bahamasuncensored.com
SEPTEMBER 2007
Compiled, edited and constructed by Russell Dames Updated every
Sunday at 2 p.m.
Volume 5 © BahamasUncensored.Com 2007
While material on this web site can be used freely by other sections of
the press, as a courtesy, journalists are asked to attribute the source
of their material from this web site.
9th September, 2007
16th September, 2007
23rd September, 2007
30th September, 2007
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| PHOTO OF THE WEEK: The
Progressive Liberal Action Network (PLAN) did it again. They held
another demonstration in Freeport, Grand Bahama. You will remember
the pictures of people who felt victimized by the FNM in photos on the
front page of the newspaper parading in front of the Government's administration
complex. Click here for that story.
This time the PLAN had an FNM join them on the line with a paper bag over
his head so that the person could not be seen. It shows you how things
are going from bad to worse on this front in Freeport and throughout the
rest of The Bahamas. Once again kudos to the PLAN in Freeport and
Grand Bahama for leading the way in ending the silence. The criticism
is coming from all quarters that the PLP is not standing up for its people.
In the face of Hubert Ingraham's policies that are doing great violence
to the Bahamian people, the PLP seems paralysed and silent. Our photo
of the week is that of the demonstration in Freeport, Grand Bahama to protest
the FNM's victimization of public servants by firing those who are thought
to be PLPs. The demo took place on Thursday 30th August. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
THE SAGA OF INTIMIDATION
On
Wednesday 29th August, Brent Dean a Tribune reporter wrote a story in which
he quoted the Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson.
Mr. Ferguson in the quote was confirming an earlier story sourced from
Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade who told the
Freeport News that an investigation was being conducted into the comments
written on this site (click here)
because they threatened violence against the Prime Minister. We say
simply this: the police obviously have good time to waste. They have
54 murders in this country and they are now going to spend time investigating
this web site.
The police have no jurisdiction to investigate this matter because
there is no reasonable suspicion that any crime has been committed is being
committed or will be committed. Any investigation will be a politically
motivated use of the police in order to stymie free speech. The Police
ought to be thoroughly ashamed of themselves to be involved in this matter.
We have however made the point before. The people of The Bahamas
are losing faith and trust in the police force because it has so clearly
and obviously displayed a political agenda. The police force appears
to be so FNMised that when police show up on the scene now, one has to
be careful whether you are PLP or not to expect justice from that institution.
There is palpable suspicion that they will not act according to law but
according to political dictates.
Let
us then examine the history of what they are saying they are going to investigate.
Hubert Ingraham spoke to PLP MPs with disrespect and indifference in the
House of Assembly when it last met in July. This column took offence
at his rudeness and his boorishness and the way the PLP MPs dealt with
the matter. We suggested in this column that the PLPs ought to write
Mr. Ingraham a letter and wrote a suggested text. That text told
him nothing more than any mother in this country would often tell their
child. Now suddenly that becomes a threat to the Prime Minister and
an actionable criminal offence.
The matter would surely have been left there, since obviously no
PLP MP took up the matter. What revived the issue is the now Tribune/Guardian/
FNM conglomerate that runs the press in The Bahamas. It started with
their political stooge Oswald Brown at the Freeport News who somehow claimed
that violence was being threatened against the Prime Minister. He
argued that PLP MPs should dissociate themselves from it. What the
PLP MPs had to do with it, God only knows; but such is the twisted logic
of Oswald Brown. The next thing we knew Eileen Carron, the other
third of the conglomerate was at it in her editorials on the matter, talking
about threatening violence against the Prime Minister.
The final piece of the puzzle was a press conference called by Johnley
Ferguson, the Vice President of the Senate, and the FNM's Chairman, who
said that this was violence threatened against the Prime Minister and he
called for an investigation.
Next come the police. You will remember that in this column,
we said quite plainly that the PLP ought to find the backbone to oppose
the appointment of Reginald Ferguson as Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police.
We have heard nothing from the PLP. But we still say that Mr. Ferguson
should be opposed and that under no circumstances can he be supported as
the Deputy Commissioner of Police by the PLP. Our view was
that there appeared to be a political agenda in the execution of his job,
and that the PLP had moved him from his position in the Force of long standing
where he was in charge of crime to another area shortly before they left
office because of the inability to deal with the crime situation in The
Bahamas.
It also happens that Reginald Ferguson is the brother of Johnley
Ferguson, the very same FNM Chair who had been calling for an investigation
and who had pronounced the words on this site a threat. So you go
figure out what is happening here.
If you want to know what the power of Johnley Ferguson is, you have
only to remember that he was the one who said that the school in Acklins
that the PLP proposed to build for the children in Acklins would not be
built because the school was too good for the children of Acklins.
Within days, that proved to be the case when the Government confirmed that
indeed the school would not be built. This then is someone who is
not without power. In recent days PLP voters in South Eleuthera have
been complaining to this site and PLP officials that Mr. Ferguson has been
going up and down South Eleuthera using the same tactics of intimidation
to frighten people because they supported Oswald Ingraham in the last election
in that constituency. This is a real UBP at work.
So we are deeply concerned now that the Oswald Brown, Eileen Carron,
Johnley Ferguson (FNM) axis has successfully gotten the police to investigate
what is a non matter. It is now clear that politics drives the Force.
It is clear that Mr. Ferguson, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, does
not understand when to leave well enough alone, and reinforces our view
that he should not be the Deputy Commissioner of Police. The PLP
should find its voice on this matter and soon.
As for Oswald Brown at the Freeport News, we understand is lobbying
for a job as the Ambassador to Washington. FNM circles are saying
that his having offended a very powerful family in the FNM makes this appointment
unlikely. In any event, we believe he is not qualified for the job.
We are further embarrassed each week that a black man who was born to part
of the quiet revolution of 1967 could have such an Uncle Tomish attitude.
Not only does he not seem to understand the fundamentals about journalism
but he allows his prejudices constantly to influence what goes into his
paper. He is enamoured of the Port Authority so he reportedly
destroys any letters that come to the paper about the Grand Bahama
Port Authority that are against the current power brokers at the Port,
whoever that happens to be on any given day. With the FNM, he has
a special love for them and their UBP masters. It is quite simply
embarrassing. No other word for it.
We are ashamed of Oswald Brown as a black man in the modern Bahamas.
He should know that as good as Uncle Tom was, in the end he was dumped
by the master and discarded when he was no more good. We have learned
that a formal complaint is now to be lodged with his employers to remind
them of their responsibility to the public and the legal requirements of
accepting the work as the gazette.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 1st September 2007 up
to midnight: 237,859.
Number of hits for the month of August up to Friday 31st August at
midnight: 1,124,678.
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
THE
POWER OF THE STATE
We have received a number of inquiries with regard
to the report of an investigation into this column that have appeared in
the press of The Bahamas over the last week. This so called investigation
is politically inspired and politically motivated. It is a waste
of public resources. These reports have been confirmed it appears
by the Police. Bahamians should take note of this. The use of the
police to intimidate lawful criticism of a political figure in The Bahamas
is quite a serious intrusion and unlawful incursion on the freedom of the
press.
Some have sought to make a distinction between this
column that is a weekly internet site of news and opinion not a blog as
it is derisively called in the mainstream but FNM biased press. Even
if it were a blog, its right of free speech is protected by our constitution.
The government ought to think very carefully before it goes down that road
of using the police to do their political dirty work.
This column has nothing to hide. Its activities
are lawful. There is a right to criticize and that right is protected
by the constitution. There is also a right to privacy as well.
However, we are now experiencing since 2nd May the most vicious, vengeful
and vindictive government in our history. There is nothing that we
believe they will not do including sending that black booted secret police
into the homes of writers to get at their political critics.
Just take a look at the additional pictures we print
along with this piece of the demonstration against victimization in Freeport
held last week. People are afraid to demonstrate showing their faces
because they will be victimized by the FNM government.
A state that wishes to destroy an individual can
use its power to do so, it can certainly try, but the power of one has
so many times in history shown that it can triumph over the government.
Look at who sits in the government, a number of lawyers, all supposedly
trained to know what is lawful and what is not, but not only that to have
a sense of what is right and what is wrong. They should be ashamed
to be associated with an action to throttle free speech. But that
is what often happens when people get political power. They stand
condemned to the extent that they have participated in this folly.
Who next will hear the rap on the door? A word of warning is sufficient!
SUCCESS
AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Just when you think that The Bahamas has exhausted its supply of athletes,
a new one pops out of the hat. We congratulate the athletes of The
Bahamas: Donald Thomas who is surely this year’s star who won the high
jump on Wednesday 29th August at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan;
Derrick Atkins who won the silver in the men’s one hundred metres race
on Sunday 26th August, going past the world record holder Asafa Powell
of Jamaica. As we go to upload comes word that the Bahamian mens
team has won silver in the 4x400 metre track relay!
Get this: Mr. Atkins is Mr. Powell’s cousin.
Remember all that talk about Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) and
how we are against the free movement of people? There you have it.
How did Mr. Atkins get to be Mr. Powell’s cousin? How is one Jamaican
and the other Bahamian? Mr. Atkins in his post race interview said
that he came to Osaka for the gold but he was satisfied with the silver
for now. He said he was proud to have accomplished this for The Bahamas.
He was proud to be a Bahamian from a country of 300,000 people.
Mr. Thomas was the wonder of it all. The commentators
reported that he started the high jump in ordinary trainers (sneakers or
tennis shoes) when he told his basketball coach that he thought that he
could do the high jump, just eighteen short months ago. Now he is
the world champion. This is quite a story. We regret that Chris
Brown did not have success this year at the worlds in the 400 metre men’s
race. He came in fourth. But when you think that means fourth
in all the world - good job! We think that Mr. Brown is the real
hero. He does not have the pizzazz and dazzle but he has used his
raw talent and hard determination to keep at it and we have no doubt that
ultimate success is within his gasp. His race was run on Friday 31st
August.
Congratulations must go to the Federations in The
Bahamas who support these young athletes. We are reminded of Curt
Hollingsworth, an official of the Bahamian Basketball Federation and Vice
Principal of St. Anne’s School in New Providence. Not so long ago
when the now World Champion High Jumper Donald Thomas was leaping over
desks in a high school classroom, we are told that Mr. Hollingsworth nurtured
and protected the talent. Well, just look at Mr. Thomas now.
Mr. Hollingsworth and others who recognized and helped to develop these
athletes must be congratulated. We must also congratulate the expertise
of the American coaches and other Bahamian coaches who help these athletes
and their parents for supporting them.
Now the question is what does the nation do for
them? The answer is not enough and under the FNM it is likely to
get worse. Go to www.wcsn.com for
all the video highlights and interviews. Internet Image
JOURNAL
& MIAMI HERALD PARTNERSHIP
One casualty of The Tribune/ Nassau Guardian merger
has been the Miami Herald’s distribution in Nassau. You will remember
that The Tribune used to have within its folds a copy of the daily international
edition of the Miami Herald. That has now stopped.
The Tribune has negotiated a new deal with USA today.
They wanted to move the distribution of The Herald to the Nassau Guardian.
Now that should tell The Guardian something. They are very much the
junior partner in the deal. In other words, The Tribune decided that
USA Today was better off for them so they tried to shuffle off The Herald
on The Guardian. The Herald was having none of it.
The Herald and The Bahama Journal have now announced
a deal where The Herald will now be distributed in Nassau by The Bahama
Journal. Good news for Wendall Jones, the owner of The Journal.
We say again with regard to The Tribune: when thieves and rogues fall out,
honest men come by their rights.
BAHAMIANS
BEWARE TRAVEL TO THE US
Usually at this time of the year, the Consulate
of The Bahamas in Miami will issue a warning to Bahamians who are shopping
in Florida to beware of people stealing your rental car or stealing packages
out of your rental car. While that warning is still appropriate,
there is a new warning that should be given.
It appears that the U.S. has decided that they will
now start catching Bahamians involved in misdemeanours in the United States
so long ago that the case has been forgotten. What they do is allow
you to pass through the system here in Nassau and when you get off the
plane in Miami, you are met by the Customs people who promptly arrest you.
Perhaps the Bahamian authorities ought to have list of lawyers on standby
for these occasions at public expense.
PORT
AUTHORITY CASE DECIDED
What is old Jack Hayward going to do now that his case against the St.
George Estate has gone down in flames? The Judge of The Bahamas Supreme
Court Anita Allen ruled last week that yes indeed that which we all suspected
was so is so. Edward St. George and Jack Hayward (pictured) were
fifty fifty partners in the grand Bahama Port Authority.
Sir Jack as most of us know him asserted that Edward
St. George his late partner who earned him gobs of money off the Port during
his lifetime was not a fifty fifty partner but that he, Sir Jack, owned
75 per cent of the Port Authority. Sir Jack did not show up in court
to prove it.
The press also reported that there were two new
lawyers on the case when the judgment was delivered. No word on what
has happened to Greg Moss, the previous lawyer, who was put in the unfortunate
position when the case resumed of pleading for an adjournment for his absent
client Sir Jack. The court did not buy it and said they were going
to continue the trial in his absence.
