‘Too many Africans in Police Service’

Race talk hampering Police Service

By Clint Chan Tack
March 26, 2011 – newsday.co.tt

Nizam MohammedTHE ability of the Police Service to win the support of the population in the war against crime in the country is being hampered by the perception of ethnic imbalance within the service.

Police Service Commission (PSC) chairman Nizam Mohammed made this charge as members of the commission met yesterday with the Municipal and Service Commissions joint select committee (JSC) in the Parliament Chamber of the Red House.

Declaring that he was determined to deal with the issue head-on, Mohammed told JSC members, “then you understand why the guns are being aimed at me.” “We (PSC) need the protection of the Parliament,” he declared.

Mohammed recalled that he has worked amongst police officers for the last 35 years during which many of them expressed their frustrations to him. He also recalled recently receiving a copy of a letter from the president of the Police Social and Welfare Division, Sgt Anand Ramesar, to Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs. In the letter Ramesar asked Gibbs to review the ethnic composition of a promotion advisory board. Ramesar referred to statistics provided from the Director of Personnel Administration. Mohammed revealed that there were no persons of East Indian origin from the ranks of commissioner to senior superintendent. However, he noted there were 21 superintendents of African origin and ten of East Indian origin.

Expressing optimism that the situation will become more balanced following superintendent examinations on Monday, Mohammed declared, “You get the impression that we are not sufficiently mature to look at this. You cannot hope to win the confidence of the public for the police. You cannot hope to revive or restore the confidence of the public in the police service if you do not have a properly structured police service,” he added.

Observing that nearly half of the population is of East Indian origin, Mohammed said, “You are asking them to support the Police Service. They have to provide the Police Service with information. They have to feel protected by the police service when they see the hierarchy of the Police Service.”

Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis, said she felt uncomfortable with the use of ethnic classifications in any job description. Stating that she was neither of African nor Indian descent, Baptiste-Cornelis said: “I consider myself a Trinbagonian.” Opposition Senator Shamfa Cudjoe asked Mohammed whether he was advocating some type of affirmative action regarding the structure of the Police Service.

http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,137798.html

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‘Too many Africans in top police posts’
Police Service Commission chairman Nizam Mohammed says there are too many Africans in the hierarchy of T&T Police Service and he intends to address the issue with assistance from the Parliament.

Nizam Cries Race
‘Too many Africans in Police Service’

UPDATES: March 27, 2011

Nizam must go
ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police Fitzroy Fredericks last night called for the immediate removal of chairman of the Police Service Commission Nizam Mohammed over racial statements Mohammed made on Friday.

Gibbs: There’s no room for issues of colour and race
Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs yesterday disagreed with statements made by chairman of the Police Service Commission Nizam Mohammed on Friday that the composition of the executive of the Police Service does not reflect the society. Mohammed said there were too many officers of African descent who are in leadership roles within the service, compared to their East Indian colleagues, and he intended to change such with the assistance of Parliament.

Three PSC commissioners blank Addison Khan
TENSIONS have been brewing among members of the Police Service Commission, as lobby groups and members of the public intensify calls for the removal of chairman Nizam Mohammed.

Not as PSC chairman
Doubts about his fitness for office as Police Service Commission chairman, harboured and expressed from the moment of Nizam Mohammed’s appointment, and heightened through his distasteful personal encounter with beat police officers, hardened into certainty on Friday. Whatever useful role Mr Mohammed may be capable of playing in T&T’s public affairs, it cannot be as PSC chairman.

Fixin’ T&T: Perilous to deny rights
Officials from Fixin’ T&T, an independent lobby group, yesterday described statements made about the organisation by chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Nizam Mohammed as “unfortunate and perilous” and an attempt to deny citizens of their right to freedom of expression.

UPDATES: March 28, 2011

Jack slams Nizam: I would have resigned
NOT ONLY has the controversial comments of Nizam Mohammed, chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), triggered outrage and condemnation, they have offended and hurt Government Minister Jack Warner.
“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,” Warner added.

…Police Execs: Nizam’s comments ‘insipid at best’
Members of the police executive and first division officers were yesterday unanimous in their condemnation of statements made by head of the Police Service Commission Nizam Mohammed.

…Asst CoP: Recipe for division in Police Service
Admitting that racial tensions exist within the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police Fitzroy Fredericks said the statements made by Police Service Commission (PSC) chairman, Nizam Mohammed, were only “fueling fire.”

…Executive members want Nizam out
MEMBERS of the executive of the Police Service yesterday issued a call for chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Nizam Mohammed to be removed from office.

…COP calls for resignation
THE Congress of the People (COP) has called for the resignation of Nizam Mohammed as chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), saying there could be a rise in racial tension among citizens as a result of a statement he made before a Joint Select Committee last Friday.

…Statements border on sedition—Ramesh

…Racial remarks made after police interviews
Secretary of the Police Second Division association Sgt Michael Seales yesterday dismissed a call by Asst Commissioner of Police Fitzroy Fredericks for the executive of his association to resign, claiming Fredericks had no grounds to issue that call and should be disciplined for his statements.

…Comments can spark healthy debate
HOUSING and Environment Minister Roodal Moonilal yesterday said the controversial comments by Police Service Commission (PSC) chairman Nizam Mohammed were part of a legitimate issue which could be placed on the front burner to bring about healthy debate.

