed made to the Joint Select Committee, such as his remark that 50 per cent of the country was East Indian. She said the last Census showed 41 per cent of the country was of East Indian origin, approximately 39 per cent of African origin and the rest were mixed.

"And then to say that when people see the imbalance, the suggestion is that they would not feel protected by the Police Service, I think that is nonsense. Because it suggests to me that in the same vein the Commissioner of Police, who is a white foreigner, does not reflect the society. Is it then that no one in the Police Service other than the deputy (Jack Ewatski) can feel comfortable with him, and that the rest of the country can have no reliance on the Commissioner because he is neither Indian or African?"

Seetahal said Mohammed was assuming that the system of promoting on the basis of seniority led to a predominance of Africans.

"This fails to even acknowledge that the possibility is that up until 25 years ago, you couldn't even get 10 persons of Indian origin applying to the Police Service," she added.

She suggested that the sociology department of the UWI embark on an empirical study on why certain people do not go into certain professions.

"Until then, when we understand the society better, shut up" she said.

Outgoing Law Association president Martin Daly SC said the whole affair underlined how persons in public office little understood the responsibilities and burdens of such office. –Ria Taitt

 

[zuluwarrior]

Breds back-ah-nal and confusion is the foundation of our society and that is what trinbagonians like , check it,  every monday morning is something from these politicians that make john public rise up and people taking sides . 

[Jah Gol]

Chandresh Sharma

I hope, in the process, we do not shoot the messenger. My understanding is that some statistics were provided and presented and perhaps one may be questioning the manner in which it was presented, or the remarks that may have been associated with it, but we must not avoid at any time real information and it was only presented to be addressed

Roodal Moonilal

"These are interesting and important developmental challenges to all plural societies. I think without being emotional and without being hysterical and so on, it is a legitimate development issue that is on the agenda"


Moonilal said all developed countries had gained that status because they had confronted this issue of diversity and development.

Therese Baptiste-Cornelis

I just never like that. Those kinds of statements being made or those types of classifications. Especially someone like myself who is from all (both African and East Indian descent).

"When you all determine that, how do you all determine me? Because if you start to classify people as East Indian and African, we are running into a problem and this is exactly as a Government what we are trying to get away from. We are trying to go for everybody,"

Austin 'Jack' Warner

I am very disappointed in him, I know the guy well, I'm disappointed in him. He has done a disservice to the Government and to the party by his conduct. I expect that my colleagues will deal with this matter but this hasn't done us very well at all as a government,"

"I would have thought that a man of his stature would have been more circumspect. If I were in his position and I had done that, I would have resigned."

"I feel offended because if you look at the history of the Police Service, you would understand that even in the old days when you couldn't get people to work in the police service, we had to go to Barbados to get police officers to work here because nobody wanted to work in the Police Service and therefore what we have now evolved over time,"

Office of the Prime Minister

the Government of Trinidad and Tobago categorically condemns the statements made by Mr. Nizam Mohammed, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) regarding the allegations of discrimination and the need for ethnic balancing within the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.

In a commentary from Selwyn Ryan last year on the Prime Minister's leadership style and the government's overall operations he posited that detractors may be too "brainwashed about the alleged virtues of the Westminster model with its emphasis on maximum leaders, patriarchal or prime ministerial monarchs, and the Victorian myths that surround the concept of collective responsibility, that we see any change in the template as to how ministers should behave as invitations to fractionalism, instability, and political collapse." I'm not concerned about the government's collapse I am however concerned that the dichotomous static from Ministers compromises the credibility of any stated position of the government.

This particular issue is obviously very explosive socially and politically. The divergence of views expressed by Ministers and the delay in issuing a formal statement has done nothing to quell any public discontent. Add the fact that PM and AJ have been silent about the claims made by Assistant Commissioner Fitzroy Fredericks and Nizam Mohammed's statement :

I have a job to do and this is what I intend to do. I intend to address this with the help of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago.

and one is left seriously questioning the government's stated position.

[Deeks]

and one is left seriously questioning the government's stated position.

To seek redress. They will make changes.

[weary1969]

and one is left seriously questioning the government's stated position.

