Orville W. TaylorYES, NOW that he is leaving the University of the West Indies (UWI), I can say whatever I want about Kenneth Hall. I bet you would like that, wouldn't you?
It is now stale news: Pro-vice chancellor Hall is the fourth native Governor-General of Jamaica. Before him was, Kenneth, the white Briton, strangely named 'Black'burn.
Then, there was Sir Clifford Campbell with an English name but clearly more suited to be called 'burn black'.' He was reputed to have a busy appetite and was often called 'Circle Food' Campbell.
Following him was Sir Florizel Glasspole, trade unionist before the advent of Bustamante and former Minister of Education. Always surrounded by beauties, he had a Portia-like affinity for public kissing. Glasspole was the GG: 'Girls' Guy'.
Our outgoing G-G, Sir Howard Cooke is, like Sir Florizel, a former education minister who speaks so much about God and Jesus that one wonders whether he was another kind of minister.
Kenneth Hall is a different kettle of fish, who, although like the former vice-chancellor, Rex Nettleford, was always believed to be a friend of the ruling People's National Party (PNP), has never held political office.
He ascended to the principalship of the Mona campus of the UWI in 1996 at a time when it was popularly felt that the 'intellectual ghetto' should have been taken over by a 'Don'.
UWI TRANSFORMED
During his tenure, the UWI became transformed into a more modern university. Ten years later, there is electronic registration, high-tech lecture theatres which I still have yet to learn to fully manoeuvre 21st century edifices and, of course, two fast-food outlets, one of which clearly molests the aesthetics of the former plantation.
Presiding over one of the most vibrant periods of construction in recent UWI history, including the 800-room Nettleford Hall behind the A. Z. Preston, he was a busy principal.
Sometimes justifiably accused of being a bit heavy-handed and autocratic, Hall understood the importance of financial tightness and, to his credit and demerit, we witnessed large-scale de-registration of impoverished students, due to what I still believe was a strange attempt to suddenly change student culture.
To the university, he also brought a reminder of the importance of research and, more so, societally relevant studies. He himself lead the way with a co-edited volume each year since 1999, of course aptly assisted by Professor Dennis Benn, and has consistently emphasised publication.
So on balance, from my perspective as a member of the university community I give him a 'ticky' with perhaps upper second-class honours.
Nevertheless, inasmuch as I like the UWI's chancellor, vice chancellor and Leader of Opposition support of the Prime Minister's selection of PVC Hall as GG, I have to voice two misgivings.
First, I believe that despite the PM not having the constitutional obligation to consult the Opposition Leader, he missed a 'Golding' opportunity to appear conciliatory and inclusive.
This is especially so since we are clearly lacking a national sense similar that which exists in Barbados, as I observed in last week's column.
My second area of discomfort is that we have a G-G at all. I am tired of pledging allegiance to a queen of a foreign land that requires me to get a visa to visit.
Queen Elizabeth is a foreign head of state and to have me 'bowing' to her is a difficult idea to swallow without it being thrust down my throat by a judge. I feel the same about her having a representative here in 'jamrock' a piece of land hard-earned by the blood sweat and tears of my ancestors who had no choice in 'migrating' here in the 17th century.
I want to see a republican system with an executive prime minister and if necessary, a ceremonial president replacing the G-G.
Hall would be a good president, who like the G-G, has no real power and cannot make a decision that countermands that of the Prime Minister or Cabinet. That is perhaps where the difficulty will lie for him since, unlike the UWI where he can run things, even sometimes ruffling the feathers of the academic board where decision making rest in King's House, he has to 'rubber stamp' the wishes of the Prime Minister.
Imagine this! Portia Simpson Miller winning and becoming Prime Minister, giving orders to a former head of UWI, which had birthed her two main opponents and their 'degreeful' crew. What irony!
Still, as PVC Hall moves to government after a UWI pension, we hear rumours of the Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson, taking up a distinguished professorship at the UWI like his former nemesis Edward Seaga, with a Prime Ministerial pension.
If that is so, will he also be paid a salary outside of the scale of tenured professors as well?
Furthermore, who would foot the bill when highly qualified and productive UWI lecturers have had to suffer a three-year wage freeze under a memorandum of under-estimation to which their union WIGUT was not a party? Jackass say world nuh level!
Dr. Orville Taylor is senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at the University of the West Indies, Mona.