UPDATES: March 29, 2011

Govt Blast Nizam
GOVERNMENT yesterday blasted statements made by Police Service Commission (PSC) chairman Nizam Mohammed of an apparent ethnic imbalance within the Police Service. The Government’s condemnation was contained in an unsigned statement bearing the title “Office of the Prime Minister, 13-15 St Clair Avenue, St Clair.”

Govt condemns Nizam’s statements as divisive and reckless
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 was reckless, unwise

Ghany: Now there’s fear
Nizam Mohammed’s statement regarding racial imbalance in the hierarchy of the T&T Police Service has re-ignited the fear of the “East Indian agenda”.

Warner: He should resign

COP to Kamla: Move Nizam

COP calls on Kamla to remove PSC chairman

Seetahal: He’s not fit to lead

President calls in Rowley
As public pressure mounts for the removal of Nizam Mohammed as the chairman of the Police Service Commission, President George Maxwell Richards is to meet with Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley to discuss the controversy today.

Rowley meets President today

Bas: Probe imbalance claims
Former prime minister Basdeo Panday says claims of ethnic imbalance in the society should be investigated and dealt with.

Sharma comes to Nizam’s defence

Sharma: Calls for resignation premature

Sharma: Quit calls premature

Philbert: What discrimination?
Justice Minister Herbert Volney said yesterday that employment at national state institutions should always reflect the face and image of the nation, in terms of ethnicity, religious persuasions and politics. He added that any institution that is not balanced in that way will never repose public confidence in it.

Dumas joins call for Nizam to go

CWU: PM should move to revoke his appointment

Ramesar denies raising race issue
In a telephone interview with the Express, Ramesar confirmed he sent the letter after a complaint was received by one member. He emphasised, however, that he never raised any issue with respect to the ethnic composition of the Police Service. Rather, he said his letter called for ethnic equilibrium of the police promotion advisory board.

It’s not CoP says Police Service
The composition of the Police Service Promotions Advisory Board is determined by the Police Service (Amendment) Bill 2007 and not by the Commissioner of Police.

A desire for equality
The recent remarks of Police Service Commission (PSC) chairman Nizam Mohammed, in relation to the perceived ethnic imbalance in the police service, has resulted in an interesting, if not unexpected, reaction from the PNM and other sources. The statement by Mr Mohammed is not as controversial as it seems, since those from the ethnic Indian community have long since complained of discrimination from successive ethnic African (mainly PNM) dominated executives, police and other public services.

Nizam’s numbers
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.

Something is amiss
Once again we are faced with a rush to turn the focus away from a central issue and engage instead in personalities.

52 thoughts on “‘Too many Africans in Police Service’”

  1. Before we get all hot and swety about “balancing” the police force, some sensible pollster or analyst should run a check on the ethnicity of POLICEMEN INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL BAHAVIOUR, like bribery, wife shooting and such, as a percentage of their population in the Police Service. We should also ask why are they not in the fire services, on the national soccer teams, national girls track teams and so on.
    The answers to why would be that historically, they did not want to be part of those teams/service groups.
    The political lndscape has chenged, and now people are seeing imbalance where others previously expressed choices. There is an imbalance in the medical profession also. There is an imbalance in the business sector. What remedies are going to be put in place for all this? Recently on my trips home,(last 5 years) I noticed a marked change in the ethnic composition of customs and immigration officers. Almost always, also, there is some Indian guy who rushes up to the Immigration officer on duty, with a sheaf of papers to let people in, who arrive from the US but originated in other places, in Asia.I have spoken of this before.(These are green colored, legal sized papers, some official document, and others, oil jumpers get in on them also.) The presence of more Asian originated people at Customs at Pt. Lisas may account for the tons of drugs and guns for which that port has become infamous.What of the imbalance on newspaper staffs, and the resultant deterioration of language use?

  2. I agree with Linda Edwards.
    Maybe it’s time we start looking at racial imballances in all aspects of life in T&T.
    What would we find if we examined the private sector , for example as regards to fair hiring practices?

  3. Exactly. About the only place they want to balance are those economic niches where Africans are a majority. The racist impetus of these people is so vindictively obvious I do not even know why we bother to even analyze their comments. We should check where it is coming from and know what it portends

  4. No remedies will put in place to balance those other areas Linda. This is the strategy for ethnic cleansing that appears in nations like Guyana, T&T and Fiji whenever certain leaders take over the countries. It can’t be coincidence.

    People prevent their kids from joining services where there is communial lodging and messing because they do not wish them share such facilities with Africans. Then they claim imbalance when the political situation is opportune and they see where they can ethnicly and economically cleanse areas. What causes the imbalances in the soccer teams, the boxing teams, all of those other areas where individual meritocracy plays a role in selection.

    Please, I have no time with these damn racist. We have been holding our tongues for too long, and we need to begin a process of enlightenment throughout the caribbean and the world about the nast and underhanded racist strategies being employed by Indian Regimes as soon as they come into power to hog every inche of the power space in those societies. The question is, what is their final goal?

  5. Its been awhile since I last commented on this blog but Nizam’s childish statements is cause to wonder about the social issues of this government. What does the word ‘imbalance’ really means? Does it mean that any area not dominated by Indians does not truly rtepresent T&T?. Does it mean that there must be numerical proximity in order to be accepted or constitute ‘balance’. Do we have to ‘balance’ our institutions before the numerical majority (Indians) can have respect for it? Many questions can be asked about this crappy statementr by theman who represent the chairmanship of the PSC. It is racist in naturte andshould be no part of a public entity as the PSC. But one does not have to go far to understand the racially insensitive positions of this government. Sat Maharaj; Anand Ramlogan; Kamla; Rambachan; and many more have expressed views that conotates an intolorence for ‘Africans’ in authority. Nizam himself must be expressing his own feelings as to why he failed to obey the two police officers. On a little bit of history, at one time the T&T Police constituted a majority of officers who were not even Trinidadians by birth. Most were either Grenadian born or Barbadian born and you know what? Trinidad would be lucky to have men of that caliber to defend the citizens of this lovely country. They not only suppressed the crime rate but also carried themselves with honour and valour, which cannot be said of the later entrants to the police service. Nizam keep talking and remind us who you are!

