Where is the Interim Transition Report?

It was announced by no less a person than the head of state himself.  As soon as he assumed office the chief executive put together a task force which was charged with the responsibility to audit former ministers and heads of parastatals of the outgoing SLPP government administration that were ordered not to leave their posts until they had formally handed over to their successors of the new order. That process depended upon the completion of the work of the Interim Transition Team. Some months later those blindfolded praise singers were to refer to the whole affair as part of the political tolerance of the President in “allowing the former SLPP ministers to stay at their posts for at least a month following their party’s losing the Parliamentary and Presidential elections. But we in the opposition SLPP knew better.

The whole exercise was a ploy to unearth the alleged massive corruption and other malpractices of the SLPP. Two newspapers now notorious for such wild and unsubstantiated statements misquoting reports from the justice Semaga Commission even referred to the existence of a ghost college in Hill Station while the former minister of education was putting up a mansion on Liverpool Street. When it turned out that contrary to their allegations, that there was indeed a massive structure up at Hill Station, the concerned papers did not have the decency to retract their libelous allegation.

Then the day came, less than seventy hours to Christmas, the report of the task force was handed to his Excellency at State House. The press and selected members of the public were present and the whole thing was done with much fanfare. The task force had completed its assignment within a month and submitted its report, ALL 17,000 PAGES PLUS.

I marveled at the apparent proficiency of members of the task force. Readers would recall that I commented on the whole exercise by reminding them that after the assassination of former United States President John F Kennedy on November 22, 1963, his successor Lynden B Johnson appointed a commission headed by the chief Justice Earl Warren of the US Supreme Court to investigate the circumstances surrounding an assassination that had shocked not just the American nation but the entire world. The Warren commission sat for almost THREE YEARS, collecting evidence, visiting the site of the assassination in Dallas etc, etc. When it finally handed in its report IT WAS NO MORE THAN THREE THOUSAND PAGES.

In comparison, here we are with a task force that had worked for barely one month and they amazingly produced a 17,000 plus page report. It is difficult to comprehend but then it may be due to the proficiency of the members of the Transition team. However, the point at issue for me and is the ultimate fate of the Transition Report.

When his Excellency received the report he without any reservation heaped unqualified praise on the task force. Then, and this is the point at issue, he said that he was handing the report over to the Anti Corruption Commission whose members were expected to put their teeth into its contents and come out with necessary recommendations in the shortest possible time. That, his Excellency lamented meant they would not have a relaxed and enjoyable Christmas. The expectation of the public was high.

Then the anticlimax came three months later when Chairman of the Anti Corruption in answer to a question announced that they had not seen the report up to that time.

Here I must again quote my distinguished former class mate at the Prince of Wales school; “I was flabbergasted.” That was the last I heard anything about the much touted Transition Team report. My question is “WHERE IS IT AND WHAT WERE ITS FINDINGS?”

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