Compiled, edited and constructed by Russell Dames Updated every Sunday at 2 p.m.
Volume 1 © BahamasUncensored.Com
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| HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRED MITCHELL - Today is the 50th birthday of the founder of this site Fred Mitchell, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service. His birthday comes at a time when he has reached the height of his career to date. The country appears to be generally pleased with the work that he is doing for and on its behalf. It also marks 26 years since he first became a public figure on radio and TV in October 1977 as the head of the Public Affairs Division of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, and later as its Director of News and Public Affairs. Television was new in 1977 and, as a commentator on political events, he marked himself on the public imagination at the age of 24. Last week, he presented the country’s annual statement to the United Nations on Wednesday 1st October in New York. The photo was taken on that occasion. We thought as we wished him happy birthday that it was only fitting that this photo be our photo of the week. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
ANOTHER BOY GOES MISSING
The
news reverberated around Freeport, and then around New Providence and the
country. There is now missing boy number five in Freeport.
His mother last reported seeing him on Sunday 28th September. He
had been working at the downtown Winn Dixie Food store as a packing boy
and having departed from there went to a game room, where he was captured
on a fuzzy video with a fresh haircut. The barber confirmed that
he had given him the haircut. But having left his job at 11 p.m.
on Saturday 27th September, he was not seen again but for one report that
he was seen on the beach at Williams Town near his home at around 6:30
p.m. on Sunday 28th September. The police searched that area and
found nothing. The mother sounded the alarm after he had not returned
home for twenty four hours. The police started their processes all
over again.
We must confess that this has our country in a tizzy. No one
seems to know the answer. Where are these kids? Some say that
there is a grim reaper who is plucking them off the streets for organ transplants.
Others say that they have been abducted and taken out of the country.
Some say that they are still alive. Others say that they are long
dead. 
The
police are not in the business of speculating. They say that they
are not giving up on any ideas or theories but not embracing them either.
The evidence is simply not there. They have called on their international
partners but there is nothing substantial yet.
The Bahamian public and some members of the Government were getting a little exasperated with the police, thinking that they have not been taking the matter as seriously as they should have. But everything points to a very serious investigation that has the police force under a great deal of stress because unlike the general crime situation in The Bahamas, they seemingly cannot and have not solved this one. Assistant Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade spoke to Freeport to calm fears in the middle of the week.
Why did he have to calm fears? As the Minister of Foreign Affairs arrived in Grand Bahama on Thursday 2nd October fresh from his UN speech, his press briefing at the airport had to be delayed because the press was in a frenzy following up on the rumours that had spread around Freeport that body parts had been discovered in the freezers of a food store in Freeport, and that three men had been arrested, and the public had supplied names of an undertaker, a doctor and any number of other prominent businessmen. The telephone and rumour mill had gone into overdrive.
The
facts were nowhere near that. One person was under arrest and remains
in custody as this column goes to print. They do not know if this
is connected with the matter but the police are saying that he is assisting
them with their inquiries and they are checking out various leads.
There are no body parts and there is no prominent businessman, undertaker
or doctor involved in the matter up to now.
The mob scenes in Freeport took place after the police executed a raid in the full force of daylight on Thursday 2nd October at the Winn Dixie Food store in downtown Freeport where at least two of the boys including the last one worked as packing boys. People emptied their offices and poured into downtown, and the rumours started. The police sealed the back of the Winn Dixie where the freezers are, some people started the rumour that they had found the dead bodies there and the people went into a screaming frenzy.
The international press from as near as the Palm Beaches, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami and as far away as London are now interested in the story. What has happened to five boys who simply seemed to have disappeared into thin air?
The Minister of Foreign Affairs in his address to the United Nations spoke of the concern that The Bahamas has for children in his address (Click here for the full address). The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Cynthia Pratt has assured the police and the country that they will provide all the resources that are necessary to solve this issue. There are a lot of people who are still praying.
But what is clear is that the central message has not gotten through it seems to both the children, mainly adolescent boys, and their families that children need special protection from themselves and those who would prey on them. Clearly, the boys have gone somewhere, and maybe just maybe what will come out of this is the recognition by this country of the special measures that must be taken to assist little boys as they run the gauntlet of growing into their maturity, in a society that leaves them largely to their own devices.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 4th October 2003 at midnight: 50,087.
Number of hits for the month September ending Tuesday 30th September at midnight: 154,744.
Number of hits for the month of October up to Saturday 4th October at midnight: 21,907.
Number of hits for the year up to Saturday 4th October 2003: 1,120,793.
MITCHELL
AT THE UN IN WORDS AND PICTURES
It was clearly a busy and productive ten days for the Minister of Foreign
Affairs. The time started with his departing Nassau for the start
of the General Assembly debate by US President George Bush on Tuesday 23rd
September. This was followed by his accompanying the Prime Minister
Perry Christie to the breakfast with US President George Bush. Then
the Minister departed New York for meetings with the Prime Minister in
Washington, including attending a reception for US Congresswoman Maxine
Waters, wife of former Ambassador to the Bahamas from the US Sidney Williams.
The next day, it was accompanying the Prime Minister to meet with the President
of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); this was followed by a meeting
with the Government’s Lawyers Hogan and Hartson and then the Government’s
Public Relations firm Webber and Shandwick.
On Friday 26th September, Minister Mitchell attended the award ceremony
to the Prime Minister by the group 100 Black Men. At 3 a.m., he departed
Washington for New York for a meeting later that morning at the Helmsley
Hotel as a part of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group to decide
whether or not Zimbabwe and Pakistan amongst others ought to be returned
to the political councils of the Commonwealth. Nyet! On both
counts. And then it was the signing ceremony for the exchange of
notes on diplomatic relations between the Ukraine and The Bahamas later
on Saturday 27th September. On Tuesday 30th September, he met with
Bahamians who work at the United Nations.
On Wednesday, he spoke at the United Nations then
later that same day, he departed for Freeport where he spoke at a banquet
for public servants and on Friday 4th October, he spoke at a function to
honour public servants in Governors Harbour, Eleuthera. Some of the
week in pictures. At top, Minister Mitchell took the opportunity to
meet with Bahamians working at the UN. Seated (L-R) Ms. Magdella
Chotoosingh (Office of Internal Oversight Services) Under Secretary Marco
Rolle (MFA), Minister Mitchell, Ambassador Paulette Bethel (Bahamas Mission
to the United Nations) Ms. Clementina Pinder (Executive Office of the UN
Department of Management. Standing (L-R) Mr. Willie Ferguson (Retired
UN Staff Member,), Ms. Karen Moss-Timothy (UN Trust Fund), Ms. Candace
Pratt (UN Oil for Food Programme), Ms. Sheryl Simmons (UN Budget Division),
Ms. Joan Quant Mullen (UN Procurement Division) and Ms. Helene Seligman
(Consultant-UN Security Council Counter Terrorism Committee). Next
photo, Minister Mitchell briefing representatives of the Organization of
American States (OAS); bottom, with the representative of the government
of the Ukraine toasting the beginning of diplomatic relations with The
Bahamas.