  6. I find it a bit strange that Mr.Mohammed will play the race card at a time when his popularity is dwindling as numerous calls have been made for his resignation.Did Mr.Mohammed choose to cleverly play the race card to gain momentum?The highly emotive topic of ehtnic composition in the police service must not overshadow other more pertinent issues facing the police service such as corruption and incompetence.Mr.Mohammed should call for a thorough investigation into corruption in the police service instead of talking about the ethnic composition of this organization.Would replacing the top brass of the police service with east-indians lead to a more competent and less corrupt police service?

    1. Didn’t the PM also play the race card, calling Rowley anti-Indian women when she had no viable escape from her Reshmi-gate affair?

      Such occurrences speak to several circumstances.

      One is the sense of triumphialism now trumpeted by Indians “we time now”.

      It also speaks to the brazen accusations of racism made against African Trinis.

      Unfortunately, the latter are on the defensive at every level of society, especially at the political level where no parliamentarian in the opposition, regardless of race has dared to counter these accusations.

      Now, among the latter there also is now, for voting in a UNC government a sense of betrayal, and of buyers’ remorse for buying cat in bag.

      The other circumstance is that given their clout, economically, politically, judicially, and numerically, Indians feel no need to be nuanced or diplomatic about their dealings with African Trinis.

      Part of the reason for this is that the latter continjue daily to surrender their economic and cultural independence, and thus now find themselves hewers of wood and drawers of water in a country and hemisphere they tamed against the historic and episodic ravages of imperialism and colonialism.

      It is Africans in this hemisphere who not only valiently combatted imperialism, but in T&T it is they who championed Independence while Indians opposed independence and championed a relationship with Britain that would have left T&T today as another Bermuda, or in the case of France, another Martinique.

      Regarding the long history of Africans in T&T and elsewhere in which, as Hebrews who continue to follow after strange gods, and face the same bitter conditions with other racial groups, the Book of Ezekiel 2:10, speaking of the conditions which will face Beta Israel globally, says “therein (are) lamentations, and mourning, and woe.”

  7. Would someone , anyone ,explain the history of his own country to this closet racist , neo tribal  Islamist miscreant, as perhaps he was sitting under a rock during the entire years of his existence. Likewise, many can lament that there are too many East  Indians,  with a disproportionate amount of  prime governmental   lands , in business,& dominating the agricultural industry, but there is a logical historical explanation  for that. Let me remind him , European barbarian slavery,African folks  emancipation ,South Asian indentureship,conniving British Massa, & the cross racial ,5 inept, successive  leaders ,that dominated the political landscape since independence in 1962. Hopefully, the 6th -being a woman and all- is a bit more concerned about meaningful social changes , such as equitable distributions of resources, as opposed to micromanaging,& gutting the Public Service of Africans- for the benefit of a few  political cronies.
    What a sad day for this our Twin Island Republic!

  8. Again wrong headline, instead of the headline reading “too many Africans in police service”. It should read “No indians in the higher ranks of the police service.” Or too little Indians in the police service.

  9. Makes no difference. Waht about too little Indians on the footbal team. Or too little Indians on the athletic or boxing teams. Like the Public service, those are areas of choice where people gravitate based on their assessment of their abilities to compete.

    This same issue surfaced in Guyana immediately after the Indian PPP came into Power. It would seem that there is more than a sharing of political abreviations and ethnic make up between these two organizations. There is also a sharing of intent, motive, and a bald faced strategy to cleanse economic niches where Africans are concentrated in order to control every aspect of power in T&T.

    These moves are not being made in isolation. There is a method and a goal to them. Increase the unemployment of Africans by cleansing from occupational areas where the are concentrated and the numbers of Africans living below the poverty line will increase. When those numbers increase crime will increase, including violent crimes. Crime has both a business and population control aspect to it. The business involves warehousing large segments of certain population groups while contracting the wharehousing out to private business enterprise. In T&T we know who will most likely get those contracts. They will hire as they hire today in the private sector. So there will be large sections of Africans being wharehoused with probably private Indian guards hired by the contracting enterprise. Sounds impossible, examine the prison system in the US today. The PP, like the PPP, are reading the same books the people who came up with those ideas did, and they are following the script line by line.

    We have heard the clamour for the death penalty. We have heard it loudly from many, even in here, and we know that crime is not what drives their romanticism with that tool. And yes it is a tool. What drives their romanticism with that population control tool is the vicarious thril they will get from these terminations. It all fits together, and the longer we refused to open our eyes to things that just cannot be coincidental, the more sure that inevitability will become.

    1. Keith crime affects all if you are a doctor or lawyer of whatever, the fact is I may or may not need your services. If however, you are a police officer at some point in time I will most likely need your services or at least I would think you are there for me. Trinidad has been ravaged by crime and the criminal elements. That is why the police is under such close scrutiny. If crime was low nobody would have bothered about the composition of the force. But since crime is so high, the way the force promotes, structure and positions come into question. The preception is that if there are higher rank Afro officers they may not treat Indians with the same level of regard as an Indian officer. Hence examples of kidnappers getting away, police arriving too late brings into question all of these things. A diversified police force is good for everyone. It will put to bed all these question. Technically it is not a question of imbalance, it is a question of promotion and positions.

