Is it possible that in executing his duties and projecting the image as a highly effective and non-nonsense police commissioner, that Gary Griffith was hoping this would shine a positive light on himself in his current aspiration to be the nation’s next Prime Minister?
That’s the big question being asked in higher circles as Trinidad and Tobago reels under the tragic impact of a phenomenal increase in the number of murders and serious crimes brought to bear upon the society since Griffith virtually fired himself about a year ago.
Why, judgement
Thou art fled to brutish beasts
And men have lost their reason
This was the line used by Cassius to encourage Brutus to join the band of Roman senators in murdering Julius Caesar in the Shakespeare play by the same name.
During the turbulent time when newly appointed National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds wined into Stuart Young’s position to Patrice’s Drink water and mind my business, Gary was enduring his stay in Rowley’s garden of Ghetsemane better than Jesus himself.
That this could have all been a great big show played out by the grandest of puppet masters eagerly awaiting the final Encore, started to unravel when Griffith, unsolicited, started to pull at the broad skirt of the President herself.
He did this by taunting the Chairman of the Police Service Commission who seems to have been blissfully unaware of her own powers throughout the saga.
Proof that Griffith was always taking a long view of life, can be discerned in his carefully chosen words used to launch his political party last week.
“A key constant in my life is that of service to my country and my people,” Griffith started.”Being of service has always been a bridge to the light for me and after engaging in numerous conversations, listening to many perspectives and reading your countless contributions, I am, more than ever, committed to the mission of improving our country through transformation and continued national service this time through the National Transformation Alliance, the NTA,” he added.
“Our country has noble, progressive visionary, hard-working citizens who desire to fulfil our motto, together we aspire, together we achieve. Therefore, I invite every citizen of T&T to register your interest and desire to assemble under the banner of the NTA,”
Seeing his action as “the start of the process of national transformation”, the former police commissioner and minister of national security told those who share similar views as his that
“Our nation requires immediate and urgent transformation, this is your bridge to that lighthouse”
Apparently now seeing himself as the force to hold the third dimension that traditionally swerves between the red and yellow of T+T political into the hopefully winning orange party of the future, Griffith exposed the dream of many other leaders who have got lost in the illusion of their over-sized egos and fell with a crash by the wayside.
So as footballers and hockey players enjoy the new spanking new set of facilities installed by former Commissioner Griffith as part of his dream to bring his police up to the highest standards, one can feel the pain of disappointment of a man who cannot now present himself on his own field, even as the drums of fans cry out for his return to action.
From the looks of things therefore, just as the Beacon Lighthouse has stood for years on Wrightson Road until even the ocean itself pulled away, Gary – unlike experienced navigators who know how to get out of town fast on a traffic-jammed day
now seems to be blindly boxing himself into a sticky corner of a career that – at this rate – can only be fast heading downhill on skates.
In the expectation of this kind of thrashing, it’s time to wisely turn around and go back to your comfort zone, Gary!As people like Winston Dookeran, Vasant Bharatth, Gypsy Peters and Mary King understand: when all is said and done, all you have left is your famalay!