To seek redress. They will make changes.

Will blieve it when I C IT

[zuluwarrior]

Nizam's numbers
By Clarence Rambharat

Story Created: Mar 29, 2011 at 12:45 AM ECT

(Story Updated: Mar 29, 2011 at 12:45 AM ECT )

It was Nizam Mohammed, as the Speaker of the House, who reintroduced the mace to Parliament in 1987. And though centuries before Oliver Cromwell famously dissed the mace as "a fool's bauble", last Friday Nizam looked like Cromwell, the Lord Protector. By the time it was over, a bauble, even one of a fool, might have been a place of safe retreat.

Of course the focus has been on Nizam but let us not forget that Nizam's shield and sabre was a letter sent to the Commissioner of Police by Anand Ramesar, a lawyer and President of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Social and Welfare Association. In that letter, first mentioned in the media in December 2010, Ramesar reportedly told the Commissioner that he "feels threatened" by the ethnic composition of the Promotions Advisory Board (PAB) and he does "not feel secure".

Nizam's problem is the fact that in his soliloquy he adopted a cause which was not that of the Police Service Commission's (PSC) he was representing at the time. The matter belongs with the Commissioner and the courts through judicial review on the basis of institutional bias. Nizam, a lawyer, offered little by way of evidence that the Board's deliberations and decision-making were influenced by ethnicity and he did not explain the basis for dragging an unwilling and unprepared PSC into the discussion.

But as Nizam hammered the point of meritocracy and promotion exams, my first point of wonder was what do Mohammed and Ramesar know about the nature, structure, content, marking scheme and actual marking of promotion exams, which gave Indians an advantage over non-Indians? Nizam seemed confident that Indians perform better on these promotion exams and Indians are set for the first division.


Now, Act No.13 of 2007 amended the Police Service Act to introduce the section dealing with the composition of the five-member PAB. It gives the Commissioner a fair amount of discretion in putting together the promotions Board. So under what is now Section 18 of the Police Service Act, the PAB consists of a Deputy Commissioner; an Assistant Commissioner; the Director Human Resources of the Police Service, a senior officer of the Ministry of National Security who is not a police officer and an independent consultant who is engaged by the Commissioner. The Commissioner also appoints a Secretary to the Board, that person not being a police officer.

We do not know whether Ramesar suggested what ethnic composition of the PAB will make him less threatened and more secure. Since Nizam resorted to population statistics and the ethnic breakdown, my analysis is that the five-member Board would be "properly" constituted for Nizam and Ramesar if it was made up two Indians, 1.875 Africans and 1.03 mixed persons.

But I am also inclined to think that Nizam and Ramesar would not feel too threatened or insecure if the entire Promotions Board looked like Commissioner Gibbs or Deputy Commissioner Ewatski. Ramesar's real problem may lie with anybody who looks like Deputy Commissioner Stephen Williams or Assistant Commissioner Terry Young. And by adopting the cause, that may be Nizam's problem too.

And we do not know whether it is Ramesar who feels threatened and insecure or it is second division police officers who feel that way. It might also be that Ramesar is saying to the COP that Indian police officers from the second division feel threatened and insecure when they face groups and bodies which do not mirror, with perfection, the ethnic proportions of the society.

Now if Ramesar feels threatened when he does not have his minimum 40 per cent Indians around him, it is amazing that he even contested the Second Division Association's presidency, out of which he became the association's first President of Indian origin.

Now having been elected by what must have included a fair amount of non-Indian votes, Ramesar must feel threatened and insecure at every Executive and Central Committee meeting of the association. After all Ramesar is one of two Indians on the association's eight-member Executive. And non-Indians outnumber Indians by a margin of 62 to 5 on the association's Central Committee.


It is remarkable that, so horribly outnumbered in ethnic composition at the Executive and Central Committee levels of the police association, Ramesar manages to get anything done: unless ethnic composition does not stand in the way of decision-making within the association. If that is so, then Ramesar may know that it is possible for right decisions to be made whatever the ethnicity or ethnic composition of public decision makers. And when decision-making is affected by institutional bias or other discriminatory factors, the robust judicial review process provides an opportunity for redress.