      1. Nizam will resign, and possibly before the end of this week.

        The PM will effect his removal because it is causing tensions in the PP between herself and Jack Warner, ironically the HNIC. It is creating tensions within the ranks of the PSC, and between the PP and the COP whose representatives call Nizam’s statements divisive. It is creating havoc among East Indians like Ramesh whose attitude is non-racial and find Nizam genuinely offensive.

        However, the PM will force Nizam out, not because she considers his statement wrong, racist and offensive.

        Nizam will resign because he prematurely spilled the beans on the PP’s agenda.

        Observe that Nizam was not the first person to raise the issue of racial composition and imbalance in the Police. The AG, at a rank second only to that of the PM raised this issue in December, “bludgeoning” ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police Fitzroy Fredericks and his colleagues and did so in the presence of the PM.

        So, Nizam will go, not because his remarks are racist, but because they are untimely, and premature.

        He is like the new, inexperienced recruit in a squad who, knowing the plans of his unit, unwisely and prematurely jumps the gun and thereby reveals what the more experienced members would have preferred to remain concealed.

        They are implicit, and Nizam being explicit is unacceptable, not on moral or legal grounds but on tactical ones.

        It is not factual as yet and may turn out not to be so, at least one hopes so and wishes that the better angels of our human natures would prevail.

        However, if history is a guide and a predictor of the possible, then Guyana, its Indian administrations and the systemic marginilisation of Guyanese Africans; a plight raised in the United Nations by Britain and the US, most specifically about a Police squad in Guyana that in one year shot and killed 200 Black youth, then this specific issue of the current Indianization vis a vis the historic Africanization of the Police services raises the temperature on greater racial uncertainty in the country.

        http://bajan.wordpress.com/2008/01/31/indian-racism-against-afro-guyanese-in-guyana/

        1. Roadkill! They threw Nizam under the bus and reversed the diesel back and forth over the poor man … only because he said too explicitly where the bus is heading; a bus still en route.

  10. Its sad that in this day and age that every thing in Trinidad and Tobago has to be about race. If Mr Khan knows there is an imbalnce of East Indians in the Police Force he should appeal not only for more East Indians to join but other races too. There has always been more Africans Police, if the East Indians are being discriminated as regards promotions they should by all means address those problems but to promote because of race is insane. The main focust should be controlling crime then correcting the imbalances, uniforms etc. Get rid of him imediately and get with the program which is to get the country safe so people can live normal lives again.

    an not only

  11. T&T Police Service Commission head under fire over racial statement

    Sunday, 27 March 2011

    (Trinidad Express) Assistant Commissioner of Police Fitzroy Fredericks last night called for the immediate removal of chairman of the Police Service Commission Nizam Mohammed over racial statements Mohammed made on Friday. Frederick, who said he was annoyed and hurt by Mohammed’s statements, said Mohammed was “… out of place” when he said there were too many police officers of African descent on the executive of the Police Service, as compared to East Indians. Frederick, speaking on behalf of the executive of the Police Service, said he has placed Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs on notice that he intends to hold a news conference today at 10 a.m. at the Police Administration Building to “deal with the atrocious statements Mr Nizam Mohammed has made”.

    “We are disturbed and hurt and we are not working with that… We will not be working until Mohammed is removed… The Commissioner doesn’t know the history of the Police Service here and we are going to deal with all of these issues tomorrow (today).“We will also be calling for Mohammed to be removed as head of the PSC because he cannot be allowed to continue behaving in such manner.”

    He said, “This is the second time someone in high public office has targeted African people within the executive of the Police Service for absolutely no reason and I say we have had enough and we are not taking these matters lightly. “The Attorney General, Anand Ramlogan, did it last year and we are not going to work until these issues are dealt with because it seemed they are trying to fan the flames of race and divide the Police Service, and we will not stand idly by and allow it to happen. I want my fellow executive officers to rally around me and let’s deal with this issue head-on,” Fredericks said.

    On Friday, Mohammed, speaking before a Joint Select Committee (JSC) of Parliament, said records from the Police Service show there were more persons of African descent in leadership positions, as opposed to their East Indian colleagues.
    He said the PSC, with the help of the Parliament, intended to change such since there must be an ethnic balance within the service to ensure equality of treatment.

    “Happily, when you look at the figures, you see at the superintendent level, you have 21 of African origin and ten of East Indian origin and since within recent times, we have been emphasising the question of meritocracy as opposed to seniority, and Monday coming, superintendents should be writing their exams.
    “The better ones may move to senior superintendents and you may have a better mixture,” Mohammed told the JSC.

    Meanwhile, several First Division officers, who are expected to write assessment examinations from tomorrow, have expressed serious concerns about possible attempts to influence and manipulate the process in light of Mohammed’s statements.
    Yesterday, more than a dozen of these senior officers contacted the Sunday Express, saying they had “grave concerns” over Mohammed’s statements and they felt threatened by them.

    The officers, of African descent, said the statements give the impression that Mohammed may attempt to influence the process in ensuring that persons of East Indian origin score high points in the exams and are promoted in front of their African colleagues, based not on meritocracy, but on ethnicity.