A
“TERRORIST” AT THE TRIBUNE
Bradley Roberts, the Minister of Public Works and Utilities, also known
as Big Bad Brad, let go a scud of his own during the debate on the Terrorism
Bill before Parliament during the past week. He called Eileen Carron,
the publisher of The Tribune “the terrorist of Shirley Street”. Not
since the then Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell accused
then Senator Lynn Holowesko of being “Osama Bin Lynn”, the Osama Bin Laden
of the Senate, has there been such a scathing condemnation. Mr. Roberts
said that Mrs. Carron was one of the reigning practitioners of terrorist
behaviour, using as her weapon of mass destruction The Tribune. The
problem is not its news pages. It’s the editorial done by Mrs. Carron
that is a problem. It is anti Black, anti Bahamian and most times
intellectually dishonest as she utilizes the lack of knowledge of Bahamians
about history to distort the true picture of the PLP’S record. There
is nothing that the PLP can get right. Such is her pure and unadulterated
hatred of the PLP. You may click
here for the full House of Assembly address by Mr. Roberts on Thursday
2nd October. Mrs. Carron is pictured at left in this file photo; Mr.
Roberts at right from The Tribune.
FNM
MP SAYS PLP TERRORIZES FREEPORT
Let’s call this one, the ‘far stretch’ department. Kenneth Russell,
whom we dubbed the most miserable man in Parliament, told the Parliament
this week while dealing with the Terrorism Bill that the PLP terrorized
the people of Grand Bahama, by politically manipulating the summer jobs
programme and only hiring PLPs in that programme. This was an allegation
made by he and his fellow travelling FNM MPs in Grand Bahama during the
summer and it was denied by the Ministry of the Public Service. Even
if that were true and it was clearly not, how that gets to be part of the
Terrorism Bill debate is really a stretch. Mr. Russell goes from
the sublime to the ridiculous. Later in his address, he tried to
bring in matters about the Ministry of Public Works and the New Providence
Road Improvement Project, that great failure on his watch as Minister of
Works. The Speaker had had enough and told him to cease and desist
and follow the rule of relevancy. Nassau Guardian photo of Mr. Russell
in Parliament by Donald Knowles.
A
LOCAL COUNCIL UNDER THREAT
People on Grand Bahama, particularly PLP supporters were confused by the
announcement by Local Government Minister Alfred Gray that the local government
council in Freeport will be dissolved. The feeling is that this is
a group of FNMs fighting together and we should simply let them fight.
There is felt to be no capital to be gained by easing the FNM out of its
difficulties. Many people argue that if there were a stronger Administrator,
none of this would happen. Watching the Minister’s move carefully,
in cancelling the will of the people, are town councils in Governors Harbour,
Eleuthera and Marsh Harbour, Abaco. The Council in Freeport
wants the Chief Councillor to resign, and has passed a vote of no confidence
in the Chief Councillor that has no legal effect. She refuses to
go. There has been a big row in the press but the councillors should
be made to work together until in the normal course of things they have
to face elections. Freeport News photos Chief Councillor Marva Moxey,
left; Council member Harold Williams, right.
ZHIVARGO
LAING GETS IT WRONG AGAIN
Everyone has unanimity on the issue of the missing five boys in Grand Bahama.
As this column goes to print and upload, the police had called a press
conference on Saturday 4th October to announce that they had asked a magistrate
to extend the time in custody of the one suspect they have to a total of
96 hours. He has already been in custody for 48 hours, the maximum
allowed in law unless a magistrate agrees on application by the police
to extend the time for investigation. The man is described only as
a Bahamian male.
Cynthia Pratt, the Deputy Prime Minister asked people
to remain calm and let the police do their work. Well Mr. Smarty
pants Zhivargo Laing had another tack in his column for the past week in
The Tribune. He claimed that it is somehow the Government’s fault
that this matter has not been solved. How this gets to be so, we
don’t know. It is another desperate attempt to make political hay.
Seems like he has been attending the same mix up class that his party Chairman
Carl Bethel attends.
Let us repeat, this matter is a police matter and
the Government is giving the police all the resources they need and demand
to ensure that this problem is resolved. We would also remind dear
Zhivargo that Perry Christie is not Hubert Ingraham. The latter embarrassed
the then Commissioner of Police and his men by calling a press conference
to announce that the murderer of two tourists on Paradise Island was not
a Bahamian. The Commissioner of Police sat silently as the then PM
expounded. We dubbed the then PM Chief Inspector Ingraham, with his
sidekick Sergeant Watson, who was then the Minister for National Security.
You won’t see Perry Christie doing that. Crime is for the police
to investigate and solve. As it turns out, a Bahamian was later charged
for the murder of the two tourist women.
THE
CHINESE CELEBRATE THEIR NATIONAL DAY
The Governor General Dame Ivy Dumont and the Acting
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Marcus Bethel joined the Ambassador to
The Bahamas for China in celebrating China’s National Day on 30th September.
The National Day of modern China is considered 1st October. This
is the day that marks the establishment of the Communist China. This is
53rd anniversary of the founding of the modern China. Nassau Guardian
photo of Governor General Dumont and the Chinese Ambassador by Donald Knowles.
PM
FLIES TO TRINIDAD
Prime Minister Perry Christie was the guest speaker
at the commencement exercises for the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad
and Tobago. The Prime Minister spoke at the ceremonies in Trinidad
on Saturday 4th October. He was accompanied by Allyson Maynard Gibson,
the Minister of Financial Services and Investment. The delegation
is expected to return to the country on Sunday 5th October.
PUBLIC
SERVICE WEEK CONCLUDES
The end of Public Service Week came on Saturday
4th October. The week was marked by special ceremonies honouring long serving
civil servants. The Minister for the Public Service Fred Mitchell
attended special dinners for public servants in Freeport on Thursday 2nd
October and in Governors Harbour, Eleuthera on Friday 3rd October.
The Minister expressed his concern than the Ministry of the Public Service
does not support the work of committees outside New Providence and pledged
to try to work toward that goal for next year. A seminar is to be
held on Thursday 9th October on the role of the Public Service at the College
of The Bahamas.
