Law & Politics
by Lloyd Noel
All the changes and new managers and ministers are in place, and the new leaders have completed their first ninety days in total control — so we wait anxiously for the bold moves by Government, to begin to deliver on its promises of restoring hope, jobs and opportunities, for the thousands who voted overwhelmingly for the NNP just over three months ago.
Of course, the expectation is that all shades of political opinion will benefit, and not just those who wore green during the campaign, and voted in their many thousands for the house rather than the Heart on Election Day.
It cannot be denied that a whole lot of voters took the NNP Leader at his words — when he was promising that upon winning the Elections on the nineteenth, jobs would be on offer island-wide, and he had investors and foreign buddies ready and waiting to come on the island to fill the gap.
But now that the victory has been achieved, and even surpassed beyond expectations in winning a clean-sweep at the polls — many of those who voted for the majority are having second thoughts about the promises, and their fulfilment in the short or long term.
But whatever the changing thoughts may be — in the given circumstances now existing, after the promised ninety or however many days it may take to deliver on those promises — the hard facts remain that it was not easy to deliver as promised, because the existing circumstances were not as easy and straight forward as expected.
But those in control cannot rely on that miscalculation and simply sit on their laurels and wait on fate.
They have to get up and put on their thinking caps, and re-double their efforts to make things happen — because it was on their very loud and convincing promises leading up to the Elections, that the people listened and fell for what was on offer, hence the overwhelming victory at the polls in February.
It is not good enough to simply seat back, and state publicly that the conditions they inherited were a lot worse than anticipated, and therefore they do not have the means to cope at that level; it would be a whole lot better to start with what is now available, to at least make some difference to a few families and move on from there.
It cannot be repeated too often, that the conditions facing thousands of families up and down the country as a whole —these are at rock bottom and need relief a lot sooner than much later — and time is running out.
In discussing the economic situation with a few youngsters, who are employed and earning decent salaries – they were quick to point out, that the big shows and bingo sessions at the Stadium and other venues in St. George’s, are drawing large crowds on regular occasions, so there must be funding coming from somewhere.
I could not dispute the observations, but merely put forward the suggestions – that those with some measure of funding, may very well be investing in the Bingo especially, in the hope of winning a big draw to meet their greater needs or desires.
True enough, a whole lot more loses than the very few who wins – but human nature being what it is in those trying times, there is always that great expectation that sooner or later it will be your turn.
But of course, that is not the answer to the dreams – based on the many promises made by those who were seeking power, and in fact gained that desire – and should now be doing all in their power to fulfil the dreams.
The road ahead is not going to be easy, or smooth and straight — and our people will have to be prepared to make some sacrifice in these very trying times; but in the meantime and between the sacrifices, those in control have a solemn duty and grave responsibility, to do all in their power to help in making those needy financial ends meet along the way.
So we keep on waiting and hoping, and many on their knees praying, that very much sooner than later the long expected economic revival would in fact take a turn for the better, and the thousands of un-employed would begin to get some form of employment to meet their needs.
It has been very noticeable, that recently there have been a lot of overseas trips by Ministers and other Government officials — and to places outside the region, and very much further a-field where we seem to be breaking new grounds and making new friends.
The hopes and expectations are that the much-publicised foreign Investors we heard so much about during the campaign — some maybe in those places, and the trips by the officials are meant to consolidate the plans to get the jobs running.
The people are patient, despite the on-going hardships being experienced — because they seem to realize that not very much happened in the previous Four and a half years, and therefore the new controllers must be given sometime to get things moving.
But that should not be taken as an open door to go and come as the new rulers please – with nothing to show in return except more and more promises.
So as the waiting game continues — in the hope that the many meetings and overseas trips will soon produce the long-awaited economic benefits our people are daily expecting — we have to keep up our faith that things do not get much worse, before beginning to get any better.