    “Promotions are not based on race, colour, creed or seniority, but on whether you’re up to the task and on merit, and that’s the end of the discussion. “I don’t know where he came up with that idea, but it is unbecoming of the head of the PSC to make such statements, especially when it appeared that it would have been previously discussed by other members of his team, who do not agree with him,” a Snr Supt, who asked not to be identified, told the Sunday Express.

    In a telephone interview, Commissioner Gibbs said of this week’s exams: “I just want to assure the members that it’s a fair and equitable process. There hasn’t been any biasness built into the exam process. It has been developed by an outside organisation that has looked at it very objectively. It really has nothing to do with ethnicity. It really just really has to do with competency and merit.”

  12. Trinidad and Tobago historically has been an Island of a salad bowl making – race and class division has been a historical reality from the day of slavery to the present. Religion and imperialism has been the core of this division since it served the exploiters broader interest of pillaging the wealth out of the island to their own country. The present neo-colonial adventures in North Africa that is hidden under the umbrella of democracy and human rights will find fertility in Mr. Nazim’s barn the fallout of which will be a Government and society in chaos to the likes of Iraq and soon to follow much of the North Africa. Imperial parasitic countries the likes of the USA; France; England; Spain; Belgium; The Netherlands and others don’t care a darn about the real interest of the local people. In North and South America; Australia; New Zealand we have seen the near extinction of the natives. The once prosperous African civilization has been left in confusion having little to show through their puppet dominated government.
    Trinidad will be no match for the magnetic influence of these imperial forces which already pilfer most of the wealth out of the country giving us the old ancient exchange of feathers and beads for our natural resources.
    Mr. Nazim outburst has many underlying good. Perhaps we can look at all the other imbalances of inequality and begin to address them collectively without seeing gain or loss to the other side. I long dream of a government years ago that will divide the parliamentary seats between the two warring races (recognizing the interest of the other ethnic groups will always be met by these two main warring groups).Indians and Blacks can (who already wield enormous power regardless of which party rules the country), however, any issues regarding their rights can be worked out by the collective appointment government.
    The key to a change parliamentary system as we know it today will not instantly solve all of our problems but rather will provide a base where warring side can sit down and find common solutions to the country’s problem rather than pursuing a racist agenda that mirrors gain for the imperialist and permanent chaos to their future.

  13. Mr Nizam Mohammed just listen to yourself-“The problem with the police service is that it has too many people of African desent” ,so according to you then the problem with all the nations hospitals is that there are too many Indian doctors.
    So you see if some African doctors had perform that C SEction, then that woman would be alive today.
    Does this may sense? Does it sound stupid? Well Mr Racist Mohammed that is exactly how you sound;like a fool.
    But don’t worry ,the Good Lord,who made all people,and made them equal , has a really good way of dealing with people like you.
    So I strongly suggest that you try and pray more instead of talking such nonsence.

  14. Mr.Mohammed will have to prove that an ethnic imbalance in the police service favouring africans is linked to corruption and incompetence permeating all ranks.Is having too many africans in the upper echelons of the sevice responsible for the corrupt practices plaguing the service?Mr.Mohammed proved the ethnic imbalance but did not say if it’s detrimental to society.I would hope that promotions are based on meritocracy and not ethnicity ,a further investigation of the promotion process can be done to ascertain the truth.The police service needs a paradigm shift toward 21st century policing favouring intellect,expertise,integrity and technology instead of alleged skin color or political affiliation.ACP Federicks seem to be perturbed by Nizam’s statistical analysis proving an ethnic imbalance.We live in a multiethnic and multicultural society and any allegations of racial discrimination in the police service should warrant further investigation.The PNM under Patrick Manning blatantly practised racial discrimination against indians such as the closure of Caroni and the inequitable distribution of low cost homes.The new government PPP can now investigate claims of racist practices in all organizations including the police service.Allegations of racist practices should be investigated and not swept under the carpet as the truth must be revealed.ACP Federicks and his incensed colleagues cannot take any legal action against Mr.Mohammed for stating statistical evidence.The prime minister should call for a commision of inquiry into the police service to investigate claims of racism,corruprion and incompetence.

  15. Warner slams Nizam

    …It will only hurt race relations in T&T

    By Shastri Boodan – guardian.co.tt

    Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner has condemned statements by Nizam Mohammed, the head of the Police Service Commission about the racial composition in the hierarchy of the T&T Police Service. Warner, the Minister of Works and Transport, said such statements would only serve to hurt race relations in this country at a time when the Government is trying to develop serious national unity. The Minister took time out to speak to the media yesterday morning at his constituency office where more than 500 people had gathered to see him, seeking help for various issues.

    Speaking at a Joint Select Committee meeting last week, Mohammed said according to information provided by the Commissioner of Police to the Director of Personnel Administration, Service Commission Department Gloria Edwards–Joseph on the ethnic composition of leadership in the Police Service, out of 59 positions only ten were held by East Indians. He did not specify whether the figures were for the current period. Warner said Mohammed’s statements would only serve to give opponents of the Government and people bent on racial segregation the ammunition they needed. “He has played into the hands of Keith Rowley,” Warner added. Warner said Mohammed had nothing to gain when he made his statements.

