Lead Editor Investigations
asha.javeed@guardian.co.tt
The transformation of Dr Shane Mohammed from an active member of the United National Congress (UNC) to a political analyst has irked both the party and the academic fraternity at The University of the West Indies (UWI).
Mohammed, whose profile as a political analyst has grown nationally in the past year, was featured on local television stations CNC3 and TV6 providing commentary during the Local Government Elections. However, the UNC took issue with his presence, with its public relations officer, Kirk Meighoo, writing both television stations to question his legitimacy and credentials, given that he was “used to frame national political discussion.”
Meanwhile, the academic fraternity at UWI questioned the pedigree of his doctorate, with one lecturer expressing his preference for Mohammed to distance himself from the institution.
For his part, Mohammed, 39, is disappointed by the ire directed at him. In his view, he’s been advocating for younger voices in both spheres—political and academic—and the backlash affects his job. His currency as a commentator, after all, is in his reputation.
Mohammed has had a storied career with the UNC. He got into politics at the age of 17, worked in various capacities in the party, from a youth officer on its national executive to serving as a temporary senator for the party while in power, to working with it while in opposition.
How does being in the belly of one political party for a period of time make him an objective analyst now? Mohammed doesn’t see any conflict but said it is part of his evolution as an individual and professional, with his experience informing his commentary on the party. In his view, political parties should be able to stand up to scrutiny.
“I have criticised both the UNC and the PNM and I’ve probably given Dr Rowley a really hard time because of his approach, even on the night of the elections. I had my fair share to say,” he said.
“I did say that the UNC cannot continue the way it is going with the same narrative. I did not agree with the language that was used by the political leader. Why? Because I think Mrs Persad-Bissessar is more astute than that. She has the capability to reignite herself and rejuvenate herself, as she did in 2010. I was expecting it in 2020, it did not happen.
“When leaders have gotten so comfortable and have surrounded themselves with persons who provide them with the answers that they want to hear, they jeopardise the future and the success and sustainability of the political institution and that is what has happened with the UNC.”
He added, “The PNM, they are not the best in governance as it pertains to communication. They have a very huge disconnect with the population. They have not reached out in a way that gives people hope that better days are ahead. And even though the Minister of Finance has said that the economy is growing, that has not trickled down to the man on the ground. On the other hand, they are members of the government that are trying their very best to perform at their very best and have made strides.”
Mohammed said he is not surprised at the UNC’s actions, but insists he has no axe to grind with the party and is not the first person to challenge the UNC and be criticised.
“What the UNC is failing to realise is they are the alternative, in a two-party system, to the government of Trinidad and Tobago. Obviously, all eyes are going to be on them and their performance and their strategies and their narrative and the complement and calibre of people that they have on their team,” he said.
“Because at the end of the day, you have to beat the giant, the political giant, that is the People’s National Movement. I don’t care what anybody says, the PNM may be bad at good governance, but they are excellent as it pertains to political structure, strategy and continuity and that is where the UNC has faltered and continues to falter.”
In his complaint, Meighoo questioned the legitimacy of Mohammed’s doctorate.
However, Mohammed said coming from a UWI background—he pursued both his Bachelors and Masters in St Augustine—he was aware of the risk of pursuing his Doctorate outside of the institution.
Mohammed had worked as a research assistant for Dr Bishnu Ragoonath from 2016-2020, during the latter’s tenure as head of the Political Science Department at UWI.
Ragoonath told the Sunday Guardian that Mohammed was enrolled into an MPhil programme while he was employed at the UWI, which was a pre-requisite for him being given the job but his registration subsequently lapsed in 2020.
“He was not asked to leave, he voluntarily left,” Ragoonath said.
For his part, Mohammed explained that internal politics at the UWI led him to pursue his PhD outside of the country and was clear that at no point in time was he doing two PhD’s at the same time, which would be in contravention to UWI rules.
He said he allowed his UWI registration to lapse and then went ahead with Hawaii-based Atlantic International University (AIU), a distance learning option which was cost effective. He said he began his programme in 2019 and completed it 15 months later with a Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, with a major in Leadership and Governance.
Questioned about the time overlap of the two programmes—one starting in 2019 while he was still working at UWI—he said it was a valid criticism, but he had no choice but to do it to get his doctorate.
Mohammed said his doctorate was awarded on December 11, 2020, after a three-hour defence of his thesis, which focused on a correlation of effective leadership and good governance in T&T.
The Sunday Guardian reached out to AIU twice and in turn, they contacted Mohammed on whether he was comfortable with them talking to the media.
In response, Dr Jose Mercado, chairman of the Board of Trustees, wrote to Mohammed to authorise his release of its defence of their programme.
AIU, it said, was established in 1998 in accordance with all state and federal laws as a degree-granting institution in the United States and is in good standing.
“As any other university in the US, we must be registered in the state, and this we have done. Every year the State of Hawaii confers to AIU the CERTIFICATE OF GOOD STANDING. So, the university is in good standing with all relevant state and federal benchmarks, which govern its existence and ability to operate in the United States.
“As you may know, accreditation in the US is performed by private accrediting agencies, not by the US government. AIU is not accredited by a recognised body by the US Department of Education. AIU is accredited by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities (ASIC), a private accrediting agency based in the United Kingdom. Universities in the US are not required to obtain accreditation, as this is voluntary.
“However, compliance with laws that govern universities and granting institutions is mandatory. AIU conforms and adheres to all state and federal laws that regulate the faculty to operate as a university and to grant degrees to students who meet the graduation requirements of the corresponding programmes,” it said.
Despite the AIU doctorate, Mohammed said he is trying to finish his UWI doctorate but has not been let back into the programme.
“At present, all I need to do is write my thesis and submit it and defend it. I’ve written to the University of the West Indies in a letter dated the fifth of August 2022 and I have been waiting for the university to grant me re-entry to complete the degree. It is not within my character, it is not within my persona, to just leave something unfinished, and therefore I am waiting as we speak,” he said.
Mohammed credits Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar for his educational pursuits.
“I am a go-getter. I don’t shy away from the fact that I am ambitious and people may say overly ambitious, but academia is something that I have always gone after. And one of the reasons, and I will say this publicly, one of the persons that drove home that whole need to get educated to be educated was Kamla Persad-Bissessar, because she said the ticket out of poverty is education,” he said.