The recourses now are an appeal or he could accept
it or he could simply bail out of the Port all together and move to another
country. No word on what the Government’s position is on this or
what Sir Jack will do and whether or not they will allow another private
shareholder to buy the shares in the Port now owned by Jack Hayward.
The PLP should get ready to enunciate a policy on this matter.
IN PASSING
Leadership Of The PLP
We think that it is important for there to be a convention by the PLP
during this year. One should have been held before the last election.
But that is prologue. The question is what do we do now. The
question of the leadership of the PLP must be settled. This week
the press led with headline by a Member of Parliament for the PLP who claimed
that no PLP was going to run against Perry Christie for the leadership
of the Party. That of course is and only can be one man’s opinion.
There ought to be a convention this year and we will see what happens.
Why Bacardi Closed?
The FNM government must be smiling from ear to ear now that Bacardi
has announced that after being in The Bahamas for two generations it is
packing up it bags and moving all its production capacity from Nassau to
Puerto Rico. The spokesman for the company said that their capacity
made here can be done without additional cost and investment in Puerto
Rico. The rum was being made here because it gave access to Europe
by way of tax concessions that could not be gotten for that shipped from
Puerto Rico. That tax disincentive has now gone away and so Puerto
Rico is the more efficient place to do it. We could see this coming
a mile off and the PLP struggled hard to develop a trade policy that would
keep this capacity here in Nassau. No doubt the FNM government
of stop, review and cancel will be happy that the 119 persons or so who
work for Bacardi can now join the 200 others that the FNM have fired from
the Government on the unemployment line. Congratulations to the FNM!
Keep it up.
Cabinet Looks At Ginn and Albany
There was great sound and fury about town meetings that were to be
held on the Albany Project and the development of the South Ocean Hotel
complex. These were multi billion dollar projects approved and signed
off on by the PLP before they left office. The FNM government of
stop, review and cancel wanted to cancel these. The Government wanted
to invite the public or should we say incite the public to rise up against
the PLP’s decision to grant Albany and the developers of South Ocean permission
to go ahead. The Albany project requires a rerouting of the road
on the south coast of New Providence. Every FNM rabble rouser, you
know the usual suspects, turned up at the meeting. But alas, Perry
Christie never spoke truer words than those he delivered in Fox Hill on
Friday 10th August when he opened the exhibition by former Foreign Minister
Fred Mitchell. He said that the FNM government has no choice but
to go ahead with the development. They have now announced that Albany
has the go ahead and so does Bahamar at Cable Beach. They also called
in the Ginn developers for the multi billion dollar project in West End
to a meeting at the Police Force’s office complex built by money donated
by private businessmen to listen to what Bobby Ginn plans to do in West
End. It appears that the FNM have to give that the go ahead as well.
So you see the government of stop, review and cancel has to make some hard
choices: either create jobs in the country or face having to pack up shop.
Crisis On Sexual Violence
Dr. Sandra Dean Patterson, head of the Bahamas Crisis Centre, has announced
that The Bahamas is the number one on the list in the world in terms of
sexual violence and incidents of rape. The Bahamas Crisis Centre
is going to host a conference on the issue in the region here in Nassau
in late September. Dr. Patterson was quoting from a World Bank report.
Others on the top ten list in the region are St. Vincent and the Grenadines
and Jamaica. The report of Dr. Patterson's comments came from The
Bahama Journal of Wednesday 29th August.
The Passport Issue
It seems to us that too much energy is being expended by the tourism
sector in this country and the Caribbean on trying to stop this passport
initiative of the United States that will require all passengers on planes
coming from the Caribbean to use passports to get back into the U.S.
The U.S. has eased the requirement that came into force at the start of
the year because the U.S. State Department has been unable to keep up with
the demand for passports. That restriction ends on 31st October.
The industry in the region wants it further extended to 31st December.
We say again, the resources of this country are best spent trying to get
the marketing of the product up to scratch to meet any demand problems,
not wasting time with the U.S. government on the issue. What should
be instructive is Charles Rangel, a member of the US Congressional Black
Caucus and Chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. Congress
who told Caribbean leaders when they met in July in Barbados that he is
not convinced that the deadline needs to be extended. That should
tell you, when your closest friend gives you that line, that it is a lost
cause.
Condolences To Jeffrey Lloyd
Bernadette L. Lloyd, the wife of Real Talk Live Talk Show Host Jeffrey
Lloyd, died at 3:40 p.m. Saturday, 1st September at the Princess Margaret
Hospital in Nassau. She suffered a life-ending stroke late Thursday
evening 30th August. Funeral services are scheduled for St. Francis
Xavier the Roman Catholic Cathedral, West & West Hill Streets, Friday,
7th September at 11:00 a.m. Archbishop Patrick Pinder will officiate.
Monsignor Preston Moss will deliver the homily. Our condolences to
Jeff and his family.
And To Bradley Roberts
Merle Roberts, the mother of former PLP Cabinet Minister Bradley Roberts
died in Nassau on Thursday 23rd August. She was 87 years old.
The funeral service will be held at St. Francis Xavier’s Catholic Cathedral
on Saturday 8th September 10 a.m. We extend our condolences to Mr.
Roberts and his family.
Kelly Burrows – Diplomat?
The word about town is that Kelly Burrows, the former hotelier and
now businessman in Freeport is being considered for a high level diplomatic
job overseas by the new FNM administration.
One Thunderclap
"But I only heard one thunderclap!" That was the talk around
Nassau Sunday afternoon when the electricity went out just as many people
were getting ready to watch the Bahamian 4x400 relay team at the World
Championships from Osaka, Japan. Sadly, 'one thunderclap' BEC cut
the power back on shortly after 3 p.m.; just a little too late for anyone
to catch the show. Ah, life in the third world. As we go
to upload comes word that the Bahamian mens team has won silver in the
4x400 metre track relay!
FOX
HILL FESTIVAL PHOTOS
The Fox Hill Festival 2007 climaxed 10 days of activities
in the historic village on 14th August with perhaps the most successful
Fox Hill Day celebrations ever. Please click the following links
for a full photographic review of the week's activities. The official
opening of Fox Hill Festival 2007. A review
of Fred Mitchell's tenure as Foreign Minister '02 - '07. Emancipation
Day Junkanoo in Fox Hill. 'Party Day'
& The Greasy Pole - Fox Hill Festival 2007.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Unions Not Worker Friendly
The recent spate of news regarding “Lay-offs”
and “Terminations” of workers in and around the Public Service, has caused
me to wonder why there is so much public silence and so little outrage
on the part of certain segments of our society.
A little less than five years ago, shortly after
the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Government took office, it was confronted
by an angry group of temporary employees on the steps of the Churchill
Building who presented letters of temporary employment, which terms had
expired. These were letters that were issued at the instance by the
previous Free National Movement (FNM) Government. It would have been
easy for the powers at that time to simply say “I knew nothing about this
– I am washing my hands of this issue”. As a responsible government,
this did not happen. Instead, the PLP Government consciously took
the decision to retain the services of every single individual and no doubt
today, many of these three hundred plus persons are settled and secured
in government agencies.
Fast forward to today, and we read the disgusting
statements of Ministers Laing and Deveaux who have broadly hinted,
that in addition to those temporary workers who had been recently let go,
there is the intimation that the same would happen to others. What
a shame this is. What selective memories these Ministers now have.
More sad, still, is the fact that there has not
been one murmur nor one expression of concern by any of the Trade Unions
regarding the manner in which “Workers” have been treated. It is
not sufficient to raise voices of concern involving one’s membership, but
rather Trade Unions by its very nature should be concern about all workers.
Where is the outrage? Where is the concern? It leaves one only
to speculate that many of these unions must be in bed with or firmly support
the actions of a renegade and uncaring government. Workers are workers
no matter what the circumstances. While I would not expect an employer
or any employer groups to voice concerns, one would most certainly have
thought that all unions, but particularly the Public Sector Unions, would
at least voice its concerns and regrets, if taking no other actions.
There have been no voice of complaint, either,
from an organization such as The Bahamas Christian Council and it leaves
one to wonder whether they truly care about issues such as justice, fair
play and opportunity for the less advantage in our society.
There is a concept call the “drawbridge mentality”.
Put quite simply, this concept espouses the view, that once we are on the
inside safe and secured, we pull up the drawbridge and care little about
letting others come in. I have a strong feeling that we in The Bahamas
now live in a drawbridge mentality. It matters not what happens to
others – so long as we are safe, secure and comfortable.
Jethro Cooper
---------------
Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return
to the top of the page.
|
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Bradley
Roberts, the former Minister of Works and his siblings buried their mother
Merle on Saturday 7th September in the Western Cemetery in New Providence
following a service at St. Francis Xavier's Roman Catholic Cathedral in
Nassau. Archbishop Patrick Pinder presided over the service.
Mrs. Roberts was 87 years old. Colleague PLPs including the former
Prime Minister Perry Christie and Mrs. Christie turned out to the funeral.
The photo of the week is by Peter Ramsay. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
HUNG OUT TO DRY
There
has been massive psychological injury done to Ellison Greenslade, Senior
Assistant Commissioner of Police, and to the stability of the Royal Bahamas
Police Force by the Royal Bahamas Police Force through the failure of the
Commissioner of Police to stand up for Mr. Greenslade. We have no
doubt that it was not really the Commissioner; there are some wicked politicians
in the FNM who have to take the blame. You know the story.
To refresh yourselves you may click here [GREENSLADE
DEFENDS HIMSELF] [SLAYING GREENSLADE].
The headlines in the papers of Friday 6th September also told it all.
Mr. Greenslade who was ordered to give up the possessions that the police
had given him as gifts had to watch the headline that said than Greenslade’s
Gifts were to be auctioned. How embarrassing. You would think
that with such a valuable member of the Force if the Force had a point
to make they could have made it another way. But it is clear; it
is transparent what is happening. Reginald Ferguson is to become
Deputy Commissioner of Police. We know that this could not have happened
under the PLP. So Mr. Greenslade who like Marvin Dames is the real
future of the Force had to be embarrassed by the FNM political directorate
as an excuse to sideline him and have Mr. Ferguson overstep him to become
the Deputy Commissioner of Police.
That is where we are in the Force today. You will see in another
story how there is a move seeking to purge the Police Force of all PLPs
at the senior ranks. It is a systematic plan by Prime Minister Hubert
Ingraham to eliminate the PLP from the body politic. What Mr. Ingraham
has done will engender hatred for a lifetime. He may not care for
himself but the sins of the father are visited upon the children.
There is no question about it. He should be so advised.
A newspaper columnist who also appears on the internet who shall
remain nameless was apparently at it again last week. His mental
fatigue and an apparent depression over losing his wife caused him not
to let it go. His Uncle Tomishness, his FNMishness, his being the
number one apologist in the country for wrongdoing continues. We
have come to the conclusion that this man is simply stupid. Yet he
continues to defend the indefensible with his own curious brand of illogic.
Last week, we gave an excellent review of what is happening with the police
force and its potential use by politicians to carry out their nefarious
ends. That writer defended that position. It is incredible.
But you know, when you wish jail on one, you should understand that jail
is not too far away for the one who is doing the wishing either.
This is sad.
Any true blooded Bahamian must be offended by what is happening here
in The Bahamas today under the Free National Movement. At a press
conference by the Progressive Liberal Party on Wednesday 5th September,
spokesman on the Public Service and former Public Service Minister Fred
Mitchell said that he had never seen such mean people in his life like
the FNM. He said that he could not believe that these people actually
grew up in the same country that he did. Nevertheless, that is who
the people of this country have elected for five years. The hope
now is more than ever that by some event this will be reversed so that
the PLP can again bring some humanity to the situation we face today.
There are more and more horror stories. How about the story
of the Deputy General Manager for the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas
who ran the station in Freeport. He was reportedly fired in the parking
lot of the Corporation in Grand Bahama. Again, the only reason he
would have been fired is because he was PLP. The interesting thing
is that his sister is Vernae Grant, a newly elected MP for Eight Mile Rock.
Does that add up? How can she stand by and let that happen?
But as the former Minister said, there is meanness and mean spiritedness
in the FNM. How for example does Phenton Neymour, a new Minister
of State in the FNM allow his leader Hubert Ingraham to get up in a public
place and embarrass his father Basil Neymour, saying that Mr. Neymour who
won two contracts to build roads fairly and squarely under the PLP will
have to choose which one he is going to get or get nothing. Mr. Neymour,
the younger said nothing that we could hear in his father’s defence.
Hubert Ingraham told his Members of Parliament that they are not
to interfere in the system. That whatever the system does is well done
and that it should be done by the book. That tells you something.
It means that politicians are not to exercise their discretion, their individual
consciences to bring about equality, fairness and to correct injustices,
if the system has done it by the book. You have only to remember
that the system is run by people who themselves have prejudices and can
sometimes be wrong. That is what political discretion is there for
to right wrongs that cannot otherwise be corrected. It is the mercy
seat. But with Mr. Ingraham there is to be no mercy and no justice.