    Warner said the history of the Police Service shows that Afro-Trinidadians entered into the service at a time when Indo-Trinidadians did not want to join the service. He said: “What could he (Mohammed) hope to gain. If it is not right for Cro Cro or Sugar Aloes to divide the country, how could it be right for him?” Warner said Indians hold high positions in other arms of government and in several private and public institutions. Citing an example, he said the top three officers on the Law Commission were Indo-Trinidadians. A seemingly upset Warner said he was “disappointed,” and dissociated himself from Mohammed’s statement.

    http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2011/03/27/warner-slams-nizam

    Race talk counterproductive
    It’s hard to imagine what kind of reaction Police Service Commission chairman Nizam Mohammed was hoping for when he put the bluntly inflammatory statement before the Municipal and Service Commissions Joint Select Committee (JSC) that the racial profile of the Police Service’s leadership was imbalanced.

  16. Clearly this is just the beginning of the long term plan of the East Indian takeover whereby they would be the new Overseers and Slave-Masters (in place of the Whiteman) over the black people of Trinidad & Tobago. Nizam Mohammed is just letting black people of Trinidad & Tobago know what the real “agenda” for what the future would really look like. Before it was the Whiteman. The Whiteman (the British) used black peoples’ reparation money (compensation money for slavery) to pay for the fares to bring indentured workers from India to Trinidad & Tobago with the intention of a future East Indian take over as the replacement Overseers and Slave-Masters (which is now in place in Trinidad & Tobago as in the current East Indian dominated Government). The whole (long term) idea is to keep black people of Trinidad & Tobago as future slaves. So Nizam Mohammed is letting blacks in Trinidad & Tobago know that he is really a “racist” and he (with the rest of his people) intend to get rid of all the “niggers” in Trinidad & Tobago. This is really his Nazi type hidden agenda of his “Final Solution” policy of ethnic cleansing for the black people of Trinidad & Tobago. So how can …”every creed and race find an equal place”… as is sung in the national anthem of Trinidad & Tobago?

  17. Mr.Abdalla is it okay for the PNM to blatantly practise racism against east indians but not okay for the PPP to highlight ethnic related concerns?Racist divisions started with the PNM and has affected the social landscape adversely.I don’t think Nizam’s intention is to eradicate ‘creoles’ because the homicide statistics would prove that young black males are killing out their own.Nizam just presented statistical evidence relating to concerns about the promotion process in the police service.

    1. I did not hear the PPP highlight racial concerns about the imbalance occuring in the nation’s hospitals. Maybe that is way the service there is so bad and getting worse everyday.Not enough African doctors.
      M Mohammed is saying that he does not trust African Policemen.Does he trust the Indian doctors that are killing people every day? How come he isn’t talking about these statistics?.
      Mr Mohammed, African people are not responsible for you insecurity.Please find some other way to get attention. We surely do not need to know how much of a failure you are.

    1. Just because you either try to avoid historical reality, are unaware of it, or both doesn’t mean that others more knowledgeable than you must accommodate you.

    2. Go where? Why are we afraid of the truth, why not Nizam to go and Addison Khan along with him and just for good measure Anand Ramlogan.

  18. STATEMENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

    March 28, 2011

    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.

  19. The government’s response to this racist comment by Mr. Mohammed must also take into consideration Dr. Moonilal’s comment that it allows for healthy debate, along with AG Anand Ramlogan’s regular ethnic comment to the Police and others and Addison Khan’s support for Nizam. I am of the view that Mr. Khan must also resign as he clearly would want to carry out the agenda of his Chairman. I am of the belief that the PSC as it currently stands will now be like the CAL board of directors.

    Where is NJAC in all of this? Is it that in their quest to hold on to the coat tails of COP and the UNC that they will suffer in silence. Is it that they are making Cro Cro look like the true messenger of the people that he is? I wonder how happy Dr. Suruj Rambachan must be with this deveoplment.All those in the government with a racist agenda must be exposed now and sent packing.

  20. Govt Blast Nizam
    GOVERNMENT yesterday blasted statements made by Police Service Commission (PSC) chairman Nizam Mohammed of an apparent ethnic imbalance within the Police Service. The Government’s condemnation was contained in an unsigned statement bearing the title “Office of the Prime Minister, 13-15 St Clair Avenue, St Clair.”

    Govt condemns Nizam’s statements as divisive and reckless
    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 was reckless, unwise

    Ghany: Now there’s fear
    Nizam Mohammed’s statement regarding racial imbalance in the hierarchy of the T&T Police Service has re-ignited the fear of the “East Indian agenda”.

    Warner: He should resign

    COP to Kamla: Move Nizam

    COP calls on Kamla to remove PSC chairman

    Seetahal: He’s not fit to lead

    President calls in Rowley
    As public pressure mounts for the removal of Nizam Mohammed as the chairman of the Police Service Commission, President George Maxwell Richards is to meet with Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley to discuss the controversy today.

    Rowley meets President today

    Bas: Probe imbalance claims
    Former prime minister Basdeo Panday says claims of ethnic imbalance in the society should be investigated and dealt with.

    Sharma comes to Nizam’s defence

    Sharma: Calls for resignation premature

    Sharma: Quit calls premature

    Philbert: What discrimination?
    Justice Minister Herbert Volney said yesterday that employment at national state institutions should always reflect the face and image of the nation, in terms of ethnicity, religious persuasions and politics. He added that any institution that is not balanced in that way will never repose public confidence in it.

    Dumas joins call for Nizam to go

    CWU: PM should move to revoke his appointment

    Ramesar denies raising race issue
    In a telephone interview with the Express, Ramesar confirmed he sent the letter after a complaint was received by one member. He emphasised, however, that he never raised any issue with respect to the ethnic composition of the Police Service. Rather, he said his letter called for ethnic equilibrium of the police promotion advisory board.

