The much talked about, eagerly expected, and very costly Fifth Summit of the Organisation of American States (OAS), in Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago – from all accounts coming out of T&T by those who were there in whatever capacity – was that it was successful and well worth all the efforts and headaches and endless planning, right down to the last visitor who departed the Piarco or the Sea port. There was no doubt, that of the thirty-four Leaders who were expected to take part in that historical setting – the limelight was very heavily focused on the new U.S. President Barrack Obama, and to a lesser extent on the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez . And from the reports published they came up to scratch. But to everyone’s credit and more so to that of those two President’s themselves – the summit did not come down to the free for all, and the antagonisms and the showing of hostilities that many were predicting would have taken place. Instead, all the leaders appeared to have behaved and performed as the Statesmen and women they are expected to be – even when they have very diverse opinions and are taking highly contrary positions on particular issues. And on the subject of Cuba, which seemed to have taken centre stage through out the sessions and discussions among those leaders – while the positions of most of those present were in unison, that the U.S. Embargo against Cuba for the past fifty years should be lifted, and one or two even suggested that the Sixth Summit in 2013 should be held in Cuba – they put forward their opinions without the customary brashness and animosity against the U.S. we have become used to. And some even echoed the sentiments put forward by President Obama himself – when he made the first move of peace and change before the summit, where he opened the door to allow Cuban-Americans to visit Cuba without limits, and allow remittances to relatives to be increased – when he put the ball in President Raul Castro’s court, and urged him to take the necessary steps to restore human rights in Havanna, release political prisoners, and put measures in place to bring democracy to the Cuban people. All very fundamental principles in this day and age, and the very least that should be the basic requirement to re-enter the group of free nations of the OAS and the Americas in this Hemisphere. The economic depression Worldwide and the effects on citizens of the OAS were not forgotten, and it was re-assuring to hear Brazil and Canada offering increased financial assistance to their less able neighbours in the region. There were other bilateral offers and discussions towards future co-operation in various fields of common interests – and all put together justified the unanimous claim that the summit was a success. And even for our tiny State and Political Leader Hon. Tillman Thomas, we got our fair share of the limelight and acclaim from the many Leaders for the presentation by our P.M., on the topic of global warming and the dangers inherent in the damage being done in the atmosphere to our planet. But having heard all those famous Leaders, and their very eloquent statements and promises and predictions for our people in these parts of the global village – the big question still remains waiting for an answer, where are we going from here on? Even as the World was looking at all the pageantry and fan fare, the heavy security and plush setting and splendour for the summit as a whole – just around the corner in the very Port-of-Spain, hundreds of local people were protesting against the conditions they are forced to live under, and despite their cries for help and relief those in control seem to be suffering from chronic deafness. The reports from T&T have been saying, that over Five Hundred Million Dollars have been spent by the Government to host the OAS summit. In whichever currency that figure is listed – it is a dam lot of money for a Country with less than two Million people to be spending to host an event. Agreed that the occasion puts Trinidad far more prominently on the World Map, and clearly demonstrates that size is no barrier to achieving success – but at what cost? With no major reports of any Criminal activities it shows that the security and the ability to make it work efficiently – are there to protect large numbers of visitors, but why not the local people against serious crimes like Murders? While I have no doubt that none other of the Caricom States could have put on that show in Port-of-Spain, I am also aware that other States have contributed to the whole exercise especially in the security section. And since the U.S. President pre-summit grant of some (U.S. $30 Millions) Thirty Millions U.S. Dollars to the region, was for security – it is hoped that our Caricom Leaders would take very early steps to put that Grant into serious use in that area. It is already very noticeable, that because of the many fall-outs from the economic crisis our people are facing in their daily lives – many petty Criminal activities are beginning to surface Island Wide, and as the situation becomes more acute those activities would become more widespread and more serious, and the best way to deal with them is to nip them in the bud before they take roots. Economic stimulus – to put funds in people’s hands for traditional labour and development projects for the future, are all very well and good and must be undertaken without further delay. And because security and a peaceful neighbour-hood and environment are also very essential to any development – it would be funds well spent to train and deploy local young folks as village security personnel to help the police in the out parishes. Not only would that type of project put money in their pockets, but it can give them a sense of responsibility and help boost their ambitions to aspire to higher heights both locally and regionally. We have to take action and try measures that can help to change the outlook of those many thousands of to-days generation of young folks, who seem to be stuck some where in the pipeline of life – with no clear vision of where they are going and or how they would be getting there. A whole lot of the negative attitudes and senseless behaviour patterns we are experiencing among our people to-day – both in the young and not so young bracket – are directly linked to our failure to spend much more time and resources on human development. And because to-day’s generation do not have the Cuba, and the panama, and the Trinidad, and the Aruba, and the England, and the Canada and America of later years – to emigrate to and develop themselves, while earning good wages and salaries to support families and relatives back home – there is a wide gap constantly building up between those bygone days and now-a-days. We have to fill that gap, or we will suffer the consequences of our failure. On the more localised political melee front as it relates to the Nutmeg Board (GCNA) – the matter went to Court last week Tuesday, and the Judge had no big hesitation in granting an Injunction to stop the Minister for Agriculture from Dissolving the Board, as was intended. The matter has been further adjourned to a date in May, for a Judicial Review of the Minister’s order, to determine whether or not it was justified in the given circumstances. Thirty years after the same attempt by Eric Gairy to Dissolve the GCNA Board, and take over control of the Farmers Co-operative – instead of moving forward we have gone backwards. I can only assume that those Ministers of Government to-day, who were in Leadership roles in the PRG days of 1979-83, they must have forgotten the hallowed indoctrination of the Revo, which was ---“Forward ever – Backward never”. Come on guys, admit your error or oversight, and do the decent thing and Revoke the Order – and so avoid washing sour grapes issues in public. Not only it is not good for the Nutmeg Industry and the Farmers as members – but it is patently very bad for politics of a less than ten months old Government, and far more importantly for the image and confidence of those thousands of persons who voted for change. There can be nothing so bad about the performance of those Board members – that cannot be discussed and resolved in the best interest of the Farmers and the people as a whole. And maybe while the discussion is on-going, it maybe an opportune time to look at some serious changes in the Nutmeg Industry Act of 1958. That Act, as drafted then, may have outlived its original intent and its usefulness, and need some amendments to bring it into conformity with twenty-first century standards and requirements. And as the old folks used to say in our Village communities – you see who they have strength against, the venerable Nutmeg Board members. Because right next door to the new GCNA building that encountered cost over-runs and financial problems and set backs – there is the MNIB building (Marketing and National importing Board project) that was grossly mis-managed by the last Government. But despite all the available evidence to show and support the mis-management, nothing has been done to bring those responsible to account for their stewardship or stand the consequences. As though those now in control and in the driving seat are afraid of the usurpers of power and authority who made nonsense of the responsibilities entrusted to them, and left our people in debts up to their eyeballs – and maybe those debts are blind folding the new comers in the driving seats. Until and unless we move up to a level playing field – to judge one and all by the same standards and with the same yardsticks – we are not going about the changes we have voted for, and until then we are stuck at the political crossroads of uncertainty. By Lloyd Noel (Attorney-at-Law) Inside Grenada News