We have to be vigilant about what is taking place around us; we have to ensure that we keep those in control of our public affairs on their toes, as it were, to fulfill the promises they made and not to repeat the many mistakes they condemned and criticised - but in doing the above, we have to be very careful that in rocking the boat we do not capsize it. A whole lot of wrong-doing were deliberately under-taken by those who have been replaced, as well as many decisions and actions that were carelessly and recklessly put into operation for personal and or selfish party political reasons – these are not going to be discovered just like that; they will take time and careful investigation by professionals. But one thing is certain – every time another scam is discovered there will be the usual hue and cry about victimization, and discrimination, and bad faith by those in the driving seat and their agents in control. Those complaints and sour grapes have to be taken in their stride by the controllers, and move on. Look at the latest discovery by the Commissioner of Police (COP) about the many files in the Special Services Branch of the RGPF that were destroyed just after the Elections – and the response by the Opposition elements, that the files were all recorded on Computers so to save space they were genuinely gotten rid of. That response raises a whole bundle of questions and even greater suspicions than the alleged protection of the former Government. For example – since the statement from the COP said those files were destroyed after the Election result was known; how is it that the opposition party know the reasons for the destruction? Was it advance instructions? The head of Security was a Senior Officer in the Force – why couldn’t he give the COP the reasons for the destruction? In matters that have to go to Court like in the Kellon Noel/NDC Spying Case matter – if the file is destroyed what would have been taken to Court by the Police – the Computer? The COP has been in the RGPF for many years, do those opposition people mean to tell the public that he does not know Police procedure? So much hanky-panky has been on-going in the RGPF for so long, that is why the majority of Police Officers voted for change. And the vibrant and progressive actions by the new COP – are not intended to dampen the officers spirits, or demoralise them in anyway, unless, of course, they fall under the heading, or into the bracket of agents of the wrong-doers of pre-July 8th. The COP is trying to put the correct system in place, for the benefit of all Police Officers – regardless of which political party they care to support, as is their Constitutional right so to do – so long as they perform their duties in keeping with the Standing Orders of the RGPF, and do not go around taking the Law into their own hands, by brutalizing citizens and treating them as condemned Criminals long before their matters have been heard in a Court of Law. The new COP, by his up-front and no nonsense actions, is also sending the most valuable and very important message to politicians of all colours – whether they wearing Yellow, Green or Red – that they must not, and cannot be allowed to mis-use police officers as political footballs, to un-justly punish and deprive deserving officers of their promotional rights in the RGPF. We had far too much of that disgraceful behaviour under the last regime and police command; and because the police force is such a crucial factor in the general construction of a just and peaceful society, as well as the daily operations of any Government in carrying out its plans and policies for the benefit of all the citizens in the nation State – the entire RGPF must not only appear to be looking neat and well-dressed on the streets, but they must be seen to be doing their duties fairly, honestly, without fear or favour, and for the protection and security of the general public. I am already getting the feed-back from inside some Police Stations, that those who were climbing the promotion ladder without merit, and enjoying the give-aways from the wrong-doers to do their bidding – they are openly commenting that the new COP will only be there for eighteen months or so, and thereafter things will be back to the old brigade. Their own development may change them. But the changing face of the force and time will surely tell. All the nonsense about police officers operating in fear – because they do not know what is in store for them – can only be applied to those who have been doing wrong for years and benefiting from their wrong doing. Those who did nothing wrong have nothing to fear, and that is the position of any person whether he/she is a policeman, public servant or an ousted or defeated politician. The types of fraudulent activities that we are now hearing about inside the Police force, and from which senior officers benefitted over the years – these are clear reminders, that because those at the top of the ladder of supreme authority were so reckless in the manner they handled the people’s business, these Senior and even Junior officers felt they too could follow their leaders in Crime. It is a sad state of affairs for our mini nation, and even more so because the largest sector of the population comprises youths and younger folks – from whom the