    It’s not CoP says Police Service
    The composition of the Police Service Promotions Advisory Board is determined by the Police Service (Amendment) Bill 2007 and not by the Commissioner of Police.

    A desire for equality
    The recent remarks of Police Service Commission (PSC) chairman Nizam Mohammed, in relation to the perceived ethnic imbalance in the police service, has resulted in an interesting, if not unexpected, reaction from the PNM and other sources. The statement by Mr Mohammed is not as controversial as it seems, since those from the ethnic Indian community have long since complained of discrimination from successive ethnic African (mainly PNM) dominated executives, police and other public services.

    Nizam’s numbers
    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.

    Something is amiss
    Once again we are faced with a rush to turn the focus away from a central issue and engage instead in personalities.

  21. Indianization!
    When official government policy is bent on counting the skin colour of every one you see in whatever station of work they are in NO GOOD CAN COME OUT OF that! Jim Crowism died in the Southern United States, Apartheid died in South Africa, the British ‘Empire’ died and so will every form of institionalized RACE counting designed to Balance, Imbalance, create Superiority, create Advantage or seek to Advance one RACE over the other. Every that Kamla’s government has done so far is to advance the cause of Indianizing Trinidad and Tobago to the point that every where you go there must be an Indian in charge. Lets take a brief look of what has taken place since she came into power. (1) Right after the election she blanked Hillary Clinton (the most powerful woman in the world) to attend an Indian Parade and meet with Indian business executives; (2) then there was a clear move by Sat, the Govt and other Indian business people to establish (or dominate) the business climate in Tobago; (3) the total dismantling or national Security that the Manning government left in place, the Police, Army, Fire Service, Coast Guard and other Auxilary Support institutions. There are two aspect to this, first weaken or destabilize them then appoint an Indian or foreigner to run them; (4) Carnival (as we know it today) had a big help from government to make it the international event it is, Chutney on its own will not make it to the the same zone, so it was tied into the Carnival atmosphere to legitimize its authenticity as a class act. the fearless AG was determined to make Divali the alternative to Carnival, with such events as phagwa and so on. This government poured a tremendous amount of MONEY into this year’s ‘Carnival’ in order to include acts that would have normally been bypassed by the population as finge. Everything has a history and carnival’s was a painful one and now you have a people who never suffered the pains, now come in with their numbers to say they want their ‘fair’ share; (5) when heads roll from this government look at the colour of their skin or texture of their hair, fired was Philbert, Peter Joseph and others and that will continue; (6) the musings of the architects of Indianization are before our very eyes in the newspapers Sat no longer has to come out as a lone voice in the wilderness, he noiw have very powerful voices to do that for him, the likes of Moonilal, Ramlogan, Gopeesingh, Kamla, Rambachan, Devant Maharaj; Nizam. Clico is an international coperate institution yet this government found ways to equalize it with the Hindu Credit Union. The news papers are filled with reasons why people should be concerned about the direction of this government but most importantly if their policies were to take hold, what good would it be for T&T?

    1. If their policies take hold over time, by mid-century, the Black population could have diminished almost to the same extent as occurred in countries like Argentina and Chile.

      There, because of slavery under the Spaniards, Black populations in mid-19th century were above 50%.
      Due to police and vigilante murders, forced deployments of Black slaves used as cannon fodder in the wars against Spain as the price for freedom, diseases, poverty, and miscegenation from no available Black men for the Black women, Black populations in these countries are now below 2%.

      If one thinks being Black and being numerically superior automatically guarantee a future, think about Tasmania and Australia where Black polulations have either vanished completely, or diminished to backwater numbers from Government employed policies of genocide and ethnocide.

      In T&T, consider the invisibility of Amerindian “populations” in Santa Rosa and you get an idea of where Black Trinis can end.

      This is because Black communities and families are having fewer children; many women complain of having their tubes tied by doctors against their wishes (my sister-in-law one of them), the criminally absurd phenomenon of homicide being the leading cause of death among Black youth, imprisonment, unemployment, and the general insecurities caused thereby and one gets a future that is epilogue than prologue; in which the past is future.

      One must also keep in mind that every race that has employed extermination and enslavement practices against Black people have themselves fallen on their own swords.
      Think Europe where between World Wars I & II more than 60 million Europeans perished; numbers close to those of the slaves ripped out of Africa.

      In Chile and Argentina, the same policies used in the 19th century to “disappear” Black people, became the same policies of the “Desaparecidos” used in the 20th by the Fascist Juntas, but this time against white Argentinians and Chileans.

      In short, Fascism and Naziism were not invented by these military Juntas and Hitler; Hitler and these Juntas were the cherished offspring of policies initially used with devastating effect against unarmed, defenceless Black populations who, unlike every other race didn’t come here voluntarily, but were dragged out of Africa.
      Black people were stolen from Africa to toil on lands stolen from the Amerindians.

      Then, the lands on which the slaves had worked were used as bribes to make of indentured Indians, fifth columnists later, to reduce the cultural and numerical dominance of the descendants of the African slaves.

      Today, they and others wag their heads and push out the lower lip in disdain against Africans, forgetting that in Asia, where for generations Black people were forced to become the historical ‘Untoughables”, itself on achieving Independence from Britain–the constitution of the new India written by a Dalit, Dr. Ambdekar, an Untouchable–convulsed into internecine war between Muslim and Hindu nationalists.

      Today, a Muslim Pakistan with more than thirty million Black people, and a Hindu India with two hundred million, have nuclear weapons pointed, not at Britain, but at each other.