BENEFITS
CONCERT FOR FOX HILL
On the occasion of the 50th birthday of the Minister
of Foreign Affairs and MP for Fox Hill Fred Mitchell, a group of friends
are holding a $500 a plate dinner to raise monies for the Fox Hill Community
centre on Saturday 11th October. The day before at the Christ Church
Cathedral, the same group of friends will hold a concert of religious music.
The featured artist will be the Allegra Singers, featuring Antoine Wallace.
Tickets can be obtained at the door or from the Fox Hill Constituency Office
at 364-0333.
FRANK
SMITH MP MARRIES
Last week, too late for the Sunday deadline we added
the story of the marriage of Frank Smith, the MP for St. Thomas Moore and
Sharlyn Wilson, the daughter of businessman Franklin Wilson and Senate
President Sharon Wilson at the Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday 27th
September. We repeat the story for those who missed it. We also hope
to have a photograph to upload. - Frank Smith, the handsome
and dashing first time MP for St. Thomas Moore married the beautiful, intelligent
and engaging Sharlyn Wilson, daughter of businessman Franklyn Wilson and
Senate President Sharon Wilson on Saturday 27th September. Mr. Smith
is the son of Richard Smith, brother to Philip Smith, High Commissioner
to Canada for The Bahamas and George Smith, former Minister and now Chair
of the Hotel Corporation. The ceremony took place at the Christ Church
Cathedral, presided over by Archbishop Gomez with rites by Dean of the
Cathedral Patrick Adderley and Suffrugan Bishop Gilbert Thompson and the
homily by Fr. Glen Nixon of St. Thomas Moore. Prime Minister Christie
and his wife Bernadette attended the ceremony fresh in from their New York
and Washington official visit.
PARTY
CHAIRMAN TO MARRY
Progressive Liberal Party Chair Raynard Rigby has
announced that he is going to tie the knot, get married that is.
The wedding takes place on 18th October at St. Barnabas Anglican Church.
We wish him and his new bride well.
OSWALD
BROWN BACK AT FREEPORT NEWS
Oswald Brown fired from the Nassau Guardian is now
back at the Freeport News, the Guardian’s sister publication. He
is a former Editor of both the Nassau Guardian and The Freeport News. We
hope this time that the lesson has been learnt by him that political ideology
and personal spite for people should not influence what is news in a paper
that is to serve the people by simply reporting the news. The Nassau
Guardian in its present incarnation does not seem to get that point, and
we wonder whether we should dread what is now to happen to the Freeport
News, again?
AUDLEY
KEMP DIES
When the news came of the death of Audley Kemp at the age of 82, it was
a shock. It shouldn’t have been given his age and the fact that all
things being equal someone his age would die sooner rather than later.
But such has been his stature in Grants Town, such is the ubiquitous nature
of his presence at St Agnes Church in the Grants Town community that you
had the impression that he would live forever. It seems like forever
that he has been cashing cheques in that bar on the corner of Hay Street
and East Street. It is just across from the Mission Baptist church
of Rev. R. E. Cooper Sr. who has long been gone and passed on the church
to R. E. Cooper Jr. What a juxtaposition and an accommodation: the
bar across the street from the church. But that is how they co-exist
in Grants Town, cheek and jowl.
Audley Kemp outlasted Sir Lynden Pindling whom he
fought bitterly against in the 1972 General Election, although all his
life he had been PLP. He thought he ought to have gotten the nomination
for the PLP once Arthur Foulkes defected from the party. But Sir
Lynden chose his protégé Franklin Wilson who represented
the next generation of leaders. But all of that was forgotten as
he put himself into his version of community service over the years, and
became an icon to the community - a big contributor to every church in
the area, and a real presence in his home congregation, his voice booming
out the hymns during morning mass at St. Agnes at 7 a.m. each weekday morning.
Mr. Kemp was seen as a successful businessman.
His wife, Ethel, predeceased him. He is survived from his marriage
by Cyprian, Margaret, Michael, Theresa and Peter. He is to buried
from St. Agnes Anglican Church this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. May he
rest in peace!
THE
PLP AND ITS COMMUNICATION TO SUPPORTERS
Last week, a letter writer to this column who is
a teacher in Freeport wrote to condemn the PLP even as she is a supporter
of the PLP on various policy matters. It struck us that while one
can understand the exasperation in the letter writer, much of the commentary
was ill conceived. Perhaps, the real commentary is that the PLP does
not link very well with its supporters in these troubled times. There
was for example a criticism that the Government should not have passed
on the savings in electricity to the Bahamian people but should have instead
used the money elsewhere. But apart from the clumsy and unlawful
diversion of resources away from the Bahamas Electricity Corporation that
this would mean, the fact is the PLP pledged in its platform for 2002 to
reduce electricity costs to the public and to pay interest on deposits
left by consumers at the corporations.
Clearly, there is something systemically wrong with
PLP communication, and there is a great problem that the PLP has to figure
out. Its communication machine has pretty much been lousy in times
outside of elections. When one thing or another gets started, there
are internecine jealousies that start up about who is getting more prominence
and who isn’t, and whose man is getting most of the play in the PR world
and who isn’t and then it disintegrates from there. But the clear
result is a supporter who is sitting at home seeing the world inside that
home for his or her oyster and getting some of it right but much of it
wrong and then deducing their own theories. The PLP has first of
all to get it policies right, and then communicate those policies to those
who support it and the people generally who it serves.
DO
OR DIE IN THE CIVIL SERVICE
Kingsley Black, the leader of the Bahamas Union of Teachers (pictured),
spoke to the press and has indicated that the meeting planned with the
Government for Monday 6th October to discuss the question of the pay raise
that was due the public service on 1st July will be a “do or die meeting”.
He told the press that if the meeting did not produce the results that
he believes it should that there would be no further meetings with the
Minister for the Public Service that the Unions would only meet with the
Prime Minister alone. He said that if the raise did not come in October,
some unspecified industrial action would take place. And so it seems
that the stage is now set for a show down between the two sides.
The language of the Union President is an exercise
in hyperbole and one wonders whether or not he actually reflects the mood
on the ground on these issues. The Government has asked for the pay
increase to be postponed until December 2003. The Unions are insisting
that part of the raise comes in October and part in December.
IN
DEFENCE OF ALFRED SEARS
A letter writer to The Tribune on Friday 2nd October Steve Simmons, with
The Tribune no one knows whether this is a real name or not, has called
for the resignation of Alfred Sears as Minister of the Government or for
the Prime Minister to remove him. Mr. Simmons claims that Mr. Sears
has not been doing a good job as Minister of Education and has not been
able to attend to his constituency responsibilities because of the two
posts he holds, that of Attorney General and Minister of Education.
