ACADEMIC S, civil society leaders, politicians, and people from other walks of life have paid glowing tribute to Reginald Dumas, describing his passing as an irreplaceable loss to not just TT but the world.
Dumas, a retired head of the public service, diplomat, and Newsday columnist, died at the Scarborough General Hospital, Tobago, on March 7, days after surgery for a gastrointestinal condition. He was 88.
During an emotional celebration of his life at Merci Buccoo, Tobago on March 15, former THA assemblyman and talk show host Gerry MacFarlane said Dumas would be a tough act to follow. "I know it would be difficult to find anybody in this space – Trinidad and Tobago – to fill the shoes of Reggie Dumas. But his legacy remains, his conduct, character, and enthusiasm for getting things done remain as a good example for all of us that we must do better, not just sit back and allow the place to fall down. We have to encourage a Reggie Dumas culture in this place," he told the gathering.
Recalling that Dumas was appointed special adviser to late United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan after a major earthquake-ravaged Haiti many years ago, MacFarlane said he maintained ties with the troubled nation even after his tenure ended. "Many ambassadors or consultants will go to a country to do a specific task or a job but when they are paid, that finish they gone to some other things. But Reggie Dumas continued his work as an ambassador, was a patriot to the people of Haiti by raising personal funds to restore three schools, built one and restored two others that were damaged by the earthquake. So he didn’t leave the country, he raised funds and came back after his assignment."
MacFarlane said he and Dumas also spoke at length about the inefficiencies within the public service, which he headed for several years. "In Tobago, there is much more to be done. We can’t just continue to sit back and belabor that. That was one of Reggie’s peeve issues and one of my peeve issues up to today. Every discussion I have with a current assemblyman, I talk about that and he talked about it as well." He lamented many workers within the public service no longer had a sense of purpose.
"I think if it’s one thing we can do in this place is to be very forthright, diligent be the kind of people to be accountable and do the right thing. That is what the public service is missing. And if the public service can’t help in reorganizing service to the public, what kind of public will we have?"
MacFarlane added, "Let us use all Reggie’s energies, work, study, and attitude to bring about change in the public service." He said attempts must be made to archive Dumas’ work. "I made a similar call when Hochoy Charles (former chief secretary) died, that maybe we should offer a PhD scholarship to some Tobagonian who wants to study governance, history, diplomacy, or international relations. Take all Reggie’s work and put it into chronological order so that students and the people coming after us will learn and benefit from the extent of work done
