The way to preserve the democracy that we cherish is the way of dialogue and frankness. It is on this road that a Government in a society like ours can hope to involve the people in the process and problems of good government. And since I do not believe that we in these parts would ever again wish to control and discipline our people by force of arms, then we can only hope to do so by involvement. In putting the process of involving the people into operation, those in control of the reins of power have to be careful not to be seen to be doing so by concentrating on one section or faction of the society – and especially so not in favour of one political grouping over that of another. Of course, like in everything else that has to do with the people in matters of public affairs – some will be more conscious and be more ready to get involved than others, while some will, by their very nature and the kind of level of relationship they had with the former controllers and Rulers, simply decide to take sides and follow their own partisan political outlook and agenda. That is their choosing, but it must not prevent or deter those in authority and control from doing what has to be done, in the interest and welfare of all the people all the time. Where road, or healthcare facilities, or school services, or security provisions in any one area – or whatever the development project that can be obtained or assisted to benefit any particular area, these must be pursued regardless of the political outlook or preference of those who inhabit that area of the community. The same attitude and approach must be followed, when dealing with individuals or groups who had responsibility for dealing with the business of the people in an official capacity – whether as politicians or Civil Servants. And where those persons or groups took gross advantage of their privileged positions, and benefitted themselves and or their cronies – to the detriment of the people who paid them to carry out the duties and responsibilities – they must be brought to Justice to answer for their mis-deeds and breach of trust. And taking such action at this time has far more significance than merely letting the Law take its course – even as important as that is in itself. The message must be sent to all and sundry, that offering one-self for service of the people as politicians – must not be based on the corrupt outlook of gaining riches by graft, or using power and privilege unfairly for self-enrichment or profit. That practice has been tolerated or over-looked for much too long, and with the fresh wind of change blowing throughout the land – a stop must be put to the obscene practice and let the chips fall where they may. For the past few years of even more acute financial hardships – that have lately been classified as the worst economic depression for nearly a century – the people suffering most of all are the very poorest in our midst; and enriching oneself from the public coffers that should have been used to bring relief to those desperate citizens, that degrading cess-pit level of criminal behaviour and dishonesty deserves double punishment. What is even worse, in my humble opinion, is that so much fuss and fanfare and political capital have been made over the years – and continues so to be – about training the youths, and sending them overseas on scholarships provided by foreign Governments with whom our Government had diplomatic relations. And when they return with all the higher education and degrees ready to serve the people – the hue and cry facing them on most fronts, are the millions paid to this or that Minister and not recorded as entering the consolidated fund account; or the hundred of thousands received on overseas trips by other Ministers and disappeared on the flight back home; or the obviously crooked deals entered by the Government of the day involving the people’s property, with no money going into the Treasury of the people, but obviously Millions finding their way into individual Minister and officials Bank Accounts overseas – and so and so said, ad nauseum. In that setting and against that background – two options are facing them. Stay clean by remaining overseas and do not come back home to honour the Bond they sign, or repay the cost of the Education they received; or prepare themselves to face the music, and resolve to get rich as quickly as possible by following the leaders examples. And even those who did not get all the higher education facilities, but enough training in the Government departments they joined as Civil Servants and become experts in their field - they too soon recognize the easy road to financial security, and choose to imitate or emulate their political bosses to get rich quick. See the report in Grenada To-day last week, about corruption at the Customs for further details. And no one should even harbour the thought, that this discovery or disclosure is something new or recent. The P.S in the Ministry of Finance publicly disclosed last week, that receipts from duties and Custom dues and other taxes at the Ports were down by Thirty-odd Million dollars for this year already, and we still have four months of the year to come. And while the effects from the Single Market concept of the C.S.M.E, would have a big dent in the duties receivable from goods coming from the Caricom Region, as well as the down-turn in the Economy as a whole and the reduction in imports from outside the Region – the bigger slice of the losses to the Treasury of the people, may very well stem from the extra-departmental activities of those Custom Officers who had the same or similar outlook as their Ministerial Heads of Government. A straight case of “if the priest could play mass, then why can’t the Accolites?” On the other side of that coin – I have absolutely no doubts that the much greater number of Custom officers are honest, dedicated, hard-working public servants, who perform their duties with care and concern for the people they are expected to serve and who are responsible for paying their salaries. And as I hinted above, this discovery does not mean that the sticky-fingers attaching to Custom dues and duties only began a year or so ago – this has been on-going for years now – and I have no doubt that many of the culprits were well known to the powers-that-be over the years. But then again, how can Satan begin to correct sin – that does take some doing. Looking at the report presented by the four-member committee, who were appointed by the Minister for Finance to carry out the investigation and make recommendation – I could not help noticing one or two peculiarities that stood out for attention. The first was that the report was submitted about six months ago, but only recently made public – so the questions beg themselves. Why did it take that long to inform the public, and except for the removal of the Comptroller of Customs to another position in the Ministry – what else has been done to stem the tide of the losses? And very strange on the surface, to my way of thinking – I noticed that three of the four investigators were former Custom Officers, who had either retired, or moved to another department, or left the service or whatever – and according to the plans, or proposals, and even the action already taken about the matter, those Three old heads are listed to make a come back, and the ex-Deputy Comptroller is already back as the new Chief – while the third one seems to be having some problems getting appointed by the Public Service Commisison. Maybe it is just a case of my inquisitive mindset, and my penchant for looking beneath the surface – once the whole area and its surroundings have been dug up and generally exposed. I cannot also resist sending a word of caution to those who have the power and control the decision-making-process, to tread lightly and carefully when deciding who must be prosecuted and how soon – for offences pertaining to this Customs scandal. The Officers at the Customs are little Fish – in comparison with the Bigger Fish against whom all kinds of serious allegations have been floating about for ages. To be seen to be going full speed ahead against the little fish, while the Big pappies are left un-touched – would be a clear case of serious in-equality in the administration of Justice and the rule of Law. Justice must not only be done – but be seen to being done; and in this discussion topic of providing better goods and services, I am not only concerned with nor referring to better health care, or better education facilities, or better roads and bridges and efficient water supply, nor nearly a full Slate of employment for all those who want a job. Without any shadow of a doubt-all the foregoing needs are required and very essential and necessary for a well run and emancipated nation and its people. But to have all the above-plus whatever other material trappings that maybe acquired along the way, and fail or neglect to ensure and enforce the same standard of Justice and fairness and freedom for all the people at all times – is to be sowing the seeds of Civil uprising and all out Revolution, and pushing and encouraging fair-minded and concerned citizens to resort to dictatorship, to redress the grave imbalance against the little fish. If we are going to change our people’s attitude towards nation building, and justice and peace in a stable and thriving environment – this is one time the process must begin from the top and filter down to the bottom among the lesser mortals. The system seems to be breaking down, as more and more brazen and reckless types of Criminal activities are taking place up and down the Island, and decent law-abiding citizens are becoming very concerned by the frightening trend of the very serious types of wrong-doing now taking place Island-wide. The services to be provided must be seen to be sending the strongest possible message – that those who engage in wrong-doing against the people’s interest must be made to account or stand the consequences. If that process continues to be put off indefinitely –all the nice sounding phrases will come to nothing, and the movement will continue to be backward ever and forward never.