Letter of the Day | The cost of our apathy

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Recent reports reveal a staggering three trillion Jamaican dollars (or US$19 billion) in public spending remains unaccounted for over the past decade ( Caribbean National Weekly). This isn’t just a statistic — it manifests as roads left unpaved, schools lacking essential funds, and hospitals without necessary equipment. It is dreams deferred, and futures stolen.

But the greater tragedy is not the numbers, but rather our response to them. We shrug. We sigh. We move on. For too long, corruption has been treated like rain in hurricane season — something to expect, tolerate, and endure. This indifference has left our leaders unchecked, empowering them to erode public trust and squander valuable opportunities. And history reminds us that when nations normalise mismanagement, they pay dearly.

Time and again, we have witnessed countries that are overflowing with potential, descend into stagnation and ruin — not overnight, but over decades of apathy and unaccountability. The key differentiator between progress and decline lies in the people’s courage to demand improvement, to recognise that corruption is not a political nuisance — it is a theft of prosperity and dignity.

Yes, there have been attempts at transparency. Reports have been tabled, audits conducted, and promises made. For instance, the Auditor General’s Department has flagged millions in questionable expenditures year after year. But where are the consequences? Where are the recoveries? If committees form, audits pile up, and no one is held accountable, then these efforts become little more than political theatre.

Transparency is not the existence of reports; it is the action that follows them. It is leaders facing the hard questions, resources being recovered, and systems being reformed to prevent recurrence. Anything less is a hollow performance designed to pacify the public.

Let’s be clear: public servants are not rulers; they are contracted stewards of our resources. When they fail to account for those resources, it is not ‘politics as usual’. It is betrayal. And betrayal should never go unanswered.

I write not as an expert, but as a deeply concerned citizen. This is not a time for fleeting grumbles that vanish amidst the clamour of everyday existence. Outrage without action achieves nothing, so we must begin to act. Attend public forums. Write to your members of parliament. Demand answers from local representatives. Hold the leaders we elect to the promises they make. Accountability begins with us.

At home and abroad, Jamaicans share a responsibility to ensure our nation’s resources are safeguarded for future generations. We cannot afford to shrug. We cannot afford to move on without purpose, answers, or change.

Our nation abounds in diverse talents and possesses a spirit of unwavering resilience, making us ill-suited to settle for a future of stagnation. Jamaica deserves better. We deserve better. And the time to demand it is now.

YASHEKA WALTERS-ELLIS

yasheka.waltersellis@

gmail.com