The list of injustices are growing under the FNM. We cannot
stand by in silence. Fooling with the general public service is one
thing. Fooling with the police is another thing. What we face
here is nothing short of a conspiracy to seize political control of the
Royal Bahamas Police Force and then come against the Opposition PLP with
a vengeance, setting it out for elimination. Those who are on the
Force who support the PLP want only a sign that their party will stand
up for them and then they too will assert the will for right.
You have only to remember that the FNM did this before. They
simply summoned police officers to their offices and fired them on the
spot. The PLP had to end up paying the costs to settle the matter.
That is where we are again. Each police officer who is asked to leave
should immediately report to their lawyer.
In the mean time, we are happy to report that despite the bidding
that took place on the goods given to Assistant Commissioner Greenslade,
the public did not respond with any bids on Friday 7th September except
on the cell phones.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 8th September 2007 at
midnight: 259,929.
Number of hits for the month of September up to Saturday 8th September
2007 at midnight: 274,218.
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
A
VICTIMISATION PURGE OF PLPS ON THE FORCE
The story is that a number of senior police officers
have been called in by the police top brass and invited to resign.
The supposed idea is that you ought to go if you are 54 years old and have
40 years of service on the Force. Amongst those reportedly asked
to go are two Assistant Commissioners of Police and several Superintendents.
All of the people who have been asked to go are thought by the FNM to have
PLP leanings. Reginald Ferguson who is the brother of FNM Chairman
Johnley Ferguson is 62 years old and has 40 years on the Force but he is
not being asked to go.
There are at least a dozen people who have been
invited leave. We have a word of advice for these people. Tell
the Commissioner to put his request in writing. Tell him that he
must go back and stand up for the Force. Tell him that if he does
not stand up Hubert Ingraham is going to ruin the Force and make it a political
instrument. Tell him that he has a protected position and no politician
can do him anything if he would stand up for the Force.
Mr. Ingraham is proceeding with a political purge
the likes of which Josef Stalin would be proud. Someone must stand
up and speak. This is the classic job of an opposition political
party. Speak now or the next ones they come for will be us.
We already know how this site has been threatened. A word to the
wise.
MASS
FIRINGS IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE
On Wednesday 5th September, the Government published
a statement about the firing of people from the public service. The
Progressive Liberal Party has been attacking the government front and centre
on the issue for several months. The government’s statements seemed
designed to forestall the press conference that the PLP called to deal
with the rank victimization that is being practiced by the FNM in the public
service.
On Friday 7th September it seemed to get worse with
the news that the 40 people that had been hired by the former Minister
of Education Alfred Sears at the Ministry who had been complaining that
they had not been paid were all fired. They were given a cheque and
told to go home. The Government’s statement was legalistic.
It denied that people were being fired from the service but it was confined
to dismissals for any established civil servant. The problem is that
the PLP’s statement was not confined to established civil servants.
The Government’s statement suggested that because the people being dismissed
were contractual workers or on temporary month to month terms then dismissing
them was fine.
Former Minister of the Public Service Fred Mitchell
pointed out that many of the contract workers were hired on temporary month
to month terms because the Public Service Commission takes a long time
to put people on the payroll and it was easier in the circumstances to
bring employees on as month to month workers until the Commission’s processes
caught up with the hiring. So for example an employee would be brought
in at a minimum qualification until the Commission reviewed all the
paper work and confirmed that person at which time, his salary would reflect
the proper grade and level of qualification.
Further, Mr. Mitchell pointed out that many people
who were hired were hired on contract because their skills were needed
but they could not be paid at the levels in the public service because
they did not have the requisite academic qualifications. But the
service needed their skills and they were taken on by contact outside the
service. The FNM has pushed all of that out of the window and fired
them. These include Edmundo Moxey, former swim champion, Eddie Forde
the all around athlete, and Peter Pratt, the athletic coach.
Mr. Mitchell said it best, the FNM are simply mean
people, mean spirited. He said he cannot believe that these are people
who actually grew up with him in The Bahamas they are so mean. We
agree. This cannot be the party of Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield and
Sir Kendal Isaacs. This is clearly Hubert Ingraham’s FNM: mean and
bitter. The PLP should develop an action plan, a street plan and
lead a national revolt against this mean spiritedness.
A
JUDGE RULES ON SIR JACK
Madam Justice Anita Allen’s ruling in the matter of the dispute between
the St. George Estate and that of Sir Jack Hayward was a stunning rebuke
for Jack Hayward. Sir Jack who most people believed before his late
partner's death was the fifty fifty owner of the Grand Bahama Port Authority
group of companies with Edward St. George asserted after his death
that it was actually 75 per cent for Hayward and 25 per cent for St. George.
The matter ended up in court.
Sir Jack did not show for the case and the Judge
has ruled that this 75 to 25 plan was: “hatched in someone's fertile imagination”
in 2006. She added in her written ruling of Wednesday 5th September:
“Alas, however, there was too much water under the bridge, too long a paper
trail and too many persons with intimate knowledge of the relationship
for the plan to be successful.” She said Sir Jack’s claim that he
is a 75 percent owner of those companies was baseless. The oral ruling
was Thursday 30th August.
The Judge added: “The figures don’t add up.
They don’t support a 75-25 shareholding – neither does the paper trail.
There is no evidence of any such assertion prior to 2006 and, indeed on
one occasion after 2006, he [Jack Hayward] contradicted that assertion.”
The decision was based on the civil standard of justice on the preponderance
of evidence that there was a shareholding of 50-50 between Sir Jack and
Mr. St. George.
Justice Allen wrote: “Having heard and considered
the evidence of the plaintiffs’ witnesses, having observed their demeanour
as they gave their evidence, having read and considered the numerous documents
adduced by the plaintiffs (Edward St. George’s estate) and there being
no evidence challenging the credibility of the witnesses or the substance
of their evidence and no attempt on behalf of the first defendant (Sir
Jack Hayward) to challenge the documentary evidence adduced by the plaintiffs,
I find that the plaintiffs have proven their case.”
Next move Sir Jack! Rumour has it that he
has thrown his hands up in the air and will leave The Bahamas. He tried
to sell his share holdings and late last week that sale was blocked by
the St. George Estate by way of injunction. This report was based
on a report in the Bahama Journal of Thursday 6th September.
The Bahamas government has been silent in the matter that will affect
the lives of the people of Freeport.
WITCHUNT
AT ZNS
Reports are that there is a political witch hunt
in the newsroom of the Broadcasting Corporation going on. More next
week. Earl Deveaux, the Minister of Works (pictured) needs to make
a trip to ZNS because there is an apology that he needs to make.
More next week.
IN
JAMAICA DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN
Reading the press reports from Jamaica it seemed like The Bahamas revisited.
The election of 3rd September was a cliff hanger, see sawing throughout
the evening from 26 to 26 and then ultimately to 31 to 29 and then on the
recount finally 33 to 27. There is to be a recount by the courts.
The election should have been certified on Friday 7th September and the
result is that Bruce Golding (pictured) of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP)
has ousted Portia Simpson Miller from the Office of Prime Minister and
the Peoples National Party (PNP) from the government after 18 years.
The mood seems sour in Jamaica as Mrs. Simpson Miller
refused to concede saying that she would not allow criminal elements to
usher in a new government in Jamaica. The PNP brought a period of
prosperity to Jamaica that was unknown including 9 per cent unemployment
and 2.4 billion U.S. dollars in reserves. However, the change theme
went over well with the young who in 18 years had known no other government.
Also, people were faulting Mrs. Simpson Miller for
her timing. Even Bruce Golding, the JLP leader said in the Jamaica
Gleaner of Tuesday 4th September that if Mrs. Simpson Miller had called
the election in July of last year when she was at a 78 per cent approval
rating, she would have still been Prime Minister today. She was also
criticized for relying on self declared prophets and numerologists to pick
the election date. So another ally of the PLP is lost in the Caribbean.
IN PASSING
A New Cuban Ambassador
Jose Louis Ponce has been appointed the new ambassador to The Bahamas
for Cuba. Mr. Ponce succeeds Felix Wilson who was that country’s
first Ambassador. We welcome the new Ambassador and hope that fraternal
relations continue. Bahamas Ambassador to Cuba Carlton Wright and
his wife Audrey were in The Bahamas last week on a brief vacation.
He and his wife returned to post last week.
Jeff Lloyd’s Wife Is Buried
Bernadette Lloyd, the wife of Jeffrey Lloyd, the radio talk show host,
was buried Friday 6th September following a church service at St. Francis
Xavier’s Catholic Cathedral. The service was led by the Archbishop
of the Catholic faith Patrick Pinder. She was 48 years old and had
been suffering from chronic renal failure when she suffered a catastrophic
stroke which led to her death. She was buried in the Catholic Cemetery
in New Providence. Monsignor Preston Moss delivered the homily.
Photograph by Peter Ramsay.
Senate PLP Court Action To Proceed
Paul Adderley, the former Attorney General who is representing the
PLP before the courts in the matter of the challenge to the appointment
of senate seats has now been given the go ahead to proceed with his constitutional
motion. You may remember that Hubert Ingraham wants to claim the
3 seats that are to be allocated on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition.
Remember that according to the constitution, those choices are to be made
with the political balance of the House in mind. With the PLP having
18 seats and the FNM 23, the political balance in the Senate means that
the three seats should go to the PLP. Mr. Ingraham does not agree
that he has to pick the choices of Perry Christie, the Leader of the PLP.
The matter is being challenged in the courts. Chief Justice Sir Burton
Hall gave Mr. Adderley leave to proceed to challenge the appointments by
originating summons and the matter is to be heard in November.
Oswald Brown’s Wings Of A Dove
We understand more clearly now why Oswald Brown, the tomish newspaper
columnist in the Nassau Guardian has been singing lately. With apologies
to Patty Larkin and her songwriters, it goes something like this: “Give
me a ticket for an airplane, aint gat time to catch the fast train.
Lonely days are gone. I’m a going home. My baby wrote me a letter.”
Mr. Brown wants to be the Ambassador for The Bahamas to Washington.
If Hubert Ingraham wants to embarrass our country further let him fool
with that. FNMs are scandalized; particularly the Turnquest family.
Poor Ozzie, he has gotten the news that it’s a no go and he is sitting
as a recluse at the watering holes in Freeport. We can hear the song
now: “If I had the wings of a dove, I would fly, I would fly away!”
Kelly Burrows Revisited
Tongues were again wagging about Kelly Burrows and his accepting service
in The Bahamas diplomatic corps overseas. The job that he presently
holds in the shipping business in Freeport is being advertised in the press.
What does this mean? Many people were connecting it to the report
on the site last week (click
here) that said he was to be offered a job overseas in the Ingraham
administration.
Ambassador To Washington
Former FNM Minister of National Security C.A. Smith is to get the post
of Ambassador to Washington. He will succeed Joshua Sears.
Stolen Photos
The Tribune has not explained how it obtained stolen photos from the
computer in the home of Anna Nicole Smith. These photos published of former
Minister Shane Gibson were taken off the stolen computer it was revealed
during the week from the Simpson house. The Tribune always speaks
of morality yet it is using stolen material and presumably is still in
receipt of it. In law, the receiver is just as guilty as the thief.
Hmmm!
Carl Bethel Should Thank Alfred Sears
Carl Bethel , the now Minister of Education gave no thanks to his predecessor
Alfred Sears (pictured) for all the hard work Mr. Sears did to make Mr.
Bethel's job easy this year. He settled all the infrastructural issues
for the schools last year. Mr. Sears made sure all the issues with
the quarrelsome Bahamas Union of Teachers were settled so that this year
Mr. Bethel had none of that to deal with. Instead, he had a school
year that appeared to open smoothly. Truth be told the poor opening
of the school years past during the PLP were all in the imagination of
the press. Only three schools of 157 in the country did not open
on time last year, yet the press said that the school opening was not smooth.
So the press this year is all FNM and so no criticism despite the fact
that there was a walkout at Mabel Walker last week. Then you have
the two women who head the Bahamas Union of Teachers not standing up for
teachers’ rights since the FNM, which they support, is in power.
The press and union leaders purring like pussycats, despite the facts,
make for a good school opening. The very least Carl Bethel could
do is say thanks.
Abby LaFleur Buried
Entertainer and performer Abby LaFleur, born Genevieve Sherman, who
brought the thrill of Bahamian culture to thousands of tourists was buried
yesterday. Ms. LaFleur had been honoured for her contributions with
the prestigious Cacique award from the Ministry of Tourism.
Shane Gibson’s Birthday
Shane Gibson, the Member of Parliament for Golden Gates marked a birthday
yesterday. Mr. Gibson and friends celebrated his birthday at the Blue Note
Club in the Nassau Beach Hotel on Cable Beach.
Pavarotti Dies
Not since the death of Mario Lanza in 1960 at the age of 37 has a tenor
been so publicly and openly mourned. While most people would agree
that Luciano Pavarotti was perhaps a more traditional success, both Pavarotti
and Lanza displayed the ability to bring millions to appreciate the art
of the operatic tenor. Pavarotti was buried yesterday in his native
Italy.