We take grave offence at this patently unfair letter.
The comments are foolish and designed to impugn the competence of a good
Minister and a good representative. The fact is that Mr. Sears has
the vision and drive for both posts, but the fact also is that both posts
call for much work. The Prime Minister in choosing a Cabinet did
not want to have a Cabinet larger than his predecessor who loaded up the
Cabinet with Ministers and so the country operates now within the fiscal
constraints that it does.
When you read the letter, it appears that the key
to its criticism is when the letter writer asks the question of how Mr.
Sears was able to defeat “a vibrant and popular” Zhivargo Laing.
Now we see the real reason for the letter. This is a propaganda piece
written by someone close to Mr. Sears’ predecessor Zhivargo Laing who had
developed a reputation for arrogance and detachment and as a result was
defeated at the polls. It turns out that he was not so vibrant and
popular after all as to not suffer defeat. And those are the facts.
We support Alfred Sears. We say that he should stay and go nowhere.
Mr. Simmons (if he indeed exists) ought to withdraw his comments and apologize.
KOZENY
IS CHARGED
The so called ‘Pirate of Prague’ Victor Kozeny,
a resident of Lyford Cay, has now been charged in the United States with
stealing 182 million dollars by the Manhattan District Attorney.
This was reported by The Tribune on Friday 3rd October. The indictment
arises out of the privatization of the oil sector in Azerbaijan.
There are very few people in The Bahamas who are sorry about this.
Mr. Kozeny ran into trouble with Bahamians after his development of a cay
in the Exumas appeared not to follow the sensitivities required for an
eco sensitive area.
WRECK
COMMISSION PROCEEDS
Justice Hugh Small has ruled that the Merchant Shipping
rules of the UK are applicable to the inquiry in The Bahamas now being
pursued by former Justice Joseph Strachan. The former Justice ruled
on the submissions of the lawyers from one of the parties in the Wreck
Commission investigating the accident at sea between the United Star and
the Sea Hauler that the Commission of Inquiry Act governed the procedure
of the Wreck Commission.
Justice Small on application from the United Star's
attorney Charles MacKay that this was not the case and that the Merchant
Shipping rules were not inconsistent with the Commission of Inquiry rules,
quashed the decision of the Wreck Commissioner and ordered that it proceed
according to law as he had declared it. But what is troubling about
this is what difference does it make which rules apply? The parties
to the matter have to be careful that in relying on technical rules they
don’t give the impression that they are deliberately trying to hide something.
SEXUALITY
DISCUSSED
We warned Bishop Sam Greene who started this whole
thing at the Independence Day service on 5th July that he was opening a
Pandora’s Box by raising the non issue of gay marriage in The Bahamas.
The Prime Minister has affirmed that the laws of the country respect the
rights of all individuals including those who are homosexual but that the
Government will not change the law to include gay marriages. But
the unintended consequence of Bishop Greene’s comment is that a subject
that has been taboo for years in The Bahamas, that of human sexuality and
same sex orientation, has suddenly come from underground. The College
of The Bahamas sponsored a discussion on the subject of human sexuality
last week. People demanded answers from the panel of a priest, a
psychologist and a politician. They wanted to know whether same sex
orientation was right or wrong, normal or abnormal. The answer from
the experts is that there is no right or wrong, and no normal or abnormal.
The matter is entirely a complex one. The audience at COB was packed.
A
WEEK WITH THE PM
As reported above, the Prime Minister was off to
Trinidad at upload time, due to return to The Bahamas today. Please
recheck this site later for photos of 'A Week With The PM'.
B.S.
NOTES FROM GENEVA’S IN FREEPORT…
NEWS FROM GRAND BAHAMA -
DESMOND ROLLE,
Desmond Rolle is the fifth young boy in Grand Bahama to go missing
without a trace. When the news broke on Monday around six p.m., it
seemed that it was just too much for the residents of Grand Bahama to absorb.
The police efforts were set back, not withstanding the contingency plans
that were put in place in the event another boy should go missing.
It was reported that the mother waited a full day before she reported Desmond
missing, so all of that precious time was lost. The police immediately
started a door-to-door search in the Williams Town area where Desmond and
his family live. We are informed that the police were also given
some tips. From this information, they brought in some adult males
for questioning. As to who they were, we do not know, however, with
the exception of one, they were all released. One still remains in
custody, his identity unknown to the public. These are the facts,
as we know them to be.
By Wednesday morning, the news of the arrests spread through Grand Bahama like wildfire. The rumor mill was in full gear spinning false stories of leading citizens arrested by police. The crowd then started to assemble in the downtown area where the last boy worked as a packing boy last Sunday. Then word came that the boys were all found in the supermarket’s freezers. This turned out to be nothing more than a rumor. Then it seemed that anyone who had a score to settle started calling and speculating that his or her enemy was also involved in a sophisticated organ for sale international ring. The police were quick to quell these rumors. The only thing that came out of all this speculation was the fact that most observers say, it had to be a single person acting alone, because Bahamians are known for not being able to keep secrets or telling a friend.
Local Government and Minister Gray
It is a well-known fact in the Freeport community that the nine members
that make up the Freeport City council do not get along. Seven out
of the nine councillors are said to be staunch supporters of the FNM.
Marva Moxey was elected by this grouping to be their Chief Councillor and
there is no provision in law for the removal of a chief councillor once
elected. That is for a very good reason.
On Wednesday morning, in comes Minister Gray, Minister responsible for Local Government and announces what the local daily describes in their headline as a BOMBSHELL. Minister Gray said that he would ask the Governor General to have the city of Freeport Council dissolved. News from Grand Bahama believes that the Minister must have misspoken; surely, we feel he did not think out his plan to a logical conclusion. Firstly, there is no outstanding business on the local government agenda. Had he checked with the administrator before his press conference, he would have found out the night before that some eighty thousand dollars in contracts were decided upon by the full nine-member body. So, it now seems that the only outstanding issue at the Freeport City Council is that the members do not like the Chief Councillor.
If Minister Gray has the Governor General dissolve the city of Freeport Council, he would go down in history as the Minister who destroyed the local government experiment. The Minister should be aware that every local government township from Abaco in the north, to Inagua in the south, is paying close attention to what is about to happen. And, I am sure should he go ahead with this ill-conceived notion that he would have opened up a Pandora box. So, in the end, the Minister misspoke. It is always in the public's interest when elected officials do not get along.
