THE EDITOR, Sir:

Salt was the last thing I would have imagined to be introduced to the Ministry of Youth and Culture, at least deliberately.

That ministry and its minister, Lisa Hanna, have had their fair share of crosses to bear in the past year, and for many, some sort of cleansing was certainly in order.

Most persons imagined this would have entailed motivational speeches, administrative adjustments, or comprehensive planning. However, it is evident that for those in charge, the problems of this ministry required a different kind of 'sciance'.

Perhaps what this bizarre ritual, as published in The Gleaner on A2 on Friday, January 11, 2013, should have entailed was surrounding the building with salt in order to keep the phantom of efficiency that haunts them from spreading to other ministries. It may have also been useful to perform a séance to contact the spirit in which the ministry portfolio was conceived in order to ask it for guidance. Baking soda should also have been sprinkled around the offices to ensure that Grand Gala would never be cheesy again.

I wish them well that their year will be blessed and look forward to the paper-burning rituals at the other ministries.

BRIAN-PAUL WELSH

Brianpaul.welsh@gmail.com