Or has Ramesar, for the selfishness of his ascent to the first division, tapped ethnic proportionality to suit his cause? And he is willing to ignore the fact that he is able to serve effectively in and represent the second division association in spite of the Executive being 75 per cent non-Indian and the Central Executive being 92 per cent non-Indian.

Going forward, the politicians are free to influence the ethnic composition of the Promotions Board. Hand-pick a Director of Human Resources; select the "right" senior officer from the Ministry of National Security and persuade the Commissioner on the choice of "independent" consultant and they have three out of five.

But however you deal with ethnic proportionality you end up facing an indeterminable and growing "mixed" segment in the country. In this Mohammed-Ramesar doctrine of proportionality, will they resort to blood analysis using genetic markers and blood science for recruitment and appointments? And what of the other debates: with Hindus outnumbering Muslims 23 to six per cent, Ramesar may want it to be called the Ramesar-Mohammed doctrine of proportionality and push Hindus ahead. If it comes to that, at least Nizam Mohammed has his fool's bauble, as Cromwell described it.

Next week I return to Part 2 of my discussion on the health sector.

* Clarence Rambharat is a

university lecturer and lawyer.

[Flex]

Kamla: Hard decisions needed on Nizam issue
By LARA PICKFORD-GORDON.
Wednesday, March 30 2011

HARD decisions sometimes need to be taken, and this will be done in the interest of preserving social cohesion,” Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said yesterday as she responded to questions about the controversy surrounding Police Service Commission (PSC) chairman Nizam Mohammed’s statement of ethnic imbalances in the police service.

Persad-Bissessar met with President George Maxwell Richards from 11.30 am at Knowsley, Queen’s Park for about 45 minutes yesterday. She told reporters that she normally met with the President in accordance with the Constitution and meetings usually take place on Tuesdays.

“We discussed matters of public concern but I will not be at liberty to disclose the details of that conversation. What I will say is that I will do whatever I have to do to ensure we do not divide the people of TT.”

Her comments came a day after a release from her office roundly condemned and castigated Mohammed for his ‘racial imbalance’ utterances which he made last week while speaking before a Joint Select Committee of Parliament.

Persad-Bissessar reminded that during the election campaign and “conversations with the people were with respect to equity and justice for all.” She said the partnership was broad based and reflected the face of the society.

“So whatever I do I will do the best that I can to hold the society together. Sometimes we have to take hard decisions. I will take those decisions if I have to and that is all I can say on this matter at this time.” Pressed further, she said Mohammed’s fate is not in her hands. “Under the law such issues fall, constitutionally within the purview of His Excellency.”

She said the President would be guided by Act 6 of 2006 which sets out the criteria to be used if a member of a Service Commission has to be removed. “As I say, those are matters within the discretion of His Excellency and totally out of my hands. Asked if she recommended the revocation of Mohammed’s appointment, Persad-Bissessar said she was “not at liberty to disclose discussions I had with His Excellency.”

At a press briefing also yesterday, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley said he met with President Richards reaffirming the Opposition’s view that Mohammed’s appointment should be revoked.

Yesterday, Labour Minister Errol McLeod added his voice to the list of persons condemning Mohammed for his comments by saying: “I condemn out of hand, the position taken by Mr Mohammed. Indeed the strains of (his) lamentations will see him imprisoned in the same facility in which Weston ‘Cro-Cro’ Rawlins might be residing at this time for his equally racist song ‘Compare and Contrast’.”

Mohammed could not be reached for comment yesterday despite repeated calls to his cellular phone and office phone.

[Daft Trini]

Brothers and Sisters... something doh seem right with Nizam's statements...

My dad worked vigorously for him in 1986... de man even give meh fadder ah shout out in Parliament. Why is that significant, my father an indian married a black woman. De amounta pressure my fadder has faced for falling in love with a creole woman. My fadder was sensitive to prejudice... he love he wife... so if Nizam even hinted as being racist in any form, meh fadder would have dropped him like a hot potato. He would ah tap nizam head like ah tabla....

