Convoluted messages

It seems increasingly necessary to explain to an uneasy population the rather confusing and convoluted messages which emanate from government quarters.

The floods in Port-of-Spain which resulted in loss of life and property have brought into sharp focus some rather unfair criticisms of the Minister of Works, who has been accused of dereliction of duty.

The goodly minister was at pains to point out that the first avalanche occurred when a lightning bolt struck a mountain top, causing a massive earth slide to bury the occupant of the house in its pathway.

Images of Charlton Heston as Moses receiving the Ten Commandments atop Mount Sinai suddenly came to mind, albeit this time with a truncated version of Moses seeing the deadly bolt crashing into the mountain side.

The minister may have raised his head in time to see the "father of the nation" giving instructions to part the muddy waters and to lead the people to the Hyatt and the promised 2020 land.

It is this assiduous letter-writing minister who again was severely criticised for not being seen during the floods when in fact he was actually submerged in work.

Rumours continue to spread that the cancellation of the visit by the King and Queen of Spain is as a result of the recent floods and the unavailability of Columbus, the Santa Maria, Pinta and the Nina to safely navigate the royal couple around their former colony.

The Minister of Information should also issue an immediate statement dispelling false information concerning a shortage of eggs during the Christmas period. It is perceived that the Government's recent turnaround in most of its arrogantly stated positions concerning the dengue outbreak, the 200 luxury cars and the revenue situation concerning the drop in oil price have resulted in egg in their face!

It is high time that the Prime Minister takes over the Ministry of Information and spends some more time at the barber shop in order to find out what town say.

Rabindra Moonan

San Fernando