Funeral Talk
An interesting and enigmatic photograph of community by Peter Ramsay,
as mourners remain under the portico of St. Francis Xavier’s Roman Catholic
Cathedral after the funeral yesterday of Mrs. Merle Roberts.
A Rare Picture of the Photographer
Most significant events in Bahamian history have for decades been captured
by photographer Peter Ramsay. Rare, however, are photographs of the
photographer himself. We thought we’d share this image of Mr. Ramsay
with His Grace, Archbishop Patrick Pinder at St. Francis.
Ed & Dawn Bethel Celebrate 20 Years
Ed Bethel and the former Dawn Hanna (Adderley) reaffirmed their marital
vows at an elegant black tie affair in the gardens of Mountbatten House
in Nassau on Friday 7th September. The event was attended by former
Prime Minister Perry Christie and Mrs. Christie and former Foreign Minister
Fred Mitchell. Mr. Bethel is the Consul General for The Bahamas in
New York. Congratulations to the couple on reaffirming their marriage
on their 20th anniversary.
CARTOON
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Bahamians Wake Up
I am regular reader of your paper. I have seen
and read enough of the nonsense that goes on in our land that I feel the
need to air some of my views.
Last week I followed along with the saga surrounding
ACP Ellison Greenslade’s issues with the gifts and Abraham Butler’s dismissal
at WSC. I wonder where our men of spine and substance are when things
like this happen. Butler is a well-respected professional.
The list of individuals who can vouch for the high ethical standards he
holds himself is too numerous. But yet his reputation is being maligned
by a vicious government minister and a selfish Uncle Tom Chairman but yet
there is no public outcry.
Bahamians wake up. When things like this
happen to one of us, it’s only a matter of time before your time comes.
Wait and you will see.
All the blame for Greenslade getting the gifts
should be placed squarely at the feet of Paul Farquahson. He was
the one who allowed the gifts in the first place. Only when the heat
turned on Greenslade did Farquahson decide it was wrong to have those gifts
as a public servant. Stand up and be a man and say I made a mistake
by allowing him to receive those gifts.
Why couldn’t the gifts received by Greenslade
be held in a blind trust for his benefit until he chooses to retire.
I wonder why we are so passive and afraid to call right…right and wrong…wrong…
I wonder how some men in our country call themselves
men? Their entire life they have stood up for nothing but BS, any
way the wind blow you go. Play politics, dance to the “new” minister’s
music, keep a bunch of sweethearts, get fresh with the media girls and
keep pushing as long as promotion and slack money keep coming in.
How do you look yourself in the face… cause you are still LITTLE BOYS I
went to school with in Long Island who can’t (urinate) straight.
People like us the “little people” we watching you know and sadly plenty
of people are following their examples and that’s why the level of social
disregard and downright lawlessness is so high. You can’t simply
say don’t do what I do or did.
So many of our talented young professionals I
see following this same spineless do nothingness attitude, just get a Blue
plated car, drive up to national events in chauffeur driven car for everybody
to see with a new suit from Pat Paul, get VIP tickets at Junkanoo near
the PM family and talk a bunch of (excrement) in the House of Assembly
if you get elected for one term which is all most are there for in any
event.
When will we see that in order for our
country to develop we need everyone fully engaged and on board with a Master
Plan. Our futures are linked. White and Black. Young
and Old. Why can’t we have a 2020 plan that all parties sign onto?
Look at Singapore and Lee Kwan Yew.
When will we get past who is FNM and PLP and
whatever else? If we feel as though all top managers and civil servants
should be fired with a new government, then get Paul Adderley and change
the constitution to say that. But in the present situation why in
a country of roughly 300,000 we want to do that when all of us related
somehow either in marriage or blood. The not so young folks like myself
know that we are too small for this.
I heard on the radio that the Chamber of Commerce
was having a panel on why so many people are not coming home from Canada
and the US. I am sure part of it has to do with how backward we are
with asking these young people when they come back home at job interviews
“who is your family? You PLP?” If your family is not connected then
Jesus alone is on your side. The (senior FNM politicians)
of this world have no time for you.
Every day I see all these young hungry poor black
attorneys downtown without big names behind them. Ha(ve FNM lawyers)
taken at least two under (their) wing and say fellas you are the
future of my beloved country let me teach you the ropes? This is
how you have a top tier practice of law. It is hard work but let
me show you what I have learnt. Only help females so you get some
fringe benefits from it or other rich folks children. Many of them
will give all their money to the Catholic Church but can’t speak and help
those in front of them at SuperValue. I wonder what God they feel
they serve. Because all of us are the same in his eyes. So
to my brothers and sisters out there know that a great God is watching.
Name Withheld
---------------
Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return
to the top of the page.
|
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Former
Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell travelled to Barbados and Trinidad during
the past week for a press conference and an address in Barbados and for
a courtesy call on Prime Minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago.
While in Barbados he set the record straight on the question of The Bahamas
cancelling the hosting of Carifesta. Then he spoke at length on what
the role of Opposition parties ought to be in foreign affairs at a Rotary
Club in Barbados. From Barbados he went to Trinidad and Tobago where
he paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Manning to present him with a
copy of the photo of the historic address that the Prime Minister made
to the House of Assembly in Nassau on 22nd September 2004. Our photo
of the week then is Fred Mitchell speaking at Rotary in Barbados on Tuesday
11th September. The photo is by David 'Tajhie' Garner. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
JOAN SAWYER IS OUT OF ORDER
On Friday morning, the telephones starting ringing off the hook
from offended PLPs. Did you hear what Joan Sawyer had to say about
Fred Mitchell and Allyson Gibson? What were they talking about?
It appears that the lawyers for Samuel ‘Ninety’ Knowles who had been tossed
out of court by Justice Jeffrey Lyons following their futile attempt to
strike down the government's actions in the matter of Mr. Knowles' extradition
had appeared on an appeal of the case before the Court of Appeal.
The case was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on Thursday 13th September
but not before the Justices of Appeal led by Joan Sawyer attacked the previous
administration and the two ministers in particular saying the action of
extraditing Mr. Knowles was illegal and that the Minister should have been
held in contempt of court. This set the cat amongst the pigeons.
This column has been forthright in the past with regard to what it
considers irresponsible statements made by the Court of Appeal's Justices
in the past and in particular Joan Sawyer its President. We condemn
these most recent remarks again as irresponsible and injudicious.
We believe that someone ought to write the Prime Minister to ask that an
investigation be held under the constitution for her removal from office.
The fact is no law was broken by the Ministers in question and it is inappropriate
for Justices of the Court of Appeal to suggest in the loose manner in which
they have that laws were broken by the ministers.
You have to wonder what in the world is going on with the institutions
in this country. It appears that everyone has rights to say whatever
they want except PLP politicians who must simply sit by and be quiet in
the face of the unremitting hostility and loose talk that emanates from
so many quarters. You have the press that is biased. You have
the police that are biased. You have the Government that is biased.
Now you have the courts seeming to get into the political fray first by
the loose talk of Justice Lyons earlier in the year, now the irresponsible
remarks from the bench by the Court of Appeal. It is reprehensible
and irresponsible.
These are the facts on the matter of Samuel ‘Ninety’ Knowles.
The case against the Government with regard to the extradition of Samuel
Knowles was dismissed by Justice Lyons. That means that the law as
it stands in The Bahamas is that there was no illegality in the extradition
of Mr. Knowles. The appeal of that case to the Court of Appeal was
dismissed on Thursday 13th September. That means that Justice Lyons’
decision is the law. Nothing has changed since then. The remarks
of the Justices of Appeal are therefore what lawyers call obiter, which
means that they were not germane to the case, and are no better or worse
than the opinion of any man on the street. The problem is that Judges
like Members of Parliament have protected speech and can say anything they
wish from the bench without any effective redress by the persons who were
not before the court. If an ordinary person made such remarks, the
statements would be defamatory and actionable in the courts.
There is another very serious issue here. The Justices who
made these remarks have to be held accountable if something were to happen
in the circumstances of these comments to the former Attorney General Allyson
Maynard Gibson. You will remember that Mrs. Maynard Gibson had to
have police protection as a result of the extradition proceeding.
The matter has now become history. The Court could have dealt with
the matter without the loose talk. Now they have raised this issue
again and in the circumstances, is Mrs. Maynard Gibson now entitled to
the protection of the police again, because of what the court has now said?
This matter is regrettable and the Justices ought to apologize for their
comments.
We believe that no law was broken. We believe that the law
was followed in this matter. Until such time as the issue of whether
or not the Minister acted properly is before the courts then the matter
of the Justices’ comments are neither here nor there. In fact, the
defence of this matter is left to the present government because it is
the Minister of Foreign Affairs who is responsible for extradition, not
any particular Minister of Foreign Affairs. That happens to be Brent
Symonette these days. It’s up to them to defend the Government’s
position.
The fact is also that no matter what anyone says the PLP is not going
to sit quietly and go away. It has the largest chunk of votes in
the country after the FNM and they barely have a percentage point ahead
of the PLP. As a matter of fact when joined with the independents
the PLP is in fact the majority party in the country. It certainly
has to represent the interests of those who voted against the FNM, and
that happens to be a majority of the Bahamian people. It seems to
us that once the PLP lost it is now the opportunity for each and every
one to pile on the criticism with vengeance. They all ought to remember
that the PLP will be back and sooner than they think.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 15th September 2007 up
to midnight: 263,876.
Number of hits for the month of September up to Saturday 15th September
2007 up to midnight: 550,657.
Number of hits for the year 2007 up to Saturday 15th September 2007
at midnight: 3,588,017.
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
THE
FIRINGS CONTINUE
There needs to be an investigation into ZNS radio
and TV service. It is reported that 12 persons have been fired from
the corporation within the last month despite the fact that they have valid
approvals for three year contracts at the Corporation. In the newsroom
of the corporation there appears to be a reign of terror involving an FNM
ideologue who has taken over the news department and is making sure that
people who are perceived to be PLP are taken off the air. Nothing
of this kind ever happened under the PLP. Earl Deveaux, the Minister
of Works, refuses to apologize to ZNS for his intervention on a reporter’s
story. The same can be said for the police force where we reported
last week that a purge of all PLPs on the Force is taking place.
What is the PLP to do? Some people think that
it is time to take to the streets and bring the Government to its knees
by street action. In the short term though, the PLP has decided to
hold a series of public meetings. At these meetings, its supporters
gather with a view to sensitizing the public to the issues.
Mr. Christie gave a comprehensive address to the
PLP gathered at Charlie Major’s restaurant on Fowler Street in Nassau on
Wednesday 12th September on the issue of victimization. He said that
the PLP had taken great pains to ensure that it cared for people and that
those hired had been properly hired. He said the FNM had now come
in and scrapped all of that.
Mr. Christie named a number of cases; one was the
case of Abraham Butler who was the General Manager of the Water and Sewerage
Corporation. Mr. Butler had been transferred to the Public Service
Department by the PLP. Upon the FNM coming to office, Mr. Butler
was told to return to the Water and Sewerage Corporation. Within
weeks, they had fired him with a six month pay cheque. The matter
is going to court. But the most egregious cases are those of the
hundreds of small people on contract who have been fired by the cold, heartless
and mean FNM administration. These people must be defended.
The FNM must get their comeuppance.
IS
SIR JACK TRYING TO PULL A FAST ONE?
Things with regard to the Grand Bahama Port Authority
are getting more complicated and litigious by the minute. Every week
there seems to be some new development. You know that the court has
ruled that the St. George Estate has a fifty-fifty shareholding with Sir
Jack Hayward. Following that ruling it appears that the St. Georges
got an injunction to prevent the sale of the shares of Jack Hayward.
It appears that an attempt was made to defeat that by filing an action
in the courts of the Cayman Islands or in London. If that is successful,
it would defeat the St. Georges claim and victory in Nassau.
Now comes the report that Sir Jack wants to set
aside the injunction here in The Bahamas preventing the sale and he has
made an offer by letter of his attorney to purchase the St. George Estate.
Fred Smith, lawyer for the St. Georges says that offer had been rejected.
In the mean time, the receivers appointed by now retired Justice Jeanne
Thompson are still running the company and all the employees are on pins
and needles because no one is quite sure where it is all headed.
THE
BUT FINDING ITS VOICE
We have suggested before that Johnley Ferguson,
Vice President of the Senate, FNM Chairman, defeated candidate for the
FNM in Eleuthera and brother of Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Reginald
Ferguson, is a political bully. If anything proves that, it would
be the ham-fisted attempt by Mr. Ferguson and Education Minister Carl Bethel
to bludgeon the head teacher, the vice principal and the parents of the
Preston Albury School in Eleuthera to take back into the school a student
who was a disciplinary problem.
The story is that the student was expelled last
term for bad behaviour and was to go into the remedial YEAST programme
to reform his behaviour. When the elections took place with the FNM
winning on 2nd May, the parent of the child took the view that her government
was now in power and she insisted that the child would go back into the
regular school. The head teacher took the view that he would not
stand for it and he and the vice principal resigned from the school.