During the last election on the PP page and Kamla's page people praised her, de said is "we" time... People say on she page that "ni@@er" time done... I wish I made this shyte up. However she failed to address this, since it was not a wholly  UNC or Indian effort... Yet nothing was done as this behavior has continued.

I wonder is this was some sort of follow fashion Gimmick since the US Justice department in collaboration with AG Holder, released a report that the no. of US military's Generals currently serving did not reflect the current ethnic make up of the US.... and a few days later Nizam makes de same statement about a branch of our Protective forces..... People does be chameleon or dey does change, May be Nizam do so. or may be dey throw him under de bus.

[weary1969]

Brothers and Sisters... something doh seem right with Nizam's statements...

My dad worked vigorously for him in 1986... de man even give meh fadder ah shout out in Parliament. Why is that significant, my father an indian married a black woman. De amounta pressure my fadder has faced for falling in love with a creole woman. My fadder was sensitive to prejudice... he love he wife... so if Nizam even hinted as being racist in any form, meh fadder would have dropped him like a hot potato. He would ah tap nizam head like ah tabla....

During the last election on the PP page and Kamla's page people praised her, de said is "we" time... People say on she page that "ni@@er" time done... I wish I made this shyte up. However she failed to address this, since it was not a wholly  UNC or Indian effort... Yet nothing was done as this behavior has continued.

I wonder is this was some sort of follow fashion Gimmick since the US Justice department under in collaboration with AG Holder, released a report that the no. of US military's Generals currently serving did not reflect the current ethnic make up of the US.... and a few days later Nizam makes de same statement about a branch of our Protective forces..... People does be chameleon or dey does change, May be Nizam do so. or may be dey throw him under de bus.

I 2 had Nizam as a noble fella because he did not join club 88 and went back wit  Bas when he mash up NAR. But when Flex call him out early in d thread I say eh eh I was wrong bout d fella. Flex doh call out peeps so if Flex say he is a goat I goin wit Flex. So far Flex correct like dat.

[Bakes]

Brothers and Sisters... something doh seem right with Nizam's statements...

My dad worked vigorously for him in 1986... de man even give meh fadder ah shout out in Parliament. Why is that significant, my father an indian married a black woman. De amounta pressure my fadder has faced for falling in love with a creole woman. My fadder was sensitive to prejudice... he love he wife... so if Nizam even hinted as being racist in any form, meh fadder would have dropped him like a hot potato. He would ah tap nizam head like ah tabla....

During the last election on the PP page and Kamla's page people praised her, de said is "we" time... People say on she page that "ni@@er" time done... I wish I made this shyte up. However she failed to address this, since it was not a wholly  UNC or Indian effort... Yet nothing was done as this behavior has continued.

I wonder is this was some sort of follow fashion Gimmick since the US Justice department in collaboration with AG Holder, released a report that the no. of US military's Generals currently serving did not reflect the current ethnic make up of the US.... and a few days later Nizam makes de same statement about a branch of our Protective forces..... People does be chameleon or dey does change, May be Nizam do so. or may be dey throw him under de bus.

I dunno Nizam so I can't say whether the man racist or not... what I would say is that I don't believe his statements were racist.  Nizam was addressing the ethnic underrepresentation of Indians in the Police force, which is a legitimate concern, but both what he said, and the manner in which he went about it was foolish.

First off, from even passing observation it is plain to see that there are FAR fewer police officers of Indian descent relative to those of African descent.  Fuhget about de panyols, chinee and local whites.  But we know that there are legitimate reasons for that and a couple commenters (Dana Seetahal being one... love dat woman) who make mention of the fact that many "Indians" (Trinis of Indian descent, but dat too long to keep typing) didn't see the public sector as a viable option... just as many didn't view sports as a viable option.  Now lest some accuse me of making sweeping generalizations, note I only say that "many"... I can't even say "most"... I can only speak from personal and anecdotal observation.  For many Indians it seems as though entrepreneurship was the better route.

