The ideal role of the Prime Minister of T&T is to parcel out parts of governance to the people. Give the people key projects, key programmes, key schemes to run, and muster and make available to them all the state and international support that you can. And take the leading role in inspiring and monitoring the execution of these ventures. And when it is time to cut the ribbon, it is not the Prime Minister to hop up and cut, but the people. The people must cut their own ribbons. This is the essence of leadership.
But not all the people can lead. Not the corrupt. Not the ones on drugs. Not the ones on cuchoor and comesse. And certainly not the ones who are afraid to act; or who cannot act.
There are enough of the people who are not into corruption, cocaine, cuchoor, comesse and can act and lead. They are, as it were, born of the spirit. And we have enough of them in the republic who can act and execute on behalf of the republic. For one year now three groups-comprised, in part, of people who agitated against the last government's master gas plan for the West Coast-have been communicating with the current Government on three specific projects. First, partner with us to reopen the Chatham dairy farm to produce stocks of live animals, cattle, goat, sheep, and forage. The residents of Chatham would provide ownership and control of equity, management and labour. Specialised skills in medicine, small machine technology, milk production, financial management would be hired.
The State would grant leasehold of the old Chatham dairy lands. And finance would be sought internationally. Over three phases, the farm would produce live livestock and forage; then processing of animal and vegetable products; then a fully integrated sustainable institution. Second, partner with us to introduce into the old smelter site in La Brea a slate of industries. The now defunct smelter site, with its new gas-fired power plant, is not like Pt Lisas. It is surrounded by a host of small communities: Union, Vessigny, Sobo, Square Deal, Vance River. Let us find a slate of suitable industries for the site. We have made our proposals: shipbuilding, food park, recycling industries, and perhaps one heavy gas-based industry, photovoltaics. Sit with the people and develop an investment portfolio, a training programme, a labour exchange and monitoring programme led by the people.
Third, give back to the former Caroni workers-who were expelled from the former Forres Park, Esperanza and Montserrat sections, in order to build the now defunct steel mill, port and industrial estate-their two-acre agricultural plots. They were expelled to far or outlying districts where they have found it almost impossible to farm economically or securely. The workers would farm or hire out these lands and work close to home; and create a buffer against the negative impacts of the Pt Lisas Industrial Estate. They would create community and family farms in lumber, tree crop, legumes, root crops, pasture and forage. For one year now, our three groups have tried to partner with this Government. Groups, with people of spirit, intelligence, behaviour. Making little disturbance, no cuchoor, no comesse. All doing things the right, diplomatic, civil way.
And what progress have we made? A lot on our side. But from the People's Partnership: spinning, spinning, spinning. Prolonging, prolonging, prolonging. Stringing us out. This attrition of waiting, and postponement, and indecision makes the people disgusted. No longer are modern states or corporations able to efficiently execute or remunerate; some are on the verge of stalling or crashing. The community must now participate fully in its own development, and through control and management of its resources, equity, find means of remuneration. While there is a role for international institutions and foreign direct investors in our republic-yes, they can help our people-only our people can develop our people.
Foreign direct investment and international forums are not substitutes for people's partnerships.
Parcel out your leadership. Work with the people. Let the people cut the ribbons. Be here and everywhere amongst them, visible, potent, alive, partnering.And when it is time to cut the ribbon, hold it up for the people, on either side, and you will get in the photo too.
Wayne Kublalsingh
Via e-mail