This plunged the school into crisis and the other parents took their children
out of the school.
Mr. Ferguson flew into Whemyss Bight to have a meeting
with parents there to get the FNM parents to change their minds.
Parents of both sides of the political divide stuck to their guns. The
Union raised its voice. Belinda Wilson, the Secretary General, said
she was sticking by the headmaster and the parents and that the child had
to go. Johnley Ferguson has learned his lesson that when a bully
tries to bulldoze his way in and he is met with force the bully has to
back down. The school will reopen tomorrow with the headmaster back
in place and the child on his way to the YEAST programme.
REGINALD
FERGUSON DEFENDS HIMSELF
Nassau Guardian reporter Tamara McKenzie ought to
be careful that she is not further perceived as a tool of FNM propaganda.
That was the conclusion of many people this week as they read an interesting
and revealing interview with Reginald Ferguson, the Acting Deputy Commissioner
of Police, who is said to be opposed in the substantive appointment to
that position by the PLP. The interview appeared in the Nassau Guardian
on Friday 14th September.
The point has been made that it is not a good idea
for a divisive individual to be in that position in the Force, and that
the PLP does not trust Mr. Ferguson to carry out is duties with equanimity
and neutrality. We have the recent example of Mr. Ferguson confirming
that he is investigating this column following a complaint made by his
brother Johnley Ferguson who happens to be the Chairman of the FNM and
the Vice President of the Senate for the FNM. That joins the list
of things that should not inspire confidence in any PLP that Mr. Ferguson
can dispense justice neutrally. Today when the police come to the
scene of a crime, the first thing PLPs think is there goes an FNM.
Mr. Ferguson was defending the fact that he
has not been asked to leave the Force even though he has passed the forty
years of service, is past the age of 54 and others in that category have
been asked to go. The only difference is that the FNM who now head
the country believe that those officers are PLP and so they are asked to
go. Mr. Ferguson is believed to be an FNM and so he is allowed to
stay and one day may displace Paul Farqhuarson as the Commissioner of the
Force.
In one part of the interview, the reporter asked
him about the allegations that he was a political figure. His response
was curious in that he used the words “political operative”. This
is an expression that Hubert Ingraham uses frequently to describe PLP officers
on the Force. It is a clue to what Mr. Ferguson is about. Mr.
Ferguson's remarks were published in the Nassau Guardian Friday 14th September:
“I have not been asked to retire because I have
done my job well and no one should be surprised.
“I know that I make an excellent contribution.
I know what I have been doing and what I am able to do. I know what
I am able to contribute and I know that I contributed distinguished service
to The Bahamas as the Bahamian people demand.
“I have given distinguished service all my life
and even up to this day there is no doubt in my mind about that.
I am proud of the service that I gave my country and I will serve wherever
I am as long as I can.”
THE
NEWS ON HIV/AIDS
Hubert Ingraham who is the Prime Minister of our
country and his Minister of Health Dr. Hubert Minnis went to Trinidad and
Tobago on Friday 14th September for a one day special summit on non communicable
diseases that plague the region. These include heart attacks, diabetes,
strokes and obesity. Sir George Alleyne, former head of the Pan American
Health Organization (PAHO) was commissioned by the region to produce a
study on this issue. That study was presented last year to The Bahamas
Cabinet.
Now it is time for action by the region on non communicable
diseases that are sapping the productivity of the region. The cost
to The Bahamas alone is estimated at some 54 million dollars a year.
Mr. Ingraham took Dr. Conville Brown, Dr. Duane Sands, Dr. Ronnie Knowles
with him. So all his boys are down there in Trinidad and one can
expect that they will have good time. We hope that the Prime Minister
actually takes the matter seriously. We doubt it but there is always
hope. In the meantime, the HIV/AIDS stats are out for The Bahamas
for this year.
The Bahama Journal published on Thursday 13th September
the statistics released by Nurse Rosa Bain, Director of the HIV/AIDS secretariat.
According to the most recent statistics compiled
by the Ministry of Health HIV/AIDS Centre, up to 31st March, 2007, there
were 69 new cases of HIV infections reported. By the end of the year, the
number of new HIV infections in The Bahamas would likely be fewer than
in 2006 when 293 new HIV cases were reported.
Based on the Ministry of Health’s research, between August 1985 and
31st March 2007, 10,928 HIV cases were reported in the country.
The number of people living with HIV/AIDS up the
first quarter of the year stood at 7,080. Of this figure, 5,373 people
had the HIV virus while the remaining 1,707 had developed AIDS.
The National AIDS programme has monitored the AIDS
epidemic since the first reported case in 1983. Statistics have proven
that adolescents and young people account for the fastest growing group
of new HIV infections.
Cumulative figures from August 1985 to 31st March
2007 show that between the ages 10 to 30, females outnumbered males two
to one in terms of new HIV infections.
Statistics show that in the 10 to 14 age group,
23 females were infected with HIV compared to 10 males. In the 15
to 19 age group, those figures stood at 183 females and 75 males.
MITCHELL
SPEAKS IN BARBADOS
Fred Mitchell, the former Foreign Minister of The
Bahamas, travelled to Barbados to speak with the press there about the
fact that the government of The Bahamas misrepresented the reason for cancelling
the hosting of Carifesta scheduled for next year. Mr. Mitchell issued
a statement there in the press defending the reputation of the PLP and
the Christie administration that had been blamed by the FNM for not preparing
for Carifesta. The FNM administration claimed that they had to cancel
because of the lack of preparedness. Mr. Mitchell read the PLP statement
issued on 27th July in Nassau that put the lie to that fact.
Mr. Mitchell also took the opportunity to speak
to a Rotary Club in Barbados in the presence of Barbados’ Caricom Ambassador
John Williams on his ideas about Caricom and the role of the Opposition
parties in the processes of Caricom.
Speaking to regional media in Bridgetown, Mr. Mitchell
said, “I am here today in defence of the Progressive Liberal Party that
was up until 2nd May 2007, the government of The Bahamas. You will
know that the new Free National Movement government of The Bahamas announced
in July following the meeting of Heads of Government with the Canadian
Prime Minister here in Barbados in July that it would no longer honour
the commitment made by the Progressive Liberal Party administration to
host Carifesta in Nassau. The record will show that this has caused
grave concern in the artistic community at home.
“Our concern, however, is that the impression
being given is that our party and government was somehow at fault in the
matter and that we had not done the necessary preparatory work to host
Carifesta. That is not true.
“We issued a statement from Nassau but that statement
was not carried by the Caribbean media and so I have come to ensure that
the people of the region know the facts on this matter and to defend the
reputation of the PLP and the Bahamian people. We are reliable partners.
“We concede that the Government has the right
to cancel the hosting of Carifesta if it wishes but it should do so on
its own account and not give the impression that their predecessors in
office did not adequately prepare the country to host the event.
We did so prepare; the decision not to host Carifesta X is entirely that
of the government.
“I will now read the statement of the Progressive
Liberal Party, which has already been delivered in Nassau.”
You may click here
for the address to Rotary.
While in Barbados, there was a response given to
the press by Charles Maynard, the Minister responsible for Culture.
Mr. Maynard has to defend himself and that is fine but it is the following
with which we quarrel. He said of Mr. Mitchell “With him going and
making these statements he might just make a fool of himself.” This
is Dud Maynard’s little boy talking in big people’s world.
Mr. Maynard is the real fool because he is the Minister
who went to Parliament boasting about how Carifetsa was to be hosted by
the FNM administration and then his Prime Minister and Leader Hubert Ingraham
went to the Caribbean and told the Heads of Government that it was cancelled
without even telling his own Minister. Mr. Maynard found out in the
newspapers just like everyone else. So who’s the fool? It is
pathetic, these new FNMs who have to go overboard to show off in front
of their new leader about how FNM they are. Mr. Maynard should not
go so far that when he needs rescue the PLP where he actually belongs is
not able to help him.
IN PASSING
Brent Acting PM Again
Can you believe it; yet again, the son of the last UBP Premier of The
Bahamas forty years after majority rule is Acting Prime Minister of this
country. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves. Mr. Symonette
is acting because Hubert Ingraham, the Prime Minister is out of the country
until today.
BEC Can’t Keep The Power On
It has been happening since the late 1960s, 1967 to be correct.
When the UBP lost power, they left behind inadequate power supply and blackouts.
From that time to this, BEC has been promising that the blackouts would
cease. They have not. All that needs to happen is one thunderclap
and the power goes off. Now comes the news that BEC in addition to
not supplying power will not turn a profit this year and will in fact lose
34 million dollars this year. The new Minister Phenton Neymour is
seeking to blame the PLP for reducing the rates. But the Corporation
made a profit during the PLP even with reduced rates that came into effect
two years ago. This year they will lose 34 million dollars so the
Union is saying that it is something else most likely bad management at
BEC. Last week as this site was uploaded the power went off again,
shutting down the internet as well. That is The Bahamas, an unreliable
power supply, an unreliable telephone connection, unreliable water supply
and unreliable internet. Need we say more?
Investor Confidence Waning
We thought that we have said it enough but maybe the hard headed, mean
FNM can hear it from an investor in the country. This quote comes
from Christopher Anand who is the Managing Partner of Albany Beach and
Golf Resort, an investment conglomerate that includes golfers Tiger Woods,
Ernie Els and billionaire Joe Lewis. The FNM is threatening to renege
on the Albany project that was approved by the previous PLP administration.
He told the Bahama Journal: “One of the ways they analyse risk is stability
from an investment perspective and if you start having these situations,
as governments change agreements change, that’s a big problem because that
starts to introduce political uncertainty from a business climate perspective.”
Mr. Anand went on to tell the Journal that he was confident that the FNM
would honour the agreements in place. We are not so confident.
The project will create 1000 jobs. But that doesn’t stop the cruel
FNM from stopping anything that was started by the PLP.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
The demise of the School Policing Program
I concur with Mr Alfred Sears MP that if the
police are to be removed from the public schools, then its replacement
should be better and more effective. The Secretary General of the BUT believes
that the old school policing system should be reinstated until such time
as the government can iron out the kinks of their new system of periodic
patrol and surveillance before and after school hours. The FNM government
clearly did not have a more effective plan, as a matter of fact; they had
no plan because the number of officers and patrol cars available in each
school district is woefully inadequate and the police could not interdict
effectively in the event of a school emergency. The partnership between
the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Education to vet
and train suitably qualified security officers was envisioned by the PLP
government to be the permanent solution to the ongoing security challenges
facing the Ministry of Education. This was intended to replace the police
presence on school campuses and it had the endorsement of the Commissioner
of Police as the security officers would be trained at the Police Training
College. The FNM government is well advised to follow through with this
plan. To not do so and to abruptly remove the police officers from the
schools simply because they were “PLP ideas, programs and practices” is
demonstrative of political immaturity and selfishness, to the peril of
our teaching professionals and students. Without being overly redundant,
this is clearly not good governance. The focus of the government should
be on national development and empowerment, not the PLP. The FNM government
has stumbled and erred on this one.
I wish to remind the government about the goals
of public policy: Public Policy must either fulfill a national need or
solve a national problem, or both. The personal desire of the Prime Minister
is immaterial. I say this because our Prime Minister does not like the
idea of police officers on school campuses. It could very well be that
former Prime Minister Christie did not like the idea of school policing
either, but it is clear that he was prepared to place the national interest
above any personal agenda or desire; this kind of dispassionate approach
to governance makes for good public policy formation. The gradual and deliberate
use of security guards as a permanent solution was a good exit strategy.
Reports of a reduction in violence on school campuses qualify the PLP’s
school security policy as successful. There is a popular saying that if
it aint broke, don’t fix it.
The record shows that in the short term, the
removal of the officers from the school campuses is a policy failure for
the government as two individuals were stabbed and two teachers were assaulted
on our public school campuses in a relatively short period of time. I call
on the government to reconsider its policy on public school security.
The argument put forth by the FNM that the presence
of police officers on school campuses causes them to somehow usurp the
authority of the school administrators and teachers is a ludicrous one.
There is no confusion as to the roles and responsibilities of the teachers,
administrators, and the police. The police officer does not believe that
he is the teacher, the senior master, or the principal. The police presence
acts as a pre-emptive strike against school violence (which is a crime).
We do not want to react to the violence; we want to prevent violence on
our school campuses. The police also acted as mentors to the male students
as there are not many male teachers and administrators in the school system
so the police played a pivotal role in social development. Further, the
amount of weapons taken from students in addition to a dramatic decrease
in school violence is a testament to the success and effectiveness of the
school policing program. Acting Director of Education Lionel Sands must
explain to parents, teachers, and the general public why he now supports
the removal of police officers from the schools in light of these positive,
documented and easily verifiable results. As a senior officer, Mr. Sands
would have been part of the team that was consulted and provided feedback
that led to the policy of school policing to address ongoing security challenges.