Nizam also say that Indians don't feel safe or wouldn't feel safe (something so) unless the representation balances out.  Far be it for me to put words in his mouth... but I think what he is addressing is a lack of confidence in the constabulary unless you see faces that look like your own.  Now whether we want to address the accuracy of that statement is another matter, but it is a fair observation, people feel better about those in authority when they see themselves reflected in the make up.  Now Nizam say the genesis of all of this is Sgt. Ramesar's letter... but Ramesar has since made clear that he was speaking not of the ethnic makeup of the force, but rather of the Promotion Advisory Board.  So that's yet another valid criticism of Mohammed, his statement was both clumsy and lacking in foundation.  But does that make him racist?  Rather than say "not enough Indians" his fateful mistake was saying "too many Africans"... I honestly think he misspoke.

Another reason why some of the criticism is valid has to do with the forum for which he chose to make it, and the forum through which he proposed to correct the imbalance.  The PSC is an oversight body and has no mandate to go about making personnel and other changes within the force.  The fact that he pledged to correct the ethnic imbalance with the help of Parliament was also troubling because it gives rise to the inference that he was acting with the approval of at least some in Parliament.  This by itself is revealing, particularly in light of Fitzroy Fredericks charge that the AG raised similar concerns to him, in the presence of the PM.  Asked about it now, Kamliar has deflected the question by saying it should be asked of Anand, since he was the one who raised it.  Why??  Are you not the political leader of his party?  Are you not the leader of the government of which he is part?  Does he not serve under you?  Are you not at least in part vicariously liable for actions taken in his official capacity... as you are with any other cabinet members who serve under you? 

I was very distrusting of the PP government when they came to power... largely because of the presence of Volney and Warner.  Some of my concerns were eased due to the involvement of Dookeran and Kamla.  Sad to say Volney and Warner now appear to be the least of our concerns... Volney has been muffled and Jack is actually starting to look better by the day.  Dookeran was been punted aside while Kamla runs the three-ring circus that is her government, and saying that she 'runs' it is actually being quite charitable.  She seems more interested in the trappings of the office (with the focus on her wardrobe options and the foreign junkets) than in governance, and when pressed on the latter she has deflected, distracted from and danced around responsibility and accountability.  Hers has been management by error and omission and frankly she has been a resounding disappointment, and quickly become a disgrace.

[weary1969]

Nizam ignores calls to resign
...‘I was not reckless’

Richard Lord

Chairman of the Police Service Commission Nizam Mohammed says he is not about to resign in the wake of public calls for him to do so. “I am not going anywhere…The work of the commission continues and I intend to carry on with my work,” he said. Mohammed broke his silence during an interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday, 24-hours after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said his future would be determined by President George Maxwell Richards. Both Persad-Bissessar and Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley met separately with President Richards on Tuesday in the wake of Mohammed controversial statement about an ethnic imbalance in the T&T Police Service.

Persad-Bissessar insisted that Mohammed was reckless and was seeking to divide the nation by his remarks. But Mohammed said he did not share that view. He suggested that his critics should ask the chairman of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament (JSC) if he was being reckless, adding that he would not have been allowed to be reckless at such a meeting. He said: “I was not reckless and irresponsible,” as was being claimed by the PM. Mohammed said he got a copy of Hansard (official record of what he said) and he cannot see how he was being reckless. He said he had not seen the newspaper reports of the meeting.

“I cannot see how people could conclude that I was reckless after reading my comments,” he added.
Mohammed said the controversy had not affected the operations of the commission “in the least.”
He said if yesterday was not a public holiday, the commission would have met, but the next meeting was likely to be set for next week. Mohammed said on Monday he met with Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs and ACP Fitzroy Fredericks. According to the former House Speaker, the meeting was “warm and cordial.” He said the matter was discussed and “they fully understood my concerns…The meeting was held without any malice to anyone.” Rowley, who had objected to Mohammed’s appointment, said he was confident that President Richards would act and revoke the Police Service Commission chairman’s appointment.

Controversy brews

Friday, March 25: Mohammed raises the issue of ethnic imbalance in the hierarchy of the Police Service at a meeting with the Joint Select Committee. Sunday March 26: ACP Fitzroy Fredericks condemns Mohammed for his comment, saying he should be removed as Police Service Commission chairman; Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs said he did not agree with Mohammed’s claim that the composition of the Police Service did not reflect the society.

