Carolyn Cooper | Di Speaker of the House nuh ready?

CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING

It look like seh Juliet Holness, Speaker of the House, nuh understand fi har work. She a nuh di boss a Parliament. She cyaan do weh she feel like. First ting, she should a mek Parliament see di judgment weh di Attorney-General (AG) send har bout how fi deal wid di report dem from di Auditor General an di Integrity Commission. But no! Di Speaker hug up di AG report. She nuh waa ‘speak’ bout dat.

Gleaner gi good-good advice pon April 12: “Go to court on AG opinion.” Gleaner seh, “Stakeholders, including public policy and transparency campaigners, who can show standing in the matter, should join in asking an appropriate arm of the court for a ruling on the validity of Mrs Holness’ action, as well as what the limits on the powers of the Speaker are, and any assertion of the right of Parliament to determine how it conducts its business.”

ONE WICKED LETTER

A nuh ongle di “AG opinion” di Speaker of the House mek mistake bout. She write one wicked letter to Ms Valrie Curtis, di one-time Clerk to the Houses of Parliament. Di letter seh Ms Curtis bring down disgrace pon Parliament. Di Speaker send di letter to all a di MP dem. She copy it to di Director of Human Resources Management. It put pon Ms Curtis file. Poor Ms Curtis never see di letter before it go all bout.

Di judgement drop pon Ms Curtis head lickle before she fi retire, after almost 30 year she a work a Parliament! Look how much smaddy a tell Juliet Holness seh she fi tek back di letter! She nah listen. She wrong an she strong. Everybody mek mistake. All Massa God! Hear wa Bible tell wi inna Genesis 6: 5-8, weh di Wycliffe Bible Translators Caribbean put inna fi wi Jamaican language:

“5 Di LORD did see seh man wickedness did too much eena di Earth an a bare wickedness im a tink bout all di time. 6 Di LORD did sorry seh im mek people pon di Earth, an im heart did well heavy. 7 So di LORD seh, ‘Mi a-go wipe mankind offa di face a di Earth, mi a-go wipe out man, all a di animal dem, even di animal dem weh crawl pon di land an bird weh fly, cause mi sorry seh mi mek dem.’ 8 But di LORD did happy wid Noah.” Seet deh! Juliet Holness better tek lesson from Massa God. If she mek mistake, she ha fi big enough fi admit seh she wrong. If she too high an mighty, she a go lose di Speaker work. Jah know!

PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

It luk laik se Juliet Holness, Speaker of the House, no andastan fi ar work. Shi a no di baas a Parliament. Shi kyaahn du we shi fiil laik. Fos ting, shi shuda mek Parliament si di jojment we di Attorney-General (AG) sen ar bout ou fi diil wid di ripuot dem fram di Auditor General an di Integrity Commission. Bot nuo! Di Speaker og op di AG ripuot. Shi no waahn ‘spiik’ bout dat.

Gleaner gi gud-gud advais pan Iepril 12: “Go to court on AG opinion.” Gleaner se, “Stakeholders, including public policy and transparency campaigners, who can show standing in the matter, should join in asking an appropriate arm of the court for a ruling on the validity of Mrs Holness’ action, as well as what the limits on the powers of the Speaker are, and any assertion of the right of Parliament to determine how it conducts its business.”

WAN WIKID LETA

A no ongl di “AG opinion” di Speaker of the House mek mistiek bout. Shi rait wan wikid leta tu Ms Valrie Curtis, di wan-taim Clerk to the Houses of Parliament. Di leta se Ms Curtis bring dong disgries pan Parliament. Di Speaker sen di leta tu aal a di MP dem. Shi kapi it tu di Director of Human Resources Management. It put pan Ms Curtis fail. Puor Ms Curtis neva si di leta bifuor it go aal bout.

Di jojment jrap pan Ms Curtis ed likl bifuor shi fi ritaiya, aafta aalmuos 30 ier shi a work a Parliament! Luk omoch smadi a tel Juliet Holness se shi fi tek bak di leta! Shi naa lisn. Shi rang an shi strang. Evribadi mek mistiek. Aal Maasa Gad! Ier wa Baibl tel wi ina Jenisiz 6: 5-8, we di Wycliffe Bible Translators Caribbean put ina fi wi Jamiekan langgwij:

“5 Di LAAD did si se man wikidnis did tu moch iina di Ort an a bier wikidnis im a tingk bout aal di taim. 6 Di LAAD did sari se im mek piipl pan di Ort, an im aat did wel evi. 7 So di LAAD se, ‘Mi a-go waip mankain aafa di fies a di Ort, mi a-go waip out man, aal a di animal dem, iivn di animal dem we kraal pan di lan an bod we flai, kaaz mi sari se mi mek dem.’ 8 Bot di LAAD did api wid Nowa.” Siit de! Juliet Holness beta tek lesn fram Maasa Gad. If shi mek mistiek, shi a fi big inof fi admit se shi rang. If shi tuu ai an maiti, shi a go luuz di Speaker work. Jah nuo!

For an English translation, visit carolynjoycooper.wordpress.com

Carolyn Cooper, PhD, is a teacher of English language and literature and a specialist on culture and development. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com