…a Minister Raphael Trotman’s back home – in the bosom of the PNC, the one led by the old LCP types. He only left because he assumed he was the Crown Prince, Bonnie Prince Trottie, and was squeezed by the old finagler, Corbin. Hoyte might’ve led him on, because neither of them were enamoured of the rough-hewn Corbin. Refused to stick out his pinkie when he sipped tea – laced with Scotch, to boot! Anyhow, Trittie’s now Minister of Governance and dispenser of the “national patrimony”. Tasks promised to Nagamootoo in the Cummingsburg Accord, but for which he was deemed unsuitable by the powers-that-be. Toooooo rough-hewn and not to the manner born. Anyhow, Trottie just announced a “Code of Conduct for Ministers and Government Officials”. (CCMGO). The CCMGO’s built around ten principles: duty, honour, integrity, dignity, loyalty, accountability, objectivity, diligence, transparency, and responsibility. Whew!!! Now you KNOW they’re out to get Nagamootoo – he’s gonna score 0 out of 10! Poor sucker! But this Eyewitness thinks the LCP types might be too smart for their own good. Let’s just apply the criteria to some of their other members. “Duty, honour, integrity”?? Where were these when the APNU agreed to powers for Moses Nagamootoo to entice him to deliver Berbice, then screwed him royally? Did anyone buy the ridiculous excuse they “didn’t know the Constitution forbade these delegations”?? Ha!! “Dignity”?? After the display of the entire Government benches during the Budget cuss down (no “debate” that!) even fisher-women are suing for defamation of character, when they heard the Ministers described thusly! “Loyalty”? Sure….but “loyalty” to what? To feathering their own nest? The Mafia has a code of “loyalty” also. So what? “Accountability” includes “conflict of interest”. Now isn’t it a conflict of interest for Ministers of Government to sit on the Sectoral Committees – mandated to “scrutinise” their performances? So it’s Ok for Ministers to be their own judge and jury – as well as shill?? Then what about those payment for foreign trips by “private” interests? “Objectivity”? Sure. And Ramjattan’s soooo objective to say that it’s the Opposition creating the PERCEPTION of a crime wave! Or Nagamootoo berating a poor reporter for saying the Government “blundered” in its Budget presentation. “Diligence”? Man, that AG Basil Williams has been ultra diligent pursuing those big contributors to the APNU campaign who owes $20B in taxes! Transparency? Well Jagdeo has said he’ll show his overseas wealth if Government officials will do the same. Why don’t they pick him up in his offer? We’ll tell you why. Because they know they’re responsible for evading the taxman – and that a Camp Street address awaits them!

…a City Clerk In Opposition, APNU backed Royston King to be be Town Clerk – claiming that even though the position was a bureaucratic one to be appointed by the Ministry, King should’ve been selected by the Council. But now they’re in Government, and appointed all “political” hacks to be the Bureaucratic officials on the Regional Councils – they haven’t changed King. This Eyewitness wonders how the new “Code of Conduct” views this? Objectivity? Anyhow, the Town Clerk himself was involved in an activity that raised issues of “accountability”. After throwing out some vendors at Bourda on their ears, he gathered the others from around the city and had them agree to pay $1000 weekly for “polluting the environment”. But then turned around and said they weren’t “legal”. What the heck is this? By accepting payment from the vendors, King and the City Council have just legalised them.The question, of course, is whether KING’S action is legal. But then he has a mandate from the President himself, no? And he’s just “quasi political”!

…a Minister Minister Scott berated Brian Tiwari for being a no-show at his private housing inspection. Has Scott forgotten the sterling contribution of BK to the inauguration bash? Even if there’s no “loyalty”, has quid pro quo also been thrown overboard?