In everything we may do as human beings, a supernatural being is in the mix somewhere – and that is so, because we are not fully or totally in control of our lives and everything that happens to us. And whether your belief and faith stem from a God, or Jah, or some other basis that gives you strength and hope and the will to persevere – there is always another medium that pushes us to move ahead or survive. The struggle that Grenadians as a whole had to battle against, over the past few years especially, did not all come about because of the political mis-management and suspect dealings of those in control over the years. So that, for example, the huge rise in the cost of living Worldwide – affected us here at home just as it did our nighbours in the region. And very obviously, none of our small-Island States had a ready-made answer or solution to that global problem. What the people were complaining about, and used the only weapon at their disposal to remedy the situation (their votes) – was that in addition to the universal problems they understand the powers-that-be could not solve over-night, or even in the medium or long term, those same power brokers were abusing, and mis-using, and generally taking grave advantage of the very people they were duly elected to serve. They were entering into sordid schemes, and giving concessions to crooks and con-men posing as Investors – in exchange for bribes and kick-backs, that only ended up in their Bank Accounts, while the people and the Country as a whole remained under-developed. But now that the people have brought about the needed change – the still very blind and hood-winked supporters of those abusers, are behaving as though nothing had changed on the one hand – and on the other hand they are expecting miracles to convince them, that what was taking place during those years of scandal and corruption was very real. Both the wrong-doers themselves, who held the people and the Country to ransom for all those years; and the apparently blinded followers who supported them for one obscure reason or another. They were either in some spell-bound shock from the results, or they so foolishly fell for the much vaunted nancy-story, that if there were (15) Fifteen Murders for 2008 by the 7th July – then the NNP would win the Election – that they are still living in a dream World and cannot seem to wake up. But as the days and nights are passing by, and the new days are dawning with no semblance of a reversal of the new beginning – they are slowly coming around to seeing the new light; and to ease the pain and shock, they are asking for, and even demanding miracles to satisfy themselves, that the results announced by the Supervisor of Elections on the night of July 8th, 2008, were very real and here to stay. They should realize, however, that the nancy-story about un-fortunate Murders being the fore-runner for the ex-P.M. to hold on to the seat of power after all those years – that can only be grounded in obeah and witchcraft and a voodoo mentality. Whereas the concept of Miracles and super-natural powers, emanate from a decidedly higher and far more divine and Spiritual source that has stood the test of time immemorial. What has been happening in our Tri-Island State these past few years, under the guise of the Government of the people; while it no doubt benefited greatly a very small minority of the population as a whole, and to some extent provided some social and economic upliftment to the nation’s infrastructure – in the broader context of genuine nation-building and development, it all left some very bitter pills to swallow and digest. And as a direct result thereof, now that the wind of change has blown away the upper covering, and the camouflage that was passing off as progress – the task of sifting through the rubbish and the disastrous remains, to even begin the re-building process to construct a new road-way to the promised land – that in itself requires another miracle of gigantic proportions. It is not easy. And that is why I am stressing to the new group now controlling the reins of power – that it is very necessary to sift through the rubble as quickly as possible, to ascertain the damage left behind – and at every stage of discovery of the chaos and wrong-doing they find, and the proposed remedy to try and correct the disasters – John Public must be kept fully informed and regularly up-dated. And as for those who are looking for and expecting miracles – to put right those wrong-doing in Six months, or one year, or even five years – they had better re-think their outlook before their blood pressures start rising, because even the new Hospital building the deceivers used to boast about as “progress” in Health, that department is woefully short of facilities and drugs to help the pressure sufferers. And as the new controllers go through the chaos they have inherited, and seek to find ways and means to correct whatever can be corrected in the interest and welfare of Grenadians as a whole – one issue that will not be capable of an easy solution, is the Cap Bank Fiasco that the out going Government created in February, 1996, when it issued a Banking Licence to Finton De Bourg without Lawful Authority. The Minister of Finance then was Dr. Keith Mitchell, and on the 26th May, 2008, the said Minister of Finance published in the Government Gazette (in Vol.126 on the 29th May, as an Extra ordinary publication) a notice to Mr. De Bourg and the Receiver, Mr. David Holukoff, of his intention to Revoke the said Banking Licence of February, 1996. The Bank was given (30 days) thirty days to show cause why the Licence should not have been Revoked. Whether it did or not, I do not know. But I have since discovered, that the Company which provided the funds for the construction of “ South City Plaza Building ” of Grand Anse – that Company has taken steps to foreclose the Mortgage and a Liquidator has