SWINGER HEPBURN
Swinger Hepburn, a long time supporter of the FNM has now become a
card-carrying member of the PLP. His FNM friends say that surely
he would have gotten an FNM nomination this time around. He has also
angered others and they have given stories that cannot be repeated.
In the end, the best comment came from a senior FNM in Grand Bahama who gave a quote from Winston Churchill, which has to do with ratting or changing parties. We believe that Swinger coming on board the PLP could be a great asset to the PLP's public relations machinery on Grand Bahama.
PROFILE OF COACH DWAYNE JENNINGS
In just two and one-half short years, Grand Bahama Golden Eagles head
coach Dwayne Jennings has set a standard in assisting high school athletes
and academically inclined students in obtaining partial and full scholarships
in the United States.
This fall semester, thirty-eight (38) students were the recipients of such scholarships; track and field, (twelve), tennis, (one), baseball, (four), soccer (one), swimming (one), basketball (three) and academics (eighteen).
Coach Jennings is quick to say that his efforts in placing these students has not been single-handedly achieved, but he has been ably assisted by persons like Ms. Garnell Weech, Ms. Kayshala Ramsey distance coach, Allie Rolle, sprint coach, Ricky Seymour along with Assistant coach, Eulah ‘Granny’ White. On the academic side, assistants that go above and beyond the call of duty as dedicated teachers, Mrs. Patricia Innis and Mr. Scott Miller, who both act as SAT instructors and Counselors in helping them to achieve remarkable success in scoring high on their SAT's through weekend classes. These two teachers were collegiate athletes so they are able to give some insights on college life to the would be recipients and they see it as their privilege to give back to their community. Finally, thanks goes out to Mr. Ross Smith, Principal of Freeport Primary School.
On the personal development side of coaching, Jennings has taken advantage of the many summer coaching programs offered across the United States. Last summer, he was able to take advantage of a course in Coaches Education and Inter Sports at Life University in Alabama. This past summer, he attended Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, Georgia where he was awarded the ‘top coach’ of the summer program.
This school year, Jennings believes that the petty in-fighting of a small village mentality is behind him and he hopes to meet with all high school principals and guidance counselors to assist them with their course of studies for students from tenth grade to graduation and map out a strategy that college enrolment officers look at when coming up with a criteria for awarding scholarships.
Mr. Jennings says that too often Bahamian students excel only in one area and should concentrate in becoming well rounded athletes, academics and also, to become more versatile and socially active with the high school clubs such as, Key, Interact, Anchor, etc.
The Scholarship recipients are: Southwest Christian College, Oscar Greene, Rimard Rolle, Kerryan Telford and Tenisha Joseph; Michael Meeres, Missouri Valley College; Nakera Rahming and Ronald Forbes, Voortees College; Don Wood, Liberty State University; Betley Simmons, South Plains College; Shara Rolle, South Plains College; Dion Frazier, Central Methodist University; Wells Palacious, Lindenwood University; Samantha Moxey, Fort Valley University; Elkon Knowles, Starrano Brenner, Barba Scotia College; Laquita Ellis, Arlington Rolle, Barba Scotia College. Kalera Seymour, Missouri Valley College; and Andrew Bell, Lindenwood University; Dwayne Martin, Barba Scotia College; Travis Strachan and Robin Lightbourn, Missouri Valley College; Glendia Sands, Eljin Morrison, Shashada Russell, Lashando Burnside, Shemia Williams, Tracey Brown, Shantria Smith, Vannesa Bethel, Dion McDonald, and Allan Rolle, Voortees College; Takera Knowles, Terrell Knowles, Crista Burrows, Peadura Knowles and Carla Hall, Lindenwood University.
This week's contribution from DM deals with the issue that is on the
minds of all of us in Grand Bahama and many more besides: the missing boys.
BS
On the missing boys
I along with many others in this country am distraught over the issue of the 5 missing boys. Those boys could easily have been my brother or cousin. It is a crying shame, but it caused me to reflect on something. That issue sheds light on two nagging problems in our country… the tough economic crisis in our country and the break down of the family structure, on which I will focus.
The media has done a magnificent job in broadcasting the fact that all or most of those boys were packing boys and were clearly underage workers. There are also facts to substantiate that there might be the lack of a positive father figure in many of those homes. Thus, those young boys had the responsibility of ‘bringing home the bacon’. When we entrust the responsibility on children to be the ‘men’ or ‘women’ of the house, there poses a big problem. Being labelled in that way gives them the opportunity to walk, talk, and act like a man or woman. Thus, escaping the childhood pleasures and quickly being placed at another level of society, which causes the development of other issues.
Many of us seem not to recognize the fact that many of the parents of these missing boys waited a day or two before reporting them missing. What is that saying? It is clear that that is accepted behaviour from ‘the man of the house’ to come home at any hour or days later.
It is a common consensus that Bahamian men seem to take pleasure in shunning the responsibility of looking after their offspring. Thus, there is a prevalence of single parent households headed by a female… who is not necessarily the breadwinner. Gone are the days of the nuclear family where the father was the head and provided for his family, and the mother took care of the home. Gone are the days when the responsibility of children were to shoot marbles, play ‘dolly’ house, have fun, and go to school. Gone are the days when you did not see a child without parents and vise-versa. Gone are the days when children were sent on errands and were timed by a parent or guardian spitting on the rock (just pray it was not a scorching hot day). Gone are the days when going to Church was a weekly family event. Gone are the days when individuals in the community kept an eye out for each other and each other’s children.
We are in a crisis. When we decided that corporal punishment was a crime and we did not want our children’s teachers to beat them, and our neighbours to rebuke our children, we developed a problem. Our mothers seemed to have forgotten their purpose in the home and decided that is easier to let BET and 100Jamz raise their children while they focused on their careers, friends, or entertainment. Our mothers decided that they would cloak our baby boys for as long as they could so that they could cause the horrors in our society or the abuse of an innocent woman. When we decided that girls should do house chores and boys shoot marbles we created a problem. When we decided, as parents, that we are too tired to study God’s word with our children and too selfish to model good moral behaviour, issues fell in our laps that we were not prepared to deal with.