Carl Bethel and Hubert Ingraham can be excused
as they are politicians and play the game of politics. Their game is transparent
and people generally dismiss them. Mr. Sands, on the other hand, is a technocrat,
a career civil servant who is expected to use his skills, knowledge, and
experience to advise the political directorate of the government on issues
of public policy as they relate to education development. He does the Ministry
of Education and by extension the country, a disservice when he allows
himself to be used as a pawn in the game of politics. Mr. Sands must always
remain true to his professional discipline and all that is in the best
interest of the advancement of education and by extension, the country.
Elcott Coleby
Click on a heading to go to that story; press ctrl + home to return
to the top of the page.
|
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK: This
week the Africa Foundation for Democracy headed by Fred Oladeinde in Washington
D.C. held its tenth anniversary conference in Miami, Florida where it is
headed by Anthony Okonmah. The Foundation is dedicated to Africa
and themes of good governance and economic development. This year’s
theme was culture and development, the question of how does one use the
culture of Africa to promote its development. Fred Mitchell, the
former Foreign Minister of The Bahamas was invited to Miami to be the luncheon
speaker for the Conference on Thursday 20th September. Mr. Mitchell
addressed the theme revealing the need for Africa and Africans everywhere
in the Diaspora to come together and rely more on their own resources.
You may click here for the full address.
Our photo of the week is of Fred Mitchell with organisers of the Miami
Conference of the Africa Foundation for Democracy held at the campus of
Florida International University. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
SOME THINGS ARE BETTER
LEFT UNSAID
Redrum! Redrum!
---The Shining (1980)
There is a series of e-mails being circulated on the web to various
addresses mainly in The Bahamas. They have caused quite a stir.
The subject matter is Oswald Brown, the editor of the Freeport News in
Grand Bahama. Mr. Brown seems not to be a very bright man.
He is obviously not doing well. He lacks judgment and lacks the ability
to know when to simply shut your mouth. These e-mails have made him
a figure of derision and some pity. The content of the e-mails we
have not seen but it must have something to do with his wives and the death
of the second of his three wives. Whatever was said in the e-mails,
Mr. Brown thought it sufficient to address the matter in the press.
Below, we repeat in his own words what he told The Tribune about the matter
and then we repeat an excerpt of the opinion piece that he wrote in the
Freeport News on the matter on Friday 21st September.
We feel sorry for him and then again we don't feel sorry for him.
He gets whatever opprobrium he deserves. He is full of himself, for
a man of such limited talent. He is apparently now separated from
his third wife, the sister of former Governor General Sir Orville Turnquest.
Perhaps this is why he is feeling isolated, and has overreacted to something
that any normal person would simply leave alone.
One thing he has is a preoccupation with this site and who writes
this site. In his editorial in the Freeport News, he mentions this
site bahamasuncensored.com about seven times, literally. He accuses
the site of spreading the e-mails, and of generating the information, and
then says some pretty uncharitable things about the writers of the site.
He appears to believe that it is one writer, who he has previously identified,
and then makes a series of libellous statements that could cost his employer
The Freeport News dearly. We have asked his employers before to restrain
him before he causes them a problem. This site had nothing to do
with the e-mail circulation at all. We have no idea who is circulating
them or why. What we do know is that it is not the official website
of the PLP that is genesis of it, nor is it this site. However, we
congratulate the writers of the e-mails for circulating them and doing
their best to ask relevant questions.
It must be that there is some comeback against a man who is so hopelessly
biased in his views and who has compromised the neutrality and independence
of the newspaper that he runs. He is so personally caught up in the
politics of being FNM that he attacks anyone and everyone. He also
appears to have gotten his knickers in a twist over Fred Mitchell, the
former Foreign Minister of The Bahamas as if it is his singular preoccupation
and pet hatred, to the point of it being unnatural. It is to the
point where he cannot write anything it appears unless it is an attack
on Fred Mitchell. Editorial after editorial on Fred Mitchell.
It is almost like it is a sickness.
One is reminded of the line from Hamlet: lady doth protest too much.
It is a line that Hamlet speaks to himself after confronting his mother
about the death of his father, and he says it because the overreaction
tends to bespeak a guilty conscience. In any event, the result of
what was said in the e-mails has led to Mr. Brown digging a deeper and
deeper hole for himself. He has gone now to great lengths to speak
about the death of his second wife, and what he did. He does it to
defend himself against this e-mail that no one has seen. Whatever
it has accused him of, it must be some pretty nasty stuff because he goes
into what happened by date and time in the death of his second wife by
apparent drowning on Saunders Beach in Nassau. At the time of the
death tongues were wagging but now the matter was long past and gone.
Mr. Brown by his reaction has put the whole thing again in the public domain
and now any comment made on the matter is a fair comment.
If you are a diligent policeman, and you read what he had to say,
and you had suspicions before about the first story, would you not be going
back to the files on the death of the second wife and just maybe checking
word for word the story Mr. Brown now tells the public and what he told
the police then. Why would he want to open himself up to that, making
himself unnecessarily a target for that kind of mischief? No doubt,
he believes that because the FNM is now in power the police will not act
against him. It really is quite an incredibly stupid thing for him
to do. And it has spawned even more e-mails now circulating on the
web, making him the butt of jokes and suspicions.
It is of course interesting also his depiction of what happened in
Jamaica when he was on a trip with his third wife and family it appears.
The story is told in great detail about what happened and what they did,
again to contradict some assertion that is being made in this e-mail that
is so bad that no one can apparently print the e-mail. The interesting
point about his response however is that he does not say whether or not
he is now headed for the divorce court and why and if the trip in Jamaica
has anything at all to do with the present state of his married life.
Further in his follow up editorial, Mr. Brown calls for an apology
from Perry Christie, the Leader of the Progressive Liberal Party.
What the hell Perry Christie has to do with this is beyond us but there
is no logical link. The PLP had nothing to do with what is being
circulated on the web and in any event after what Oswald Brown has said
about Mr. Christie, why should Mr. Christie apologize for anything said
about Oswald Brown? Instead Mr. Christie should be applauding the
person who is circulating the e-mail.
But all of this is simply idle titillation. It has nothing
to do with the public policy of The Bahamas with which this site is primarily
concerned. But what it does show you in that regard is that we have
some pretty dumb people involved in public life in The Bahamas who have
gotten way beyond where there competence would have carried them.
You whistle and we’ll point.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 22nd September 2007 up
to midnight: 204,167.
Number of hits for the month of September up to Saturday 22nd September
2007 at midnight: 768,760.
Number of hits for the year 2007 up to Saturday 22nd September at
midnight: 3,806,120 [Does not reflect hits prior to 14th February, 2007]
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
THE
TEACHER’S REVOLT
Belinda Wilson, Secretary General of the Bahamas
Union of Teachers, was clear she was not leaving the grounds of the R.M.
Bailey High School until the police had been put back into the school.
There have been a series of stabbings and injuries as a result of fights
in the government schools since the “smooth” opening of the schools by
the FNM.
With teachers out in the yard Carl Bethel, the embattled
Minister of Education, said that he would not put police officers back
in the schools. The Ministry threatened to fire the teachers.
Ms. Wilson said that she was not leaving until they were back. The
police were called to R.M. Bailey on Thursday 20th September and tried
to move Ms. Wilson, whereupon she called GEMS Radio live and frantically
shouted to the police on air for all to hear that they must not touch her.
Ida Turnquest Poitier, the President of the Union,
had another idea. She called the union together the next day to say
that Ms. Wilson does not represent the Union. The Union’s position
is that they do not need police in the schools. The opinion to bring
the police back is only Ms. Wilson’s said Mrs. Poitier. Uh Oh!
Does this mean that the Union is not together? We thought so.
It appears that teachers in the meeting where Mrs. Poitier made the announcement
on Thursday thought that was strange. They accused Mrs. Poitier of
not fighting for their rights.
The PLP had police in the schools to help keep the
peace. Because it was a PLP idea, the government removed the police
from the schools. Now the FNM is reaping what they have sown.
OSWALD
BROWN IN HIS OWN WORDS
Oscar Wilde, the Irish writer in the nineteenth
century, got into problems when he overreacted to an allegation sent to
him by way of short note from the father of the Marquis of Queensbury,
with whom he was linked. Mr. Wilde’s overreaction by filing a law
suit led to his going to jail for two years, breaking his spirit and his
life. One wonders then why Oswald Brown, the editor of The Freeport
News would react in the way he has to an e-mail that is circulating around
the Internet, and responding in such a detailed way, given the personal
and intimate subject matter that it apparently addresses. Here is
what he said in his own words in The Tribune of Thursday 20th September:
“I wasn’t aware that one was in circulation.
I just saw it for the first time. I see who the e-mail is coming
from. I’m going to turn it over to the police, and see if they can
determine who that person is. It’s a criminal matter, they are accusing
me of (accusation withheld)…
“Five of us were in the car. We were driving
up into the mountains. We stopped on the side of the mountain to
allow another car to pass…a bus actually. After the bus passed, we
pulled off and the car skidded on some leaves, and went on the side of
the mountain but it was stopped by some big trees.
“Probably, if the trees weren’t there, the car
might have gone down. But we all got out of the car, and there was
no question of leaving or anything else. I actually paid $12,000
in Jamaican money for some Jamaicans to assist me in retrieving the car.
“After the incident which occurred last New Year’s
eve, my party and I went out to dinner and had a happy time before returning
to Nassau. No one left anybody or anything like that.”
(Mr. Brown says that he has reported the matter of the e-mail to
the police. But we would thank him to stop accusing this site of circulating
the e-mail. His allegation about this column is condemnably false and an
actionable libel – Editor)
OSWALD
BROWN ON THE DEATH OF WIFE NO. 2
The following is an excerpt from the personal column
of Oswald Brown, the Editor of The Freeport News that appeared on Friday
21st September in which Mr. Brown addresses the question of the death of
his second wife by drowning. The opinion piece was written in response
to an e-mail that circulated on the web by an anonymous writer. Mr.
Brown blames this column and the PLP for its circulation. This site
has nothing to do with it but we congratulate those who did for doing so
in the public interest:
“My second wife, Enid Gbenyon, was a magnificent
lady, who was a member of a very prominent Liberian family. Her father,
Lawrence Gbenyon, Sr., worked in various capacities for the Liberian Government,
including stints as a diplomat assigned to Liberian embassies in Rome,
Italy, and Accra, Ghana. They were given asylum in the United States
following a military coup in that West African nation that brought dictator
Samuel Doe to power.
“Enid had a Master's Degree in economics and
finance, and gave up a high-paying job in Virginia to move to The Bahamas
after I returned home permanently in 1996 and we were married a year later.
“On the Saturday morning that she drowned, I
had gone to The Guardian, as I usually did, to do an editorial for Monday's
paper. When I returned early in the afternoon, she was not at home,
and I assumed she had gone out with some friends she had made during the
five months she had been living in The Bahamas. After she did not
return by early that evening, calls were made to all of the friends that
I thought she might be with, but none of them had seen her. I then
reported the matter to the police, and the next morning I received a call
that a body was found floating off Saunders Beach, across from the complex
where we lived. Accompanied by the police, I went to the morgue and
identified the body as hers.
“What caused her death is still a mystery to
me. She used to exercise virtually every day by walking up and down
that beach, but she was not a strong swimmer and would only wade into the
water slightly above her ankles occasionally after exercising. She
had been depressed after several months of searching for a job and being
unable to find one, even with her excellent qualifications, and for a brief
moment I entertained the thought that she may have committed suicide, but
knowing what a strong person she was, I quickly eliminated that as a possibility.
In any case, the official cause of death, after a thorough investigation,
was listed as drowning.
“I would be telling a lie if I were to say that
being reminded of this painful occurrence in my life and being accused
of possibly having had something to do with Enid's death did not hurt…”
FRED
MITCHELL ON TRADE MATTERS AND AFRICA
Zhivargo Laing, the Minister in the government responsible
for trade matters, was in the press saying that the Government has decided
not to sign the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) with the European
Union. Mr. Laing said that they need eight months in which to determine
whether they can or not. They do not have enough information.
Fred Mitchell attacked this decision during his
talk in Miami in which he said that it was a mistake not to sign the agreement
because it would remove some of the pressure on the country to modernize
its economy. He added however that many other Caribbean countries
were not ready to sign the EPAs and the Europeans themselves had made mistake
in making the demands that they had about singing.
The statement of Mr. Mitchell came as he addressed
a lunch at the 10th annual conference of the Africa Foundation for Democracy
in Miami on Thursday 20th September. You may click
here for full address. The photo shows Mr. Mitchell with Dr.
Gershwin Blyden, a Bahamian doctor of renown living in South Florida who
is a member of the Foundation For Democracy.
IN PASSING
Police Commissioner To Retire
Reports now say that amongst those who have been asked to retire from
the Royal Bahamas Police Force is Commissioner of Police Paul Farqhuarson.
Mr. Farqhuarson is set to go in January. He has been reportedly offered
as an inducement the post of High Commissioner for The Bahamas to the United
Kingdom.