Sunday March 27: Former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj criticises Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for not taking immediate action to have Mohammed’s appointment revoked. Monday March 28: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar issues a statement describing Mohammed statement as reckless and divisive. She said it did not represent the view of her People’s Partnership Government. Tuesday March 29: President George Maxwell Richards meets separately with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley.

Persad-Bissessar told reporters that Mohammed’s future was in the hands of President Richards, while Rowley said after the meeting that he was confident the President would revoke Mohammed’s appointment for his irresponsible behaviour in office. Wednesday March 30 (yesterday): Mohammed, in his first public comment on the controversy, said he was not about to resign. He said the work of the commission continues. He said he could not understand how people could claim that he was being reckless. He said he met with the Commissioner of Police and ACP Fitzroy Fredericks and “they fully understand.”

[Flex]

NIZAM STANDS HIS GROUND
Thursday, March 31 2011
T&T Newsday.

DESPITE FACING an ever growing mountain of calls and extreme pressure for him to quit as chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Nizam Mohammed yesterday stood his ground, telling Newsday he intends to complete his three-year term as PSC head.

“I am focused on my work and I have every intention of completing the three-year term as chairman of the Police Service Commission,” Mohammed said, adding that he continues to function despite widespread calls for him to demit office.

Mohammed is facing a storm of condemnation and howls for him to go from several quarters including the Peoples Partnership Government, the Opposition and several trade unions for comments he made before a Joint Select Committee (JSC) of parliament about an ethnic imbalance in the Police Service.

“I remain focused on my work (as PSC chairman) and I am answerable to the Head of State (President George Maxwell Richards),” Mohammed said. Asked whether he felt the calls for him to leave were impeding his ability to do his job or pressuring him to tender his resignation, Mohammed replied: “Not in the least.”

Mohammed also disclosed that he has since received a copy of the Hansard report from the JSC meeting on March 25 when he made his controversial remarks and is studying them before he makes any detailed comment on this issue. Newsday was reliably informed that Mohammed has been consulting with lawyers in San Fernando over the last few days about the contents of the Hansard report. Sources said the lawyers who Mohammed have consulted have thus far indicated to him that he committed no breach to justify removal from office.

Following meetings with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley on Tuesday, Government officials indicated that President Richards himself is seeking legal advice regarding what action he can take with respect to Mohammed. Officials said preliminary advice given to Richards suggests that the President has no legal ground on which to revoke Mohammed’s appointment but Richards is seeking additional legal advice before making a decision.

Government officials said during her meeting with the President, Persad-Bissessar told Richards she had no issue with Mohammed quoting statistical data regarding the hierarchy of the Police Service but had grave concerns when Mohammed went further to speak about correcting a perceived ethnic imbalance in the service and seeking Parliament’s protection to do so. Yesterday, after she spoke to a crowd at Skinner Park in San Fernando on the occasion of the sixth annual Sports and Family Day of the Baptist Union of Trinidad and Tobago, Persad- Bissessar reiterated to Newsday that it was solely up to President Richards to decide Mohammed’s fate. Asked if Government had made a decision on the Mohammed affair, Persad-Bissessar said: “These are matters for the President and we await further discussions with him. As you know, it is a matter of law. I say may the Constitution be your guide and your sanctuary. So there are constitutional issues involved which lie solely in the discretion of His Excellency.

“The President indicated that he was seeking legal advice and by Thursday (today) he should have that legal advice and make a decision accordingly. It is out of my hands,” Persad-Bissessar said.

Prior to her meeting with President Richards on Tuesday, a strongly worded statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister on Monday said: “Mr Mohammed must be held accountable for his inflammatory and unwise remarks which in no way represent the views of the Government.”

Sources claim this statement was a subtle hint to Mohammed from the Government to resign.

Also meeting with the President on Tuesday was Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley who opined that Mohammed was unlikely to resign and called upon the President to remove him from office.