The breakdown of the family structure transcends all arenas of our society as we ask ourselves why our national exam average is a ‘D’, why so many young men are in prison, why drug trafficking and drug use continue to be a problem, why alcohol abuse is still an issue, why teenage pregnancy and STD cases continually pop up, why there is little regard for life, and the well-being of others and why 5 boys are missing. I am not blaming anyone because we should all be held accountable, however, though the subject of missing boys is focal, we need to stop, think, and listen…the underlying issues are just as important as finding those boys alive. DM
"...just as lightning makes no sound until it strikes, the revolution
will be generated quietly..."
 |
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK - It was Monday 6th October and all seemed quiet at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Minister had just begun what promised to be a long day, preparing for negotiation with the troublesome public sector unions over the pay increase due to them. But into the mix came a surprise birthday party thrown by the officers and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – a real genuine surprise party, complete with the Royal Bahamas Police Force Pop Band, a cake and lots of food. There was some dancing as well. The first pieces of cake were given by the Minister to Permanent Secretary Dr. Patricia Rodgers and his private personal secretary Claudia Williamson. Peter Ramsay of The Bahamas Information Services was there to snap the photograph that is today our photo of the week. More pictures are shown below. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
NERVOUSNESS ABOUT COLINA
(A guest editorial by SI)
The Bahamas does not have anti trust laws that make it illegal for the market share of a company in a particular industry to go beyond a particular size. Developments in The Bahamas within the last decade have certainly highlighted the need for such legislation. Parliament ought to consider such legislation. The recent announcement that Solomon Brothers group will join up with liquor giant ABDAB and create a giant marketing force for goods on Bay Street, the near monopoly already in the retail and wholesale liquor industry in The Bahamas, have all created a demand among some that the legislature intervene to prevent monopolies in the market. The Grand Bahama Port Authority is the ultimate monopoly that many believe ought to be removed.
Nothing compares, however, to the whispers of dissatisfaction going on about the market as the country awaits another announced and successful purchase by the Colina group of yet another insurance company in The Bahamas. It has many people worried about the lack of competition. Many people wonder whether the government is protecting the interests of the Bahamian people by allowing too much expansion, too fast, without due and proper regard for the resources available to the company, its management expertise and the ability of the company to service its new clients properly.
There is nothing that you can put your finger on that suggests that the bottom will drop out. There is just a bit of unfocused disquiet in the market. It is simply too much expansion, too fast. Too much buying of too many insurance portfolios. First there was the purchase of Colina by the Bahamian group not so long ago. That was fine. Then came the purchase of Global’s assets, then Canada Life, and now it is learned that Imperial Life’s portfolio is next.
At no step in the process was the consuming public asked whether or not this was something with which they agreed, having invested their insurance money in one company on the basis of diversifying of risks. Now they find themselves with their monies invested in the same company, a company whose expertise on this scale is largely untested.
No doubt there will be the cry that this is an anti Bahamian attack, that if it had been a foreign company no one would say a word. But reflect on this part of our recent economic history, the story of Abaco Markets. Abaco Markets was allowed to gobble up, one company after another. A company that had its origins in Abaco as a supermarket then suddenly became a multi million dollar company with everything from pizza restaurants to bookstores. Pretty soon it was revealed that things were overstretched and coming part at the seams, there was talk of default of its obligations to its preference shareholders. There was default and it is clear in retrospect that the management expertise simply was not there to watch over the expansion of the company. A similar story can be told for Doctor’s Hospital who overstretched themselves in a boom market and now are having to seriously contract. All of this was done on publicly raised money, and no one seemed to have the power or the interest to regulate or restrain the unbridled growth by these companies.
So all that is being asked of the government with regard to an insurance company that has the investment of millions of dollars of the savings and retirement money of Bahamian customers at risk, to watch over this latest request carefully. It is our view that the purchase of Canada Life's assets should not have bean allowed, and we believe that certainly Imperial Life should be persuaded to look elsewhere for a buyer.
Our concern is that this is too much growth, too fast. Customers of Colina are complaining that their services to their customers have been suffering because of its aggressive growth strategy, with mistakes being made and not enough supervision of their interests both new and old. A warning flag then is sent up, to watch this matter very carefully.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 11th October 2003 at midnight: 56,008.
Number of hits for the month of October to Saturday 11th October 2003 at midnight: 77,915.
Number of hits for the year 2003 up to Saturday 11th October 2003
at midnight: 1,176,801.
CHARGES
IN THE MISSING BOY’S CASE
The murder mystery of the century in The Bahamas has had a partial solution.
It is not what you think. After all the hysteria, and the speculation
about someone grabbing boys to get body parts or to have sexual relations
with them, some secret pedophile, the initial charges do not amount to
anything like that. The press overseas broke the story first.
The Miami Herald repeated the story told by the mother of one of those
subsequently charged that her son who was in police custody reportedly
told the police. He said that the first boy Jake Grant drowned in
a swimming accident and that he and others took the body and buried it.
Several other boys were in on what happened and it may include some of
the other missing boys. Whether that is so or not, the police charged
on Friday 10th October, after five long months in the case, four male children
ranging in ages 11 to 14. By law their names cannot be revealed.
They have all been charged in the disappearance of Jake Grant, 12 years
old. They have been charged with manslaughter.
The island of Grand Bahama is overwhelmed with grief
that the truth turns out to be more sick than they thought. The truth
about our children being charged for a homicide, and the stories coming
out of their actions, does not say much for The Bahamas as a country. The
four were not granted bail and have been remanded to the Simpson Penn School
for Boys in Nassau. Jake’s body has still not been found, despite
extensive searches in Freeport. Nassau Guardian photo by Lededra Ferguson
shows GB Assistant Commissioner Ellison Greenslade (centre) in a cordoned
off area being searched by police.
THE
ANGLICAN BISHOP GOES TO LONDON
That emergency session of the Anglican Church heads that was called by
the Archbishop of Canterbury in London is to begin this week. The reason
for the meeting is the fact that an Anglican Church in the United States
has elected and will ordain a priest who is openly homosexual, a Bishop
in the church. The Anglican Bishops of the Caribbean and Africa are
unalterably opposed to the consecration, and are threatening to bolt from
the Anglican Worldwide Communion. Archbishop Drexel Gomez of The
West Indies and Bishop of The Bahamas will attend the session from 15-
16 October at Lambeth Palace, official home of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
He will have ten minutes to speak to defend the position.
The last Anglican Synod in Nassau passed a unanimous
resolution at the Archbishop’s behest reaffirming their opposition to same
sex unions and homosexuality, a position the Archbishop does not anticipate
will change. The Archbishop told the Bahama Journal in its Thursday
9th October edition “As a church we believe that the homosexual practice
is wrong, but there is no sin in having the homosexual orientation and
that God loves all his children. But the old saying still holds true-
although modern people laugh at it- that God loves the sinner but hates
the sin and this is what we try to practice.”
Speaking of ten minutes, the Archbishop of Canterbury
got a meeting with the Pope two weeks ago and was lectured for ten minutes
on why what the Anglican Church has done on homosexuality, is making it
impossible for the two churches to come together. Well schism is
the order of the day, and that’s that we suppose. From a church founded
in politics and surviving off political compromise, this seems a strange
tempest. Bahama Journal photo of Archbishop Gomez.