      Biblically and Anthropologically, Africans are the parents of humanity. Today, these, the fathers and mothers are despised by peoples who owe their humanity to the same Africa.

      The book of Exodus in chapter 20; verse12, admonishes, with the first commandment of Promise in the Bible to “honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long.

      Europe, Argentinia, India and others disobeyed this commandment and paid bitterly in the past. For them, too, the future is prologue; again with the past being future.

      Shalom.

  22. Kian the PNM could promote africanization but the PPP cannot highlight ethnic concerns.Why is it race is only a problem when a predominantly non-african government is in power?Larkie did the PNM have a racist agenda?Sandra the PNM when in power recognized the ethnic imbalance in the health care sector and fired prominent indian specialist doctors at Port of Spain General.The PNM also gave scholarships to africans to pursue medical training in Grenada to correct the imbalance in the health care sector.The PPP can also chose to correct the ethnic imbalance in the police service by sending indians to train at the FBI academy and put in top positions in the police service.Which political party is really racist?The preponderance of evidence will prove that the PNM did practise racial discrimination against indians for decades.

  23. The creolization of the police service is a genuince concern in a multiethnic society, an important institution such as the police service must reflect social and cultural diversity.I would like Nizam to correct the imbalance in the police service by removing certain members of the top brass and allowing indians to receive training at the FBI academy and replacing them.The PNM corrected imbalances in the health care sector by firing prominent indian specialist doctors ant P.O.S General and giving africans scholarships to study medicine in Grenada.When a non-african government is in power issues pertaining to race must not be highlighted,we must live in a society blinded to the truth.

  24. When a predominantly non-african government is in power they must promote unity and inclusion but when PNM in power they can practisce racism.What nonsense is this!If Rowley comes into power Trinidad will be faced with a tsunami of racial discrimination against indians and Persad Bisessar will hold some of the blame for not confronting allegations of racial discrimination while in power.Go ahead with your nonsense Queen Kamla the citizens will suffer at the end of the day.

  25. Why crusify Mr. Mohammed for highlighting the truth. The PNM was and is still the most racial party in T&T.

    They created employment for almost all their party card holders over the years. eg. Security at schools, Government offices, post offices, utilites offices etc. all Africian party members regardless of their qualifications.

    Africians are benefitting more than Indians from the PP Government. Panday made the same mistake, he ignored his supporters for the East-West corridor. Look where he is today.

    This PP government should implement “WHERE EVERY CREED AND RACE FIND AN EQUAL PLACE “ and who get annoid too bad for them.

  26. It is no coincidence that the pattern follows T&T, Guyana and Fiji. That is because the people who get into power in those countries are ideologued in a time warp reminiscent of India and its caste system. For them, these new Brahmins, these wannabe Aryan spawn from the loins of Adolph, the time is ripe to take T&T back to 18th century India where they could bask in their ignorance of being superior.

    People will wake up in T&T and recognize the nightmare they have brought upon themselves. They will see the ignorance in people who see them as creoles and not Africans. They will learn that you never trust a snake or a heyena. They are both creatures who slink and slide, and you keep them from getting close, because they will either steal your life or bite your heel. Thank God for Nizam Mohammed. He is doing more to educate Africans to their situation than a thousand blog comments can ever do.

  27. You have got it wrong Pitbull, the Hindu religion and system has always been about cast, the set of people who are at bottom of the cast system are blacks in India called the “Untouchables” and these traditions are still apparent in the psyche of the vast majority of East Indians in Trinidad & Tobago. Racism by definition is one race of people who not only totally despises a people of another race, but also has the power to and implements that power to make their lives a complete misery; to oppress that specific race. So black people (including the PNM) are not racists by nature, but have really been victims of racism, so what appears to you to be racism by black people is in fact their reaction to East Indian racism. Sandra Bane made a valid point in relation to what I am trying to convey to you Pitbull and all other deeply racist East Indians in Trinidad & Tobago by stating, and I quote in part… “I did not hear the PPP highlight racial concerns about the imbalance occurring in the nation’s hospitals. Maybe that is way the service there is so bad and getting worse every day. Not enough African doctors. Mr. Mohammed is saying that he does not trust African Policemen. Does he trust the Indian doctors that are killing people every day? How come he isn’t talking about these statistics?” That is precisely my point. This is the reason why I have indicated that I strongly believe that there is a “hidden agenda” of a Nazi styled “Final Solution” policy of ethnic cleansing by the collective East Indians for the black population of Trinidad & Tobago with Nizam Mohammed as their racist spokesperson. This makes a complete mockery (by the vast majority of East Indians) of the phrase …”every creed and race find an equal place”… as is sung in the national anthem of Trinidad & Tobago.

  28. IN RESPONSE TO THE STATEMENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO of 28th March, 2011.
    I welcome the categorical condemnation by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago concerning 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.
    I do trust that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago severely reprimand Mr. Mohammed for his inflammatory and deeply racist statements which clearly contradicts and contravenes the sacred oath of…“every creed and race find an equal place”… and ensure that he is reminded of his responsibilities and accountability to the Trinidad and Tobago taxpayers which makes it imperative that he does not make such unacceptable statements ever again in the foreseeable future.

  29. There is a lot of misinformation of what constitutes discrimination, here we see a lot of incidents (mostly political) guised as PNM policies (even though they cannot state any legislative efforts to implement racial policies. I cannot and will not be drawn into political dialogs defending any political parties. I have lived long enough to identify bad policy and this Kamla administration Indianization policies WILL create BAD news for the future of this country.

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