As I sat and watched the destitution and desolation in Haiti, I cried. I realised that their suffering after the earthquake is the result of corruption and poor administrative skills on the part of all those who have governed the country.

As a country, we need to take heed and not frown upon any organisation or individual that makes efforts to stop corruption. We must stop telling our children that informers should die; we need to stop shielding our dons and politicians. As a people, we need to go the right route to get things done. We need to take a stand as a country or else we are going to lose credibility as a nation.

In times of disaster, we might end up the same way as our neighbours if we do not make concerted efforts to wipe out corruption. A country which had so much potential has been stymied by greed, selfishness and corruption at all levels. Corruption is a factor in the sufferings experienced by our Haitian neighbours.

Jamaicans should not set ourselves up to be governed by a people who will never be able to render any form of assistance in times of disaster simply because we turned and looked the other way. The time to fight corruption is now.

I am, etc,

ROELL TYRELL

roelletyrell@yahoo.com

Sawyers P.O.

Trelawny