been appointed to that effect. My further information – is that the value of the existing Building is more or less the same as the sum originally advanced for constructing the building ($10 Million US, or about $28 Millions E.C.C.). Those figures would mean, therefore, that the depositors in CAP BANK would be getting nothing from the sale of South City Plaza . And since there is no other known asset of the CAP BANK Company – the bottom line remains the same. You see how the progress is continuing? It would be interesting to know, how many of the over Forty-seven thousand voters – who voted for the Keith Mitchell NNP - had deposits in CAP BANK. But then again, those same losers would now be bold-faced enough to lay the blame at the feet of the new-comers in control. Lord, do graciously help us, we need your saving grace now more than ever before. And the “ex-Super Legal Advisor” to the old Cabinet, who had been giving the then Minister of Finance (Dr. Mitchell) – the sort of Wild advice that brought the Bank’s State of Affairs to where it is to-day – he is no more on the Government’s payroll to bring all those crazy Court Cases at the Government’s expence. But the Cap Bank case is still before the Court of Appeal, for a decision as to whether or not the said Minister had any legal authority to appoint the Receiver, and as a direct result bring all the Cap Bank’s operations to a halt. If he didn’t, and the Bank and its depositors suffered financial losses – as they most surely did – then they can bring a Case against the ex-Minister personally for compensation. But as all those political relic linger on the new horizon of a liberated Grenada and its people – the next arm of the Constitutional Government and its Parliament (the official Opposition), was duly appointed by the Governor General last week Wednesday at his official residence. Dr. Keith Mitchell was sworn in as the Opposition Leader for his NNP, and he appointed three green horns as his party’s opposition Senators (Horsford, Roberts and Rachae). It is interesting to see none of the old Brigade in the Upper House, and none of the women losers in the July 8th political massacre that brought about the change. It looks as though the old brigade and the women do not have the guts for opposition politics – where they cannot call the shots and parade as Ministers. I am even hearing on the political grapevine news, that one or two of the four winners for NNP are not too happy with their seats on the opposition Benches in the Lower House – and may soon call it a day. Then, of course, the changes of those in authority to the new NDC administration, also opens the Court doors in the U.S.A. to allow the ex-Prime Minister to enter the Court room to answer the claim brought against him by the U.S. doctor – in conjunction with the infamous St. Moritz Brief Case saga. And this is so, because the Immunity granted to the then Head of Government (P.M. Mitchell) – was automatically laid to rest with the announcement of the Election results. The Gregory Bowen matter in the U.S. Court will also be going ahead anyway – only now he, like the ex-P.M., will have to pay their Lawyers from their own pockets, and not from the Government’s peoples’ Treasury. There is no doubt also, that there are numerous persons in the Government’s employ who are very loyal to the outgoing regime – and who do not understand, or refuse so to do, that their jobs and their loyalties were not, and are not, dependent on which party or Prime Minister is in power. Their duties and responsibilities are subject to the need and requirements of the State and the people – regardless of who is in charge. Those of us who had the privilege of working as Civil Servants in England , understand that fully – but I suppose that once we broke away from the English influence even here at home, the new masters who took over control simply corrupted the system for their own selfish needs and dishonest requirements. That too has to be changed with time – if we are ever going to bring back dignity, and integrity, and full scale transparency into our public affairs; and by sheer pressure from doing the right things, and then by open extension transferring the soundness thereof to the private sector. The school books for primary school students and whoever otherwise the system can afford as time goes by, will be coming on stream in September; and the Imani programme will be continued as was promised during the Campaign – according to the Minister. But the new controllers have to tread lightly, and go through the Books and the Accounts very thoroughly to ascertain exactly where we are at present. No one could get blood out of stones, nor pay for even very necessary services when the funds are not available. Expecting the funds to be there, based on the Budget Estimates for the fiscal year – only to find they have been squandered on irrelevances and jobs for the party boys and gals – could not have been catered for when not in control. So there is nothing to feel so bad about that cannot be explained. What is of the greatest importance, especially at this early stage as wrong doings are discovered, is to be very open and forthright with the people, and tell them of your findings and discoveries as found. So those who are expecting Miracles on the one hand, or hoping that nothing will be happening - on the other hand – they can be left to swell up and have their pressure rising if they so behave. The shock of losing so badly is a lesson in itself. But that came from the wishes of the majority of our people – not just party supporters. So at the end of the day, the losers have to accept the scenario as the results dictated and move on from there. The licks may look like a miracle in itself – but we cannot have too many of those in a short period. Enough is more than enough for the time being. By Lloyd Noel (Attorney-at-law) Inside Grenada Columnist