Joan Sawyer’s Remarks Cause Security Scare
Security has to be beefed up around former Minister Allyson Gibson
and Fred Mitchell as a result of the remarks of Dame Joan Sawyer in the
case in which she described their conduct as ministers in the extradition
case of Samuel ‘Ninety’ Knowles as illegal. Last week on this site,
we described the dangers and the irresponsibility of the President of the
Court of Appeal’s statements. If anything happens to these individuals
then we know exactly who is responsible for it.
The Straw Market – Take It Or Leave It
Tommy Turnquest, the Minister of National Security and head of a special
cabinet sub committee on the straw market has met with straw vendors and
told them that the government will not spend any further money to repair
or replace the existing tent under which they now work. The Government
has cancelled the plans the PLP had for building a new straw market.
He told them that they will have to leave the market and go to temporary
accommodation at Prince George Dock or stay where they are and suffer:
take it or leave it.
Former Jamaican Foreign Minister Loses His Son
Our condolences go to the former Foreign Minister of Jamaica K.D. Knight
on the unexpected death of his only son Karmal Knight on Tuesday 17th September
from leptospirosis. The disease, which is usually contracted from
the faeces of rats, has become a problem for Jamaica since the hurricane
and the clean up has not gone as rapidly as it should have. Mr. Knight
was 32 years old at the time of his death.
Brent Must Answer
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and the son
of the last UBP Premier in the country, has to explain why a senior police
officer who is the son of a well known PLP was abruptly transferred from
the Fox Hill police station where he had just been sent since the election
to take command of the station. Reports are that Brent Symonette
complained to the Commissioner that the officer did not give him the proper
respect when he visited the station. Officers at the station contradict
what Mr. Symonette is saying. It is known that the officer’s views
were quite strong about interference on Mr. Symonette’s part in the station
in that the officer said it was inappropriate for the Commissioner to have
accepted funds from Mr. Symonette to build the station because Mr. Symonette
now thinks the station is his. Mr. Symonette must now explain why
he removed the officer.
ZNS Layoffs
Reports reaching us say that the Board of the Broadcasting Corporation
met on Saturday 22nd September to decide on further layoffs in the Corporation.
Estimates of the numbers range from as low as 82 persons and as high as
108 persons who are to be laid off from the Corporation. Staff members
are on pins and needles. Last week the Corporation cancelled the
contracts of 12 persons including reportedly veteran announcer Carl Bethel.
Happy Birthday
They were born during Hurricane Donna in 1960 in Boynton beach, Florida.
They were given the names Matthew and Marva. They are the youngest
children of the late Mr. Frederick and Mrs. Lilla Mitchell (nee Forde).
Happy birthday to them both for the 47th time.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
“Judgement Fled To Brutish Breasts”
The irrationality and sheer dumbness of the public
utterances of the leadership and acolytes of the FNM government, were they
not so dangerous and destructive, would be laughable. For the last few
weeks there have been a series of pronouncements on the state of unrest,
mayhem and unpreparededness in many of the public schools. The FNM’s
propaganda machinery, however, would have the Bahamian public believe that
because of their efforts in painting and brushing up schools that schools
were in the best state of readiness ever. This is a tissue of lies.
Everyday occurrences in schools across The Bahamas reveal just the opposite,
which proves the point that a place of learning is about more than fresh
paint on the walls and new chalk boards. It must be a safe place
for teachers and students and place of learning above all.
There are still three weeks into the term some
schools on half-day schedules and there are several schools which are grossly
understaffed. Individuals such as Senator Johnley Ferguson, one of
the chief apologists for the government should pull their heads back into
their carapaces and slink away in shame.
Then there is the master spin-doctor for the
FNM, Oswald Brown, who in his besotted state, now truly believes that fiction
is stronger than truth. To read his recent meanderings on the two
day crime strategy workshop is nauseating and confirms that Brown is nothing
but a windbag. If the leadership of the FNM is unable to silence
him for their own good, then the owners of the Nassau Guardian/Freeport
News must muzzle this blathering nuisance in order to preserve some scintilla
of journalistic respectability and propriety in their newspapers.
Clearly, Oswald Brown has lost it completely.
All of this has lead one to the conclusion that
reasonableness and decency in public conduct and discourse has fled our
beloved land and in the words of Shakespeare in Julius Caesar: “O Judgement!
Thou has fled to brutish breasts, and men have lost their reason.” (Act
3, scene ii)
Granville Forbes
Previous
Columns
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|
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK: During
the run up to the General Election campaign of 2007, the Free National
Movement sought to make political ogres of the Progressive Liberal Party.
The FNM criticized the foreign policy of The Bahamas which was forward
looking and expansive, compared to the laid back, sloppy foreign policy
of the FNM. The FNM’s position seemed to be that as long as you say
yes to the United States all is well. The facts on the relationship
were quite different from the propaganda. The Leader of the Opposition
Perry Christie hosted a lunch against that background, and against the
background of the claim by Brent Symonette the now Foreign Minister that
because he and the U.S. Chargé were neighbours on the Eastern Road,
the US/Bahamian relationship was closer than under the PLP. The lunch
took place at the Eleuthera Room of the Crystal Palace Hotel and the official
statement of the PLP said that the two sides the PLP and the U.S. discussed
current issues related to US/Bahamian relations. Our photo of the
week then is the class photo of the entire group gathered for the lunch
with the Leader of the Opposition Perry Christie and Brent Hardt, Charge
of the U.S. in Nassau on Monday 24th September. The photo is by Andrew
Burrows of PLP Media. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
OUR RELATIONS WITH THE U.S.
Dr. Cleveland Eneas Sr., the late dentist and national raconteur,
used to tell the story of a Bahamian who went to the then U.S. Consul General
before Independence to ask about how he could travel to Miami. The
Bahamian was incredulous when he was told that he would have to apply for
a visa to travel to the United States. The Bahamian told the Consul
General: “But I don’t want to go to the United States, I only want to travel
to Miami.” Then Dr. Eneas would finish his story by saying that one
definition of a Bahamian is someone who believes that he has an inalienable
right to travel to Miami.
Once,
a Bahamasair plane landed in Miami and as the passengers were disembarking,
the U.S. Border Control agents were waiting in the airport to examine again
the passengers getting off, despite their having cleared border control
in Nassau. The passengers were visibly annoyed. Some had their
luggage and persons searched as well. One passenger complained to
this column that in going over the reason for his visit the border control
agent asked him why was coming to the United States. He told him
that he had come to collect parts for his auto business in Nassau.
The control agent asked him why he could not order the parts on the internet.
The Bahamian was insulted because the agent did not seem to understand
that part of the fabric of the Bahamian culture is the proverbial one day
trip to Miami.
Bahamians helped to build Miami and to settle the small town as it
built up in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. So if you travel
for example to a church like St. Agnes in Overtown, Miami which was started
by Bahamians who had gone to St. Agnes in Nassau, the names that
are called out for the sick and the infirmed, the death notices are all
Bahamian. It is like sitting in a church in Nassau.
Samuel 'Ninety' Knowles is in prison in Florida awaiting trial on
charges for which he was extradited not without some controversy from The
Bahamas. His case together with the case of the five baggage handlers
who were arrested after they flew to Florida last year on a training course
and later convicted on drug charges caused a huge political uproar in the
country in the lead up to the General Elections in The Bahamas. There
are still some who argue like the President of the Court of Appeal Dame
Joan Sawyer that the extradition was illegal. There are many who
argue that the five were entrapped. The Privy Council has pronounced
on neither but that has not stopped the ill informed commentary on the
subject. There is some animosity toward the United States in that
it is believed and argued by some that the U.S. government has had both
the PLP and the FNM governments in their back pockets.
Former
Prime Minister Perry Christie met with U.S. President George Bush in New
York in August 2004. In that meeting he reminded the President that
he was the first Bahamian Prime Minister to travel to Cuba. He spoke
up for the necessity of The Bahamas to have good relations with both the
United States and Cuba. Both are close neighbours and it simply makes
good sense. In domestic politics, the FNM would have the country
believe that because the PLP upgraded the diplomatic presence in Cuba to
that of the level of Ambassador that this means that there is a problem
between the U.S. and The Bahamas. There is no problem but that does
not stop the FNM from letting the facts interfere with a good story.
The embassy in Cuba benefits Bahamians and it has not been closed by the
FNM since they came to office.
The Bahamas begins geographically some 48 nautical miles off Palm
Beach. Bimini is some 50 miles away from Miami and in the distance
you can see at night the lights of Miami from the Bimini western shore.
In a fast boast in three hours you are across the Gulf Stream and into
Bimini. If you take off by plane from Miami within minutes you are
over The Bahamas. There is no doubt about the closeness of the two
countries.
Arthur Hanna, the Governor General, was hosting a South Korean diplomat
at lunch following the formal presentation of credentials of the diplomat.
The Governor General in his official toast said that the two countries
were in similar positions in that both countries lived in the shadow of
giants and could only exercise their sovereignty to the extent that the
giants would allow.
That
is the practical situation which The Bahamas faces in its dealings with
United States of America. Largely the foreign policy is to get along
well with the United States. You will note that in the first paragraphs
of this comment we talked about visa issues. It is clear that this
is the main interest of Bahamians, that of travelling to the United States.
No Bahamian government can survive it appears if that ability is in anyway
jeopardized and this extends very much to the facilities in Nassau and
Freeport known as the Pre-Clearance Lounge which allows U.S. Border control
agents on Bahamian soil to process visitors travelling to the U.S. and
Americans going back home to their country as if they were in the United
States. Those facilities exist in The Bahamas, Aruba, in Canada,
in Bermuda and Shannon, Ireland. The U.S. can cause a shaking of
the political firmament in The Bahamas by the mere suggestion that one
government or the other is jeopardizing that lounge and its facilities.
Successive U.S. Ambassadors know how to push that button by getting to
know and channel information and opinions to Eileen Carron of The Tribune,
who is a more than willing tool and agent at anti PLP mischief through
her columns.
The PLP however takes the position that relations with the US and
good relations do not mean that we do not have other interests to pursue,
and that as long as jurisdictionally we are separate and equal from other
countries of the world we must pursue the interests of our country: protecting
Bahamians. For the FNM this now means the job of continuing the expansion
of honorary consuls overseas, expanding the number of embassies overseas
including putting an Ambassador in Jamaica to represent us to the Caricom
region and it also means an Ambassador to Brussels and elevating Philip
Miller the present head of mission in China to an Ambassador and supplying
consular officers for the mission.
The Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas while dealing with the US/Bahamian
relationship as the major one must not be totally centred on it.
We show this week photos of the luncheon meeting of the U.S. side with
the PLP side on Monday 24th September. This is a good sign in that
the PLP must continue to put the pressure on the FNM to continue the forward
looking policy of the PLP in foreign affairs.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 29th September 2007 up
to midnight: 230,854.
Number of hits for the month of September up to Saturday 29th September
2007 up to midnight: 1,010,028.
Number of hits for the year 2007 up to Saturday 29th September 2007
up to midnight: 4,047,388. [Does not reflect hits prior to 14th February,
2007]
Photos: PLP Media
/ Andrew Burrows
CONTACT US AT E-MAIL:placid_point@yahoo.com
THE
STORY OF HANGINGS
The National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest told
the Bahama Journal in a strange interview published on Friday 28th September
that more hangings in The Bahamas are unlikely. You know that this
column opposes the death penalty. But the PLP supports hanging.
The problem is the leaders of the country and the irresponsible comments
made by politicians like Branville McCartney, when he was in Opposition,
about resuming hangings. The FNM’s Attorney General Claire Hepburn
had to quickly clarify when they came to office that no hanging could take
place because the matter of the death penalty is still being litigated
in the courts.
Now comes the National Security Minister who recognizes
what is actually happening. We wonder if he checked with Hubert Ingraham,
his boss first. Mr. Ingraham is entirely cynical on the point.
He says he is against capital punishment but does not have the political
courage of his convictions. Few persons were executed when he was
last Prime Minister and we think it was done entirely to appease the public,
not for any other reason than a political one.
The Minister told the Journal: “It’s obviously an
issue that many people continue to talk about. As a proponent of
capital punishment, I continue to look at it, but from a realistic point
of view it appears that we are moving away from capital punishment rather
than toward capital punishment. That’s been the way of our system.
I don’t want to say the [way of the] world because capital punishment is
taking place in parts of the world, including the United States of America.
Given what’s happening [here] it’s not likely to take place." It
is more complicated than that.
Since the Privy Council struck down the constitutionality
of the death penalty in the country and ordered a re-sentencing according
to law, three men have been sentenced to death. But even this is
in doubt because Dame Joan Sawyer the President of the Court of Appeal
in one of her rants recently in the Courts claims that since the ruling
by the Privy Council that the Government, read PLP, should have passed
a law giving sentencing guidelines for how the Courts are to apply the
death penalty. She says since that has not been done, so Dame Joan
says, the Courts cannot act. Does that throw into doubt the three
sentences that have been passed? Should anyone gave credence to what
Dame Joan has said given the number of times she has been overturned by
the Privy Council? Tommy Turnquest has to say what he is going to
do about that.