Section 122 (2) of the Constitution states that members of the PSC are appointed by the President after consultation with the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader. Section 122 (1) of the Constitutional Amendment Act of 2006 states: “The President shall after consultation with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, terminate the appointment of a member of the PSC if the member: fails to attend four consecutive meetings without reasonable cause; is convicted of a criminal offence in any court; becomes infirm in mind or body; fails to perform his duty in a responsible or timely manner; fails to absent himself from meetings of the PSC where there is a conflict of interest; demonstrates a lack of competence to perform his duties or misbehaves in public office.”

Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner and Labour Minister Errol McLeod have openly criticised Mohammed’s remarks, with Warner saying that Mohammed should resign. Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma who previously defended Mohammed before Persad-Bissessar’s meeting with Richards, yesterday indicated that he indicated a personal view at that time. Sharma said he agrees totally with the position taken by the Prime Minister on this issue.

“When the Prime Minister speaks, she speaks on behalf of the Cabinet. When she speaks, she is supreme,” Sharma stated. The other four members of the PSC - Addison Khan, Martin George, Kenneth Parker and Jacqueline Cheeseman all distanced themselves from Mohammed’s comments during the JSC meeting on March 25.

[Dutty]

I jus realize wrong and strong is a cultural trait

[MEP]

Like I said last year this gov't has a fixed agenda and it is based on race

[zuluwarrior]

Ladies and Gentlemen look out for the latest episode of startreck when Nizam would be acting as  Klingon  Mohammed .

[weary1969]

Like I said last year this gov't has a fixed agenda and it is based on race

Evrybody who lives here knows dat people who livin foreign know betta than we who livin here.

[MEP]

Me eh know bout that sis....I basin tings on what the AG was writin before he was AG...he relationship with Sat....Sat relationship with Nizam doh let the hindu and moslem ting fool ya

[weary1969]

Me eh know bout that sis....I basin tings on what the AG was writin before he was AG...he relationship with Sat....Sat relationship with Nizam doh let the hindu and moslem ting fool ya

Nutten bout no muslim and hindu. U c d jokers in d cabinet Tim ethnic cleansing Gopeesingh. All yuh remember what Kamla say when dey get rid ah Sharma? Almost verbatim what Nizam say.

[Jah Gol]

PLOT AGAINST ME
Nizam grants 'Express' exclusive sit-down interview at his home:
By by Anna Ramdass

Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Nizam Mohammed believes there is a political plot by some members of Government to hound him out of office to prevent him from bringing changes to the composition of the Police Service.

He said he intends to raise this issue in his closed-door meeting with President George Maxwell Richards which is expected to take place today.

"I feel like former chief justice Sat Sharma when the political pressure is being brought on me to demit an independent office, an office which politicians should not be interfering," Mohammed told the Express yesterday in an interview at his Otaheite, South Trinidad, home.

Sharma had claimed that former prime minister Patrick Manning and members of his government were intent on hounding him out of office after he was accused of interfering in two pending criminal cases—involving former prime minister Basdeo Panday and neurosurgeon Prof Vijay Naraynsingh. An impeachment tribunal appointed by the President subsequently cleared Sharma, who has since demitted office.

Calls for Mohammed's resignation and removal as chairman were made after he spoke of an ethnic imbalance in the Police Service at a Joint Select Committee meeting in Parliament last week saying that he, as Commission chairman, intended to address this issue with the help of Parliament.

His comments sparked condemnation from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Government Ministers such as Jack Warner and Errol McLeod, Senators David Abdulah and Therese Baptiste Cornelis, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley and various other sectors in society.

However, some Government Ministers such as Chandresh Sharma and Roodal Moonilal felt the issue should be debated as Mohammed had factual statistics and no attempts should be made to shoot the messenger.

Mohammed contended that there are no grounds to remove him under the provisions of the Constitution.

"Do you believe you misbehaved in office?" he was asked.

"Absolutely not! There are no grounds to remove me."

Mohammed added, "What is happening now is that the political pressure is being brought on me. There is a ganging up of the politicians from both sides of the divide to see whether they can circumvent the provisions of the Constitution but the President is a very level-headed person and I don't see him trying to undermine the constitutional provisions. The only way I can demit office is if I voluntarily resign and that is very hard to do."

