The psychologists and pundits would tell us – that when people anywhere have enjoyed certain positions and conditions for a very long time, when the situation changes and the gravy-train is no more, those people descend into a state of denial and dejection – to the extent that they say things without thinking, or as the old folks used to say, mouths open and words jump out. It is relatively easy to pull down and criticise, but very difficult to offer better and workable alternatives. Someone once said about the church’s policy, but I think the saying can also be applied to Government policy in a changing environment especially – that many people have a bee in their bonnet about some aspect of the new Government policy, but let us make sure that the bee-sting is neutralized and the bonnet not allowed to develop into a bee-hive. Before it gets too late to make a difference. I can well understand how difficult it must be to simply sit back and accept the humiliating defeat – especially after all the bravado big talk about letting the progress continue, and the huge sums of U.S dollars squandered on the Campaign, and now nothing to fall back on to further satisfy those foreign investors who spent their Millions. But on the other side of that coin – they already have cheated our people out of so much of the very ordinary property sellers and buyers Taxes – that the people themselves have to pay. They should now have no complaints, based on the Millions they have illegally made from their corrupt dealings in financial scams with the humiliated losers. Payback time has only just began; the road ahead is over-crowded with Millions of scandalously concocted secret deals involving the people’s assets or their good name, and these must be accounted for. The tactic now being employed by the new opposition Leader, seems to be to complain about anything and everything – based on the principle, that by raising all manner of issues and throwing them out to an un-suspecting general public, that includes those die-hard supporters whose corrupted benefits have ended – the chances are that one or two of those issues will take root and grow into national concerns and even scandals. Our people in Grenada have such short and thinly disguised memories, and are so prone to put behind them all the wrong-doings of yester-year and even yesterday – as soon as the preparations for another festive occasion and bacchanal celebration come on stream – that they have to be constantly reminded to stay awake, and protect our national heritage and standards and good name, so that their children and grandchildren will have some thing worthwhile to inherit. The new leader of the opposition is a past-master of planting those seeds of mis-trust and under-hand dealings – that will give rise to a whole plantation of grave suspicion and dissension, that are more than enough to cause the most steady boat to start rocking. In fact, if one takes the time to read those personal letters already appearing in the press in recent weeks – you can see clearly the trend of development of that mood of reaction. And while the complaints from the opposition elements really have no sound basis to give cause for concern, on the surface they sound sensational and could excite those who fail to think for themselves. For example, the ex p.m. now opposition Leader was not given back his old Passport that was stamped “Prime Minister”; many persons receiving national assistance were struck off the list for receiving same; many Imani students have been taken off the programme; the D.P.P is now a “Political Prosecutor” because he sanctioned the detention and questioning of Hugh Wildman for a suspected/alleged Fraud – when he was the D.P.P and was dealing with First Bank (FIBG) and the FBI. All the above have been very reasonably answered, and sound assurances given that the reality in each case is quite different from the propaganda allegations. Those so-called persons entitled to national assistance were hand-picked party faithfuls being paid through the party office, but with funds from Government; the Imani programme was extended and heavily added to just before the election date was announced – in the hope that those young persons would have been fooled into voting for the so-called progress to continue. And there are hundreds receiving Salaries from the Treasury, under the very deceitful vote 340 that the NNP invented to give jobs to the party guys and gals. And lately I heard the Leader of the Opposition sounding off about the number of Advisors around the new Government Ministers, and even advisors to advise the Advisors. Let me assure him up-front, that the reported Cabinet decision to appoint the four persons as a “National advisory Committee” – viz. Henry Joseph, Lloyd Noel, Carol Bristol and Deborah St. Bernard, as per the NDC’s undertaking in its manifesto – none of us is due to receive a single cent for our services. We are all giving that service, free, gratis, and for nothing, to the people of Grenada; and I can re-assure him that we will be giving that service, without fear or favour, ill-will, or any kind of bias or partisan undertaking. I saw an article in the Barbados Nation of two Fridays ago by Ricky Singh, and in that article Ricky was commenting on the news report about the empty treasury in Grenada by Minister Burke. He expressed concern about the outgoing Government mal-administration that left the Tri-Island State in such financial dilemma; and he commented on the ex-p.m’s boasts about getting a fourth consecutive term in office – and he added that although the said ex-leader was campaigning on the premise that there was so much progress to be continued in a fourth term – the said ex-leader was reported as saying – after the 11- 4 victory was announced – that he more or less expected to lose the Election. That admission or confession speaks volumes, and it puts the icing on the cake as it were – in that it confirms the deceitful actions by the last regime, of over-burdening the already limited financial resources by putting people on the pay roll when the Leader expected to be thrown overboard. And now the same leader of the opposition, as he expected to be, is complaining about efforts by the new Government to try and bring the financial chaos