INGRAHAM’S
MEAN MAN KEN
Even winning the government has not removed the
scowl off the face of Ken Russell who is now the Minister of Housing.
We have come to the conclusion that he is simply a mean and miserable guy
as we've said before and the scowl is permanent and can’t be removed.
If anything proves what a mean guy he is it came in the form of an order
given by his Ministry that he defended to expel people who had been living
in a trailer in West End, Grand Bahama since the hurricanes ousted them
from their homes.
West End and Bimini PLP MP Obie Wilchcombe was beside
himself. He said that it was wrong for the people to be moved.
Mr. Mean Ken Russell came back with his own explanation about how the people
living in the trailers wouldn’t pay the fifty dollars per month to stay
there and that it was time for them to go to other accommodations.
He said he had agreed to let them stay for three months to let Mr. Wilchcombe
find some place for them to go.
What we know is that the PLP would have built houses
for them to move to and not put the people out in the streets. But
with Ken Russell and the FNM at the helm, anything is possible.
BREAKING
CONTRACTS
The government of The Bahamas continues with its
folly in breaking contracts that were entered into by the PLP. They
have yet to settle the claims of the contractor against them for the losses
sustained when they cancelled the straw market contract. Late word
is also that the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Unions who
represent ZNS and BTC (telephone) workers are to meet in convocation discuss
proposed cuts at the Broadcasting Corporation (ZNS). Some 102 people
are expected to be laid off by ZNS within the week.
FOX
HILL SENIORS VISIT ATLANTIS
Fred Mitchell, the Member of Parliament, arranged
for members of the senior citizens organization of Fox Hill to visit Atlantis
on Paradise Island. Before lunch, the Fox Hill seniors toured 'The
Dig' where the fish roam in the so called lost city of Atlantis.
A great time was had by all. The pictures of the visit are by Dennis
Fountain. Please click here
for more photos. The visit took place on Thursday 27th September.
THE
STATE OF THE PARTY
The PLP lost the general election; virtually gave
it away to a group of infidels who have now set about with great speed
to dismantle everything that the PLP stood for. PLP supporters at
the base level are fired up but those in the middle class are despairing.
Too many are pointing fingers: what the PLP did and didn't do. Little
credit is being given for what has been done. The FNM has now come
and is able to capitalize on the groundwork that was done in the first
term of the PLP under Mr. Christie. The PLP was not given a second
chance to finish its agenda. The question is will they ever get a
chance again?
The banks come calling on PLPs. They want
their money. There is no let up from one bill collector to the next.
This is the price of losing power in The Bahamas apparently. Then
there are the taunts on the streets. There is a loss of prestige
and pride of place. People now have to deny their links to others.
People now have to use the devices of duck and dodge to save themselves.
What is even stranger is how friends now begin to pick on one another,
blaming them for the loss, losing patience. All of it is part of
the depression of losing.
All of this puts the burden on the leaders who in
the face of the loss, in the face of all of the demands must find a way
forward, with bill collectors calling for the 2 million dollars in debt
and no friend in sight. Suddenly the people at Atlantis are clear
that they don't like the PLP. Suddenly the phones are not being answered
in places where there was an entrée before. The hope that
the PLP has, is coming back to power quickly, but clearly the business
community does not buy it, and even PLP friends in business who are supporters
are busy touting Hubert Ingraham who has seized them and given them what
they want without deliberation.
Many are in despair because they don’t see the party
getting its act together; as if you can simply magically recover from a
devastating and unexpected loss without some psychological and other difficulties.
But the spirit and the answer is at the Party's base level. They
are fired up. They are ready. Their strength and enthusiasm
must flow to the Party's middle class and to the leadership.
Interesting point in time.
IN PASSING
C.A. Smith Confirmed
Former
National Security Minister Cornelius Anderson Smith has been appointed
Ambassador to the United States. This confirms what you first read
in this column. He will live in Washington. Mr. Smith is not
a bad choice as FNMs go. He was not a vicious and vindictive FNM
like the Hubertites who now inhabit the power of the FNM. He had
a long career as the Human Resources Manager for Syntex Pharmaceuticals
in Freeport and wielded deftly its hiring practices to ensure that FNMs
were hired at Syntex. He then went to serve in the House of Assembly
for 20 years until he was dumped by the people in favour of Anne Percentie
of the PLP. Mr. Smith revealed an ambitious list of projects that
he would like to pursue as Ambassador. Unfortunately, all of the
list has already been accomplished by the PLP before him including the
replacement of helicopters from the US Army that will leave The Bahamas
on Monday. New helicopters will come in on Monday. There is
already a data base for students as well. Someone should really brief
Ambassadors designate before they speak. This job is simply to shake
hands and win friends. Mr. Smith has a good personality and he should
let the diplomats do their jobs. Mr. Smith succeeds Joshua Sears,
the former civil servant, who served under the PLP then stabbed the PLP
in the back by turning and running against the PLP in Exuma. Thank
God he lost! That is the price of perfidy!
Morrison Comes Out Against The Police In Schools
Terence Morrison the leader of the Zion Baptist Church on Shirley Street
has now entered the debate about police in the schools. He has come
down on the side of the government on the issue that police should not
be in the schools. The church must be careful how it enters into
a political fray. It is clear that only the police have the authority
that it will take to bring order back to the schools. The government
is going to wait until someone is killed before they reverse themselves.
At least 12 children have been injured in the schools since school opened
as a result of there being no one to police the children when violence
breaks out in the schools. The Bahamas Union of Teachers is divided
on the subject with the President saying she is opposed and the Secretary
General says that she supports it. Then the FNM threatened to fire
the teachers who sat out in the schools to protest the police being taken
out of the schools. Brother Morrison should do what he does best
and pray.
Burma
We deplore absolutely the military government’s crackdown on the protest
in Burma against the rule of the military. Scores of deaths have
now been reported in the face of repeated protests over the past weeks
by the civilian population there. The Nobel Peace winner Aung San
Suu Kyi is the country's elected leader but whose election was set aside
by the military in 1988 has now been taken from her house where she has
been under constant detention to a jail. This is reprehensible.
The Chinese government that has the most influence on this repressive government
should use its influence to stop the killing. We are further saddened
by the silence of the government of The Bahamas.
Foreign Minister’s U.N. Address
Brent Symonette, the Foreign Minister, is to deliver the annual statement
of The Bahamas at the United Nations on Tuesday 2nd October. The
address can be seen on www.un.org
The Montreal Declaration
Fred Mitchell, the former Foreign Minister, travelled to Montreal,
Canada on the weekend to begin work on what is reportedly to be called
THE MONTREAL DECLARATION, a blueprint for The Bahamas in international
trade over the next ten years. Mr. Mitchell visited McGill University
and began researching the point. He is convinced that the future
of The Bahamas is in expanding its international trade and entering into
international trade pacts which will modernize the Bahamian economy and
enhance the ability of the country to survive economically. Mr. Mitchell
returns to the country on Monday. The Bahamas competitiveness in
tourism and financial services appears to be deteriorating. Mr. Mitchell
has been critical of the FNM for not signing the Economic Partnership Agreement
(EPA) with the Europeans and having a myopic view of its relations with
Caricom and the single market. It is believed that the Montreal Declaration
will take anywhere from six weeks to three months to be completed and then
will be unveiled in an announcement. We think that this is a most
interesting development and we await word on its results.
Oswald Brown Revisited
The subject matter last week Friday 28th September of the column of
Oswald Brown, the columnist and editor of the Freeport News who is on an
anti Fred Mitchell crusade to the point of a sickness, was an expose on
where he was before the FNM came to power in 1992. We did not have
to read the column because everyone knows where Oswald Brown was before
1992. He was lost in space then and he is lost in space now.
Parliament To Open
The House of Assembly will resume its sittings on Wednesday 3rd October
following the summer break. We hope that the PLP mounts a demonstration
against the FNM on that day.
CARTOON
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Recently, The Nassau Guardian published an editorial
entitled 'Your'e
hired; You're fired' Correspondent Elcott Coleby this week publishes
a rebuttal.
You’re Hired; You’re Fired: A Rebuttal.
In the Guardian’s editorial, “You’re hired; you’re
fired”, the writer was exceptionally kind to the FNM government and the
President of the Bahamas Public Service Union (BPSU), Mr. John Pinder,
clearly giving both parties the benefit of any available doubt. The editorial
states that “they (the temporary workers) were offered a job, perhaps by
an MP, which they no doubt accepted and had the expectation that they had
finally landed permanent, safe and secure employment. They were not responsible
for issuing their own letters of appointment. That is the function of the
permanent secretary under delegated authority conferred by the Cabinet.
Indeed, the permanent secretaries should have been aware of exactly how
many of those workers were brought into his or her ministry and should
have conveyed that information to the incoming administration so that adequate
provisions could be made in the upcoming budget. If the permanent secretaries
did not carry out their duties in this instance then one must conclude
that they failed the workers; they failed the incoming administration and
they also failed the out-going administration.” I interpret this statement
as a deliberate attempt by the writer to absolve the FNM cabinet of any
responsibility for the termination of these employees. The writer seeks
to hold the permanent secretaries culpable, but how is it that the government
(the FNM cabinet specifically) knew about and stopped $90 million worth
of contracts committed by the PLP government and was unaware of the number
of these temporary employees? The needs assessment conducted by the PLP
administration was well publicized and the FNM cabinet had full access
to this report; Operation Second Chance was also widely publicized and
funded with $3 million; the Minister with responsibility for the Public
Service was forthcoming with an explanation about the genesis of Operation
Second Chance; the existing budget (2007/2008) reflects an increase for
the Operation Second Chance program; at the close of the last session of
the senate before that 2007 general elections, Mr. Carl Bethel could be
heard smarting at the PLP senators about hiring 1,200 employees. In the
face of these very public and transparent developments, why does the writer
not find it necessary to place the blame where it rightfully belongs, at
the feet of and on the shoulders of the FNM cabinet? They failed those
workers, not the permanent secretaries. Like I said, the editor is being
very kind to the FNM government.
Delegated authority is a constitutional provision
found in chapter 31 of the Bahamas Constitution that allows a government
to fill an immediate labour need in the public service until such time
as the “paper work” if you will is completed; for some reason the Public
Service Commission is always inundated with a backlog of work, but the
business of government must continue. Employees are usually hired month
to month, but it is clear to all and sundry (and definitely the cabinet)
that the employees are in transition and as soon as the paperwork is completed,
the temporary employees will become permanent and pensionable. There should
be no debate or argument over this point because it is essentially moot.
The irony and hypocrisy in this redundant public debate is that the politician
with the most experience in the use of this instrument of government (delegated
authority), is the very person who seeks to use it and general orders to
victimize hundreds of Bahamians; this politician is non other than the
Prime Minister.
His government used delegated authority in February
1997 to hire hundreds of temporary workers. We know that the elections
of 1997 took place in March, literally days after the approval was granted
to hire temporary employees. This process was repeated again by the FNM
government in the weeks leading up to the 2002 general elections. Regardless
of the initial intent of the FNM when these people were hired, the incoming
PLP demonstrated the political will and maturity to find the necessary
funding to make these 300 persons permanent and pensionable.
John Pinder, no doubt, observed both developments and is now the
beneficiary of the union dues paid by these workers who are now permanent.
You know the workers who were hired before they received letters of appointment
from the Governor General. You know the same workers who were hired just
before the general elections of 1997 and 2002. This same John Pinder who
conveniently lost his voice and winked at the FNM on these two auspicious
occasions, has now found his voice. The editor writes, “and in agreement
with the BPSU president, poor, unemployed people ought not to be used as
political pawns”. I wonder what Mr. Pinder thought those poor, unemployed
people were being used as when hired by the FNM in the days leading up
to successive general elections in 1997 and 2002.
Further, he is fully aware of the actual process,
vis-à-vis the textbook procedure. This same John Pinder now supports
the termination of these employees because, according to the editorial,
“he has not seen any appointment letters and therefore these hapless souls
are probably temporary hires and not worthy of help from the Union. In
his words, they need a letter from none other than His Excellency The Governor
General of The Bahamas outlining their posting, terms and conditions of
work and reminding them they are on one year's probation.” I hope the membership
of the BPSU keep this in mind during the next BPSU election of officers.
I hasten to again remind the Bahamian people
of the role of government: Duly elected officials are to use the instruments
of government to continuously improve and empower the lives of the people
they serve. The instruments of government were never intended to and ought
not to be used to disempower and disenfranchise any citizen. Firing some
1,000 persons does not empower them and amounts to poor governance. This
politically convenient argument about “proper procedures” not being followed
is hogwash because there are many cases where persons received their letters
of appointment from the Governor General after retirement from the civil
service in order to qualify for old age pension benefits.
In light of all of the developments mentioned
above, I am of the considered view that the editor of the Guardian is being
extremely kind to the FNM government and has selected “kid gloves” when
dealing with them.
Elcott Coleby