Asked if he felt betrayed in any way by comments made from Government members, Mohammed, a former leader of the political party the National Alliance for Reconstruction and Speaker of the House of Representatives, said, "It is the politics in the Government that have really caused this situation to escalate. It shows very clearly that there are people in public office who do not have the capacity to handle sensitive national issues in a rationale way because if I am gone the problem remains."

Asked his views on the statement from the Office of the Prime Minister which condemned his statements in Parliament: "I thought about that and I thought maybe one of her scribes wrote that without any careful reading as to what I said in the Parliament."

Persad-Bissessar repeated on Wednesday that Mohammed's statements were reckless and intended to divide the nation.

As for criticisms made by Congress of the People chairman Joseph Toney, Mohammed said, "I thought that Winston Dookeran who is the leader of that party was concerned about these inequities in the society."

Asked whether he held discussions about the racial imbalance in the Police Service with any politicians prior to raising it in Parliament, Mohammed said, "I do not relate with politicians. What I did, I wrote to the Attorney General (Anand Ramlogan). I sent him a formal letter from the Commission concerning a review of the selection process for Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner. He responded saying they intended to change the legislation and the PSC should make recommendations."

When Mohammed raised the issue of an ethnic imbalance, three of the Commission's commissioners—Martin George, Jacqueline Cheeseman and Kenneth Parker—raised objections and distanced themselves from the chairman's views.

Mohammed revealed yesterday that he was shocked out of his life, because they all knew about the issue as it was placed on the agenda for discussion two weeks prior to the Parliament meeting.

"Since I put that on the agenda everybody had an opportunity to say whether they wanted it to go forward or not and nobody told me anything," said Mohammed.

"That was most alarming and distasteful for three members, for one member to speak on behalf of himself and two others, it showed clearly they had ganged up and that they had caucused before but excluded the other two commissioners including the chairman and that to my mind is treachery and a stab in the back," he said.

Asked: "Can you continue to work with them?"

"Yes. I can do it regardless because I see that as a one-off incident, easily placed behind me and I intend to move on," said Mohammed.

Both Persad-Bissessar and Rowley had visited Richards on the issue on Tuesday, it is now in his hands to determine whether Mohammed stays or goes.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/PLOT_AGAINST_ME-119035629.html

[Dutty]

  .....and I intend to move on," said Mohammed.

dais de new catch phrase in T&T or wha

[truetrini]

 Presiden Maxweell jeopardizing the office of the President!

Nizam is guilty of bring his office into disrepute, and he committed misconduct with the police incident.

The President has a right to remove him!

The President's actions CANNOT be legally challenged in a court according to T&T laW!

Nizam is a racist.

Nizam has made similar calls in the past and he sated racist shit to Selwyn Cudjoe.

Kamla never signed that press release..her office put it out, and as no signed it..can it really be construed as a position of the government...despite her making statements, members of her cabinet proffer different opinions on the self same matter.

Nizam is defiant and he must have some silent support within the government for him to remain so!

Nizam is dead wrong about the TTPS...anyone remotely awars of the TTPS knows bajans used to run it, and as they left the top spots were eventually filled with locals.

The police service is like a pyramid when it comes to promotions. in that there are tries...the longer you stay in and work hard, the less opportunity there is for advancement as there is less space at the top.

Nizam is wrong as Indians traditionally did not join the service in numbers anywhere as near to afro-trinis...naturally, as seniors get promoted it is natural to have more aftro-trinis climbing based on sheer numbers.

In fact I would asy that the indians are OVER REPRESENTED at the Superintendent level as afro trinis out number indo-trinis by a smuch as 37-1 in the police service but at the superintendent level the ratio is only 2-1.

Nizam is saying he is gpoing to promote indians over afro-trinis  and tthose afro trinis now in the senior positions got their because the police service is racist and did not promote indians!

Mizam is suggesting that indians are more intelligent than afro-trinis because not that the exams are being written, he expects the balance to be more even...as more indians will pass and have to get promoted!

Next thing they will start saying that all the nurses are black, BUT again...historically, indians did not send their girl children to be nurses in any large numbers...Muslims especially did not want their daughters to be touching men, as part of the tenets of their treligions and hindu girls were typically expected to stay at home....steups.