under control. What hypocrisy! Mr. Christopher Nelson, who has been quietly doing his job with great care and concern and to the best of his ability, is now the “Director of Political Prosecution” – according to the Opposition Leader – and he will be writing to the Chief Justice to revoke Mr. Nelson’s appointment if the D.P.P. does not himself resign. All the years the same ex-p.m. was paying Hugh Wildman exhorbitant fees and Salaries – as D.P.P and Legal Advisor to every Government department in St. George’s – and every time he lost a case in Court, which was 99% of the times he brought those bogus matters to the Court, he was openly cursing and verbally abusing every Judge who ruled against him – that was ok by Dr. Mitchell. The last occasion in the Court of Appeal, in the Hon. Peter David matter and his Constitutional right to be an M.P., the Court included the Current Chief Justice Hugh Rawlins – and is what the “Wild One” did not say about the three Judges who unanimously ruled against him and ordered more costs that the last Government has not paid. So what the new Leader of the Opposition will say to the Chief Justice about Mr. Christopher Nelson, who has never had a complaint brought against him as D.P.P. – in putting the case to sack him because he legitimately had Wildman detained for questioning? That is the same chap who had cursed Judges, Jurors and fellow Lawyers who appeared against him, and taught him many lessons of appropriate behaviour in the Honourable profession – which he failed to learn over the years – that he has been politically victimsed by Nelson and therefore the latter must go? What utter nonsense, even in the state of denial. The new chaps now occupying the seats of power – have to be on the look out and be very careful about how they approach and deal with the barrage of complaints and criticisms that are coming from those in opposition and their deprived (of handouts) supporters. It has already began to look like a deliberate ploy by those detractors, to get the new Rulers to put off the official duties they should be attending to, and instead spend their time responding to the many frivolous and vexatious “sour grapes” nonsense that are coming from the opposition elements. All the ole talk by the same Opposition Leader – when he was sworn in at the Governor General’s residence along with his appointed three Senators – that he was not going to oppose for opposition sake, but in the interest of the people and the Nation State – that was only for the reporters present to publish. He was then in familiar surroundings, and his supporters and ex-Ministers had not yet got it into their dazed thinking – that liberation day had come and it was all a reality. The Power syndrome has by now been truly worn out, and the dog fight to detract some and confuse others is really on. Our people as a whole have to be open-minded and to discern the wooden trunk from the branches – because if they allow themselves to be fooled by all the brango about victimization and party discrimination – while the new administration is only in the process of re-organisation and putting square pegs in square holes, on the one hand; and on the other hand, cutting off and drying up the obvious areas and avenues of continued loyalty to the deposed losers to forestall possible sabotage – the next stage could be much worse than what has gone ahead before. So much wrong-doing had been the order of the day for such a long period, that it would take an equally long time to un-earth and bring them to light. And if there is one time the old system must be destroyed to bring about effective changes – this must be that time. Those defeated ministers and their cronies in corrupt practices over the years – are in so much shock and obvious fear of what may be discovered by Forensic experts in the weeks and months ahead – they are taking in front and leaving no stone un-turned in their planned strategy to dis-colour the streams of reason and rationality and almost every front. People never got free school books as a National programme from any Government – but despite the grave financial situation found at the Treasury, the new Government has managed to get the programme on stream for the new school year, with the promise to put the other pieces in place as time goes on. The savings to families in need have been significant – yet some of the negatives that are been bandied about make the scheme look as though nothing has happened and the recipients are worse off. Lord help us. People have to understand and accept – that no group can put right in months, and even in five years, what took thirteen years to dis-figure and to corrupt and disgrace. For those who are refusing to see the dim light in the cloud of darkness surrounding us in these Isles – others who can have to make serious efforts to help open their eyes and un-tangle their minds and inner thoughts, to bring them on course, if we as a people would eventually benefit from the Wind of Change of July eighth. Let us all try to remember, that no political system of Government, no new laws or sanctions can bring us the happiness and comforts we need – unless there is a change of heart in the men and women who make up a country. It is at personal, conscientious levels, that justice and peace and love will eventually see us through. Like on the date I am writing this (7th September) – four years ago to-date hurricane Ivan destroyed nearly all our homes, and perhaps the entire Nutmeg plantations – all in the space of a few hours. True enough we have repaired most homes and build back many more – with generous financial help from others and hard work by our people over the four years. But bringing our Country and people and what they once stood for from way back when to where we are – that process took all of thirteen years to reach this stage, and it will take a whole lot longer to regain that lofty position. In those circumstances, therefore, our people must try to understand the scenario and not get carried away by the propaganda rhetoric that are flying around like rain flies. We will not always agree with what the new controllers in authority are doing, for whatever reasons, but at least we must give them a chance to do it. Lloyd Noel (Attorney-at-law) Inside Grenada News