STATEMENT
FROM NEVILLE W. WISDOM

IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT MR MOON McPHEE, A GENTLEMAN WHO I HAVE HADE THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH IN THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH SPORTS AND CULTURE HAS LOST HIS JOB AT THAT MINISTRY; EFFECTIVE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.

I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ASCERTAIN THE REASON FOR MR. McPHEE’S CONTRACT WITH THAT MINISTRY NOT BEING RENEWED, PARTICULARLY SINCE THE RENEWAL REQUEST I UNDERSTAND WAS SUPPORTED AND ADVANCED BY THE MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR SPORTS.

MOON McPHEE IS NATIONAL SPORTING ICON! HIS TALENT AS A COACH AND HIS DEDICATION TO OUR NATIONAL SPORTS DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES HAS LED TO HIS BEING HONORED; EVEN WITH A PARK BEING NAMED AFTER HIM IN GRAND BAHAMA.

THE SPORTING COMMUNITY NATIONALLY IS AT A LOSS TO UNDERSTAND THE THINKING ENGAGED IN MAKING A DECISION WHICH ON THE SURFACE JUST DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. I HAVE SPOKEN TO MR. McPHEE AND EVEN HE IS UNABLE TO EXPLAIN THIS DECISION AS NO EXPLANATION SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO HIM.

THE FACTS ARE THAT MR. McPHEE WAS ENGAGED BY CONTRACT INITIALLY BY THE F.N.M. GOVERNMENT. UPON TAKING OFFICE, MY GOVERNMENT CONTINUED THE CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENT ADJUSTING THE SALARY TO REFLECT A COST OF LIVING INCREASE AND TO RECOGNIZE THE WORK THAT MOON WAS DOING FOR SPORTS BOTH IN GRAND BAHAMA AND NATIONALLY.

I AM AWARE THAT TWO YEARS AGO, THE CURRENT PRIME MINISTER FORECASTED HIS INTENTION TO “REVIEW” CONSULTANT POSITIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS. THAT REVIEW SHOULD HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT IF SPORTS IN GRAND BAHAMA WAS GOING TO CONTINUE TO PROGRESS MANY MORE MOON McPHEES WOULD NEED TO BE ENGAGED.

WITH THE DISMISSAL OF MR. McPHEE, THE MINISTRY IS NOW LEFT WITH TWO CONSULTANTS MR. TOMMY ROBINSON AND MR. WINSTON “GUS” COOPER. IF THIS GOVERNMENT’S POLICY ON CONSULTANTS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS IS TO BE CONSISTENT, I GUESS WE SHALL SEE THE “EMBARRASSING” DEPARTURE OF THESE TWO NATIONAL “HEROES’.

A WISE GOVERNMENT SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT “A COUNTRY WITHOUT “HEROES” IS A COUNTRY WITHOUT A HISTORY. WE CANNOT ABUSE OUR NATIONAL “TREASURES”

IF MOON McPHEE DID SOMETHING WRONG THAT MERITED HIS DISMISSAL THEN SO BE IT! TO DATE NO EXPLANATION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO MOON OR HIS FELLOW WORKERS IN THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT!

MR. McPHEE RESIDES IN THE PINERIDGE CONSTITUENCY IN GRAND BAHAMA. HIS MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT IS KENNETH RUSSELL. IN THE INTEREST OF TRANSPARENCY AND FAIRPLAY. I CALL ON HE AND THE MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR SPORTS TO EXPLAIN TO THE NATION WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MOON McPHEE. OTHERWISE I WILL HAVE TO JOIN WITH OTHERS IN THE SPORTING FRATERNITY IN CRYING “FOUL BALL” TO YET ANOTHER INCIDENT OF VICTIMIZATION.

TO MY BROTHER THE MINISTER OF SPORTS, IF YOU WERE SATISFIED (AS YOU HAD TO BE) IN MOON’S PERFORMANCE, TO THE POINT THAT YOU RECOMMENDED THAT HIS CONTRACT BE RENEWED AS ALL PREVIOUS MINISTERS OF SPORTS DID PRIOR TO YOU; THEN THIS MATTER BECOMES SO FUNDAMENTAL, THAT IT REQUIRES YOUR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION AS TO WHETHER YOU WOULD WISH TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT UNFAIR DECISION! OTHERWISE, WE WOULD HAVE TO CONCLUDE THAT YOU ARE SUPPORTIVE OF A DECISION TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF COMMITTED AND COMPETENT SPORTS COACHES IN , AND YOUTH WORKERS IN GRAND BAHAMA, AND PLACE ANOTHER GRAND BAHAMIAN ON THE LIST OF THE “UN-EMPLOYED” SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE “POWER” TO DO SO. I ADMONISH YOU TO ALLOW CHRISTIAN CHARITY, GRACE AND MERCY SO OCCUPY YOU DECISION MAKING, THAT GOD IS HONOURED AND GLORIFIED!