Tag Archives: Selwyn R. Cudjoe

General T&T, Racism Watch, Schools

An Unethical Dis(Invite)

8 Comments

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 27, 2015

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeThe University of the West Indies (UWI) has produced many distinguished scholars and thinkers who have served the Caribbean and the world. Dr. Keith Rowley, the most recent example, was elected to one of the highest offices in Trinidad and Tobago. Yet there remain pockets of discrimination and racism within UWI that need to be eradicated immediately.

On August 30 Dr. J. Vijay Maharaj, a UWI lecturer at Department of Literary, Cultural and Communication Studies, invited me to address a conference, “Seepersad & Sons: Naipaulian Creative Synergies” at the end of October. I thanked her and asked what she would like me to speak about.
Continue reading An Unethical Dis(Invite) →

Elections, General T&T, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, UNC

Why the PNM Will Win the Election

50 Comments

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 01, 2015

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeOn March 3, 2014, I predicted “Keith Rowley will emerge victorious during the PNM’s party elections and go on to become the next prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago” (Express). Everything that has transpired since (including his winning PNM party’s election) has persuaded me of the certainty of my prediction. One week before Trinidadians and Tobagonians go to the polls I can confidently assert the PNM will win at least 26 of the 41 constituencies it is contesting.
Continue reading Why the PNM Will Win the Election →

Elections, General T&T, Integrity Commission, PNM, Politics, UNC

Keith Rowley and the Coercive State

16 Comments

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
August 27, 2015

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeSometimes our public officials act in incredible silly ways that are entirely incomprehensible to the ordinary citizen. Dr. Keith Rowley, the leader of the PNM, is locked in a close fight with the UNC, the governing party, for the leadership of the country. Fifteen days before the election the Integrity Commission (IC) demands that he produces certain documents within that period or face the prospect of prosecution.
Continue reading Keith Rowley and the Coercive State →

corruption, Elections, General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics, Schools, UNC

The Laptop Scandal

18 Comments

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
August 18, 2015

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeI was at Maloney on Wednesday evening when Dr. Keith Rowley analyzed the Government’s laptop program. Dr. Rowley did not have to do much work since he read from a document that pointed out the introduction of laptops and the incorporation of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) in our schools “had no statistically significant impact on student performance.” It also found that staff and student groups registered “a relatively high dissatisfaction with the provision of internet service” and the implementation of the laptop program.
Continue reading The Laptop Scandal →

Finance, General T&T

A Stunningly Bad Appointment

45 Comments

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
July 17, 2015

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeOn July 16th the Express reported that Mr. Jwala Rambarran, governor of the Central Bank, appointed Dr. Sandra Sookram to be a deputy governor. It was a stunningly bad decision; a continuation of the demonstrated incompetence Mr. Rambarran has shown since he became the governor in 2012. Such an appointment represents Mr. Rambarran’s continuing practice of sidelining strong competent people and elevating weak and incompetent acquaintances from which he can expect no challenges.
Continue reading A Stunningly Bad Appointment →

General T&T, Law, Opposition Party, Parliament, PNM, UNC

Talking Loud and Saying Nothing

21 Comments

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
May 24, 2015

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoePart of the glory of being a Trinbagonian is that someone always arises in our time of need. These are people who always place the needs of country before self, our communal health before blind egotism, and truth before falsification. On May 21, for yet another time, Sebastian Ventour, deputy chairman of the Integrity Commission and one of our distinguished citizens, rejected conformity to reaffirm the sterling quality of our personhood.
Continue reading Talking Loud and Saying Nothing →

General T&T, Racism Watch

We Can Achieve MLK’s Dream Without His Faith

31 Comments

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe(2)
Posted: April 08, 2015

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeI have also ventured to draw parallels from the Bible and the Koran and the words of the great seers who drew their inspiration from those great books, in order to show how, in the deepest things of life, the Hindu and the Mussalman [the Muslim] and the Christian, the Indian and the European, in fact all who cared and endeavored to read the truth of things, are so spiritually akin.
Continue reading We Can Achieve MLK’s Dream Without His Faith →

General T&T, Opposition Party, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Racism Watch, UNC

UNC’s Anansi Moment

18 Comments

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
April 01, 2015

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeThis is Holy Week for 1.7 billion Christians all over the world. It is a time when Christ overcame his detractors. Betrayed by one of his disciples and condemned to death, he rose triumphantly three days afterwards, which is celebrated as Easter Day.

Over the past week Dr. Keith Rowley’s detractors have berated him, condemned him to political death and sought to entomb him in a political grave. Rather than reject Vernella Alleyne Toppin’s venom unequivocally, the UNC hierarchy clings to the illusion that Dr. Rowley still has questions to answer. Our learned Prime Minister insists she accepts parts of Alleyene Toppin’s accusations against him.
Continue reading UNC’s Anansi Moment →

Elections, General T&T, Parliament, People's Partnership, PNM, Sex Crimes, Tobago

South of de Caroni

10 Comments

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
March 27, 2015

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeEver since Rodney Charles sent out his memo of instructions to his UNC colleagues they have been trying to depict Dr. Keith Rowley as big, black bad animal; a beast unbecoming of the office of prime minister. The present version of this attack started when Dr. Rowley took a wine, on carnival day, on an Indian woman. Many UNC politicians saw this act as verging on the sacrilegious. Now, they have sunken to the lowest of the low. They have branded Dr. Rowley and his descendants (that is, his children and his children’s children) as the products of rape.
Continue reading South of de Caroni →

General T&T, Media, Opposition Party, PNM, Politics

The Politics of Spite

9 Comments

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
February 10, 2015

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeThe Trinidad Guardian, it seems, is worried about the PNM’s future, our democracy and the quality of postcolonial democracy in societies such as ours all because the PNM rejected the candidacy of Penny Beckles, a good friend, and the possibility that Patrick Manning will suffer a similar fate.
Continue reading The Politics of Spite →