BOYCOTT
OF SOUTH ANDROS SCHOOLS
Parents in South Andros are said to be returning
their children to school after keeping them out of school for two days
last week. The reason is that the school has had no English teacher,
and there is no headmaster. The headmaster who is said to be popular
amongst parents, was removed summarily it appears by the Ministry of Education
because of some unspecified complaints about his character. Some
have accused Whitney Bastian, the MP for the area, of engaging in a witch-hunt
of individuals in the constituency who are the heads of the public service.
The parents have had enough, and organized by PLP
and FNM generals, moved to have the matter resolved. The Minister
of Education Alfred Sears intervened at week’s end. The children
were back in school. No word on when or if the headmaster will return.
But this once again shows how fraught with danger it is for anyone to serve
in the Family Islands. The least rumour or innuendo or you cross
the Member of Parliament and the teacher, the nurse, the administrator,
the doctor, the head of police could be moved without a chance to explain
or defend themselves. It has been that way for the better part of
the thirty years of our independence. One wonders when we will put
a stop to it. No wonder no one wants to serve in the islands.
DAVIS
AND WELLS SPEAK OUT ON TERRORISM BILL
It appears that Government members were taking the bill trivially or had
not read the bill, but the full truth about the terrorism in the Terrorism
Bill has now come out. Philip Brave Davis MP for Cat Island (pictured,
left) made an impassioned and detailed attack on the Bill now before Parliament.
The Bill is designed to stop the flow of money to terrorists and to tighten
the laws against those who are claimed to be terrorists. This is
an American inspired bill, arising out of a number of badly drafted treaties
that were passed at American insistence in their overreaction to the events
of 11 September in New York in 2001. The whole world like a bunch
of lemmings dropping off a cliff have been following behind, eroding the
civil rights of their citizens without a word.
Speaking on Wednesday 8th October, Mr. Davis said
that the matter was a serious one and should not be trivialized.
In a strongly worded analysis, he warned of the consequences of the erosion
of rights, and the lack of protection for those who are accused by a definition
of terrorism that is so broad that it could be used by an Attorney General
or Minister of National Security to accuse, threaten or persecute his political
rivals.
Mr. Davis was joined in his attack on the Bill by Tennyson Wells MP for
Bamboo Town (pictured, right). Mr. Wells who is an independent said
that he was deeply concerned about the Bill. He identified with the
analysis of Mr. Davis. He spoke about the Judiciary, about why there
is a need for judges in the country to have feel a for and know the community
in which they live, and that is why it was so crucial for judges to come
from the society in which they were judges.
We add our words of concern. We do not support the
Terrorism Bill and believe that the House should not pass it. The
Bill is a dangerous piece of legislation that should not be entertained
by a Bahamian Parliament in its present form. We identify with the
sentiments of Mr. Davis and repeat that we are in danger of being seen
as marionettes and puppets to world powers. The Government needs
to think again and all those civil rights activists in the Government had
better open their mouths and quickly or risk being discredited.
THE
STRUGGLE OVER PUBLIC SECTOR SALARIES
The parties met for five and half hours on Friday
10th October with Rev. Timothy Stuart as the mediator in the dispute between
the public sector unions in The Bahamas and the Government over the payment
of a salary increase due to public servants in the pay packet of July 2003
but which the Government is seeking the concurrence of the unions to pay
in December of this year. The Unions are saying no, and they want
part of the back pay, paid in October’s pay packet and the balance in December.
The Government says no, but is said to have offered to announce the general
promotions and pay the arrears and the moneys due upon promotion on 9th
December.
The Union's leaders made bitter statements as they
left their meeting on Monday 6th October, threatening mayhem in the country
including industrial action. The Minister for the Public Service
who has been leading the negotiations on behalf of the Government appealed
for calm but said that the Government could move no further. And
so came Rev. Stuart. No word on the outcome but it is difficult to
see how the sides can really come together on this. The parties are
scheduled to meet with the Prime Minister again on Wednesday 14th October.
THE
TOURISM DISASTER MONTH
Jeremy McVean, the President of the Bahamas Hotel Association (pictured),
described for The Tribune the month of September in hotel bookings as a
“total disaster”. This was reported on the front page of the Business
Section of The Tribune Wednesday 8th October. He said that September
2003 was the worst September in living memory. Frank Comito of the
Nassau Tourism and Development Board said that all tourism related businesses
experienced a ten per cent drop in their business this September.
Here is what Mr. McVean said in his own words “September
was the worst September for the hotel industry in The Bahamas in living
memory for most people. It was a total disaster. There was
nothing there at the beginning and it never got going.” Now while
all of this is true, it seems like a little too much doom and gloom to
us. What we don’t understand is why is there is low occupancy during
September anyways. It seems that hotels simply accept it as a given.
Further, instead of talking in total terms of disaster, more conservative
or positive terms could be used. You don’t want to talk down the
economy. Perhaps as doom and gloom merchants the tourist sector is
its own worst enemy. But Mr. McVean does go on to say that his bookings
or next April are good and he thinks that’s some light at the end of the
tunnel. A hairbraider at Festival Place in downtown Nassau makes her
pitch to a tourist in this Tribune photo from Dominic Duncombe.
THE
TRIBUNE’S IRON LADY STRIKES BACK
Last week we published the comments of Bradley Roberts,
the MP for Grants Town/Bain Town and the Minister of Public Works about
Eileen Carron, the editor of The Tribune. We agreed with his comments.
There is much sickness inside The Tribune. Predictably, Eileen Carron
struck
back with a load of invective and more lies against Bradley Roberts in
her editorials this past week. It reminded us of the days when you
could provoke her father the late Sir Etienne Dupuch into a rage by simply
saying something derogatory in a tongue in cheek manner. Arthur Hanna,
once the country’s Deputy Prime Minister, used to do it all the time.
He once said that Sir Etienne’s mother was Black. This led to a series
of articles by Sir Etienne about the fact that, well he never quite said
she wasn’t black, but he didn’t say that she was either. It was quite
amusing. Eileen Carron is the same kind of person. She takes
herself and The Tribune entirely too seriously.
Now Mrs. Carron has in her editorial position tried
to fashion a response that makes her the champion of free speech and freedom
of the press. She recalled the glory days of her father when he single
handedly in her words stopped the PLP from threatening the press in The
Bahamas. Nonsense! She is trying to cast Mr. Roberts’ remarks in
terms of a threat to the press and urging PLP MPs to dissociate themselves
from Mr. Roberts. First there is no threat to freedom of the press.