Leaders of tomorrow will emerge. It is for ensuring that the above state of affairs are arrested, dealt with, and cleaned up of all the evils and evil-doers – that our people must support and encourage the new COP to stamp the authority of firmness, fairness, and fearlessness, in bringing our Police service back to glory days. And who want to mourn and complain and cry foul, let them do so – but that should not bother him. I saw and heard the CAPBANK CEO on T/V – advising the nation and depositors especially, that the Bank had secured the agreement of a new Investor, to partner the old shareholders in a joint venture to try and rescue the operations of the financially troubled institution. I really and truly hope that the powers-that-be in Grenada, and at the Central Bank Headquarters in St, Kitts, would do all they genuinely can to support this latest move – in bringing the whole distressing situation to a peaceful and satisfactory ending, in the interest of all concerned. I know a lot of dirty and bitter-tasting water has passed over and under this financial nightmare, but in the interest of all those people who had put their moneys into that Bank, and especially the little people who made use of the service more fro the obvious convenience, rather than the promised high interest rates – all stops should be pulled out to bring some closure to the long-standing impasse. It would be interesting to see what, if anything, the opposition elements would be saying about this latest move to try and settle this Cap Bank issue. As with nearly everything that the New Government must face and try to solve, in the interest of the people as a whole – they all were started or created under the old controllers, but now they are shouting the loudest for solutions, and these are wanted yesterday. The two main promises of the new Government – School Books for primary and secondary students free of cost, and two Barrels from Overseas, with foodstuff and basic family items per family, to be allowed duty free up to the end of December this year – these have been implemented and are on-going. But the many other issues on the Government agenda, especially the huge national debt and our regional and further afield foreign Commitments, they also have to be attended to without delay. On matters where heads of Government are required to attend, the Prime Minister is obliged to go and get acquainted with his new colleagues in the OECS and CARICOM. And where Finance and strictly Foreign affairs issues are involved, one or the other of the two Ministers who hold those Ministerial responsibilities also has to attend to deal with those issues. No big deal. But the Opposition elements who pledged to support in the interest of the people – they are already complaining about overseas trips by two and three Ministers and their supporting staff. The Political struggle will no doubt be on-going – because there are so many faults to mend, wrong deals to un-ravel and correct, hidden scams to investigate and have wrong-doers account, and so on and so forth. But the way that those now in the opposition are behaving, anyone hearing them for the first time would readily assume – that General Elections are just around the corner, rather than just held two months ago. And it is not that positive actions cannot be seen to be taking place in most Ministries, on the one hand; and on the other hand, the web of comess and confusion is so extensive and deep-seated – after all those thirteen years of ups and downs and sideways dealings – that they will take super-human efforts to dis-mantle and time cannot be limited in so doing. Within the OECS and CARICOM family we have certain responsibilities and duties to perform which we cannot ignore; like our P.M. being the Chairman of the OECS Heads of Government for the ensuing year. We have to keep talking with P.M. Manning of T&T – to try and arrive at a way forward regarding the issue of our Oil and Gas deposits in the waters between Grenada and Trinidad. A positive outcome on that issue, could be our salvation in the financial and economic areas that are like millstones around our fiscal necks. An urgent solution on that score is the key to our survival. True enough, reducing the burdensome and ever-increasing cost of living is the number one priority – alongside finding ways and means to provide more jobs for our un-employed thousands of young people. But that too must depend on getting credible and genuine investors to do business in these Isles – so that the outcome would be a true partnership situation, and not some smart men bribing one or two persons while getting in return Tax Concessions almost for life. We do have friends and well-wishers in the developed Countries who would want to help the new team in control – but the said team have to demonstrate that they are serious about cleaning up the rotten seeds, to make room for honest and trust-worthy individuals to come on board. The road ahead is not all smooth and flat and paved with give-away dollars; it is an up-hill struggle that is on-going and strenuous, and as a people we have to put our backs to the wheel to climb that hill – if we really want to achieve a better life for ourselves and those who will be coming after us in the years ahead. By Lloyd Noel Inside Grenada News