That is only a figment of her inflated imagination. Secondly, there
is nothing for the Government or MPs to dissociate themselves from.
Mr. Roberts spoke for himself and only himself, and is entitled to his
views with which as we say, we agree.
DUPUCH
DEFENDS HIS SISTER
This is the first time that we have seen Pierre
Dupuch MP get up in a matter involving a public attack on his sister Eileen
Carron who runs The Tribune. The Tribune is a newspaper that is founded
by his father. His sister did not support him in his troubles with
the Free National Movement, when they expelled him.
Mr. Dupuch told the House on Wednesday 8th October
that after his friend Bradley Roberts MP called his sister a terrorist;
he was bombarded in his e-mail with comments about the matter. One
asked what was he going to do to defend his sister. We do not think
that she needs any defence.
The fact is that the whole matter by Mr. Roberts
was taken out of context, and without failing to recognize the persistent
and dangerous lies that have been told by The Tribune’s editor on Mr. Roberts.
Mr. Roberts could certainly not have meant she was literally a terrorist.
But Mrs. Carron deserves to be attacked for her persistent intellectual
dishonesty.
Nevertheless here is what Mrs. Carron's brother
Mr. Dupuch had to say in the House in his own words: “[My e mail messages
asked] What are you going to say about your friend Bradley who attacked
your sister. And that was all over my e-mail and I laughed because
people really don’t know us very well. There are six of us, and every
single one of us was trained to take care of ourselves. It has been
said by many that we were trained by a master…[His father the late Sir
Etienne Dupuch]
“She (Mrs. Carron) is capable, very capable of taking
care of herself. But let me give one word of advice to everybody,
especially my male chauvinist friends here, that unless they want to run
the risk of a public trouncing by a woman, my advice is to stay clear of
the lady who sits in Shirley Street”
[Our view is that Mr. Roberts is in no danger
of any such trouncing and in any event what she says is so predictable
it wouldn’t amount to much - Ed.]
CITY
MARKETS HAVE TO CHECK OFF ANYWAY
The people who run the chain City Markets in The
Bahamas have to be as hard headed and as racist as their founder Sir Stafford
Sands, and if they don’t watch it, they may go the way of the dinosaur
as he did. For eight years the employees of City Markets have been
struggling to unionize that store to improve their work conditions.
The Bahamas Government under Hubert Ingraham passed an act to make it easier
and still City Markets after being told that their employees had successfully
gotten unionized, refused to allow the union into the work place.
It took many court cases. It took a public strike. It took
the intervention of the Government. And when it was all done, the
company refused even after negotiating an industrial agreement to agree
to one last thing, that of deducting the dues of members directly from
salaries to the Union.
The company owned by Winn Dixie in the US has said
that it was against their policy to have unions in their establishments
and further that it was against their policy to collect deductions for
anything. Every other company in The Bahamas does it, including The
Bahamas Government. The Union successfully petitioned the Minister
of Labour to schedule a vote to declare agency shop in the workplace.
That means that since the Union has more than 60 per cent of the employees
in the bargaining unit in the Union, then all employees in the unit, whether
members of the union or not have to pay the union. Non-union members
have to pay 90 per cent of the normal dues to the Union for the benefits
they enjoy of Union from successful contract negotiations.
The law requires City Markets to directly deduct
the salary. So they have lost again. No doubt there will be
a further appeal. This is a silly company that is badly run from
the States and really should be sold back to Bahamians or some other group
who has some pathos for human beings as their employees. The company thinks
that by doling out the little bursaries to students that have been stuck
at $2000 per person per year for over thirty years that this is enough
to pacify the country in their favour. Fat chance!
LOSSES
AT THE HILTON
The Tribune reports that a confidential report to the Government of The
Bahamas says that the Hilton British Colonial Hotel has an accumulated
loss of 34 million dollars. The paper reports that the Canadian Pension
Fund that financed the project has told the Government that the 90 million
dollars spent in refurbishing the hotel has not turned a profit but has
instead led to massive losses. It is known that the pension
fund that also owns the South Ocean Beach Hotel wants to get rid of the
South Ocean. The South Ocean has a casino license. The question
is whether the Government would allow the hotel to be closed or sold with
the casino license. Without it, the property is useless. Michael
Hooper, son of entertainer King Eric Gibson and half brother to Minister
Shane Gibson runs the British Colonial hotel. He contradicted key
points in the report. He said that the hotel has turned an operating
profit every year for the past three years. He said that is a different
thing from a return on shareholder’s equity. Whatever the case,
it is yet another sad story in a not so rosy picture in tourism.
IMPATIENCE
WITH THE GOVERNMENT
We have reported before the fact that everywhere
you go in The Bahamas there is impatience with the lack of achievements
by the Government in the field of jobs for its supporters and projects
to get the rank and file back to work. The restraint on public hiring
has frozen the public service at levels that cannot be expanded, and with
the rise in unemployment, more and more people look to the government to
bail them out with a job. That is the number one question asked a
representative. Can I get a Government job?
What is coming across, is that while the people
of the country understand the financial constraints, everyone seems to
exempt themselves from it. That is the lesson of the negotiations
with the public servant leaders who seem to understand the economic constraints
in the economy but will not accept that they have to exercise restraint
by not demanding pay right now. Be that as it may, the grumbling
continues. One visitor to the country doing a brief for a Government
official this week said that he tries to get a barometer of the country
by what the taxi drivers say. He said that when he mentioned that
he was in town to execute a project for the Government, he said the taxi
driver’s reply was: “It's about time they did something.”
People feel let down that their having voted for
the PLP has not resulted in clear progress for them in terms of access
to Government largesse, licenses and contracts. It is too far away
to look at the FNM as an alternative but if nothing is done, sooner or
later, our own supporters will stop trying to help, and the grass will
then look greener to the swing voters.
NATIONAL
HEROES DAY
Monday 13th October is National Heroes Day in The
Bahamas. It is not officially that but the National Heroes Day Committee
has been celebrating it like that for two years. The Cultural Commission
has recommended that the month of October be called National Heroes Month
and that the second Monday in October be celebrated National Heroes Days,
replacing the Discovery Day holiday. Needless to say, we agree with
that but there is a reactionary group in The Bahamas who claims that Columbus'
“discovery ” of the new world ought to be preserved as a holiday.
Hogwash! The sooner we get to the state where we start celebrating,
marking and recording our own history, the better.
LINDY
RUSSELL’S GRAND STANDING
Lindy Russell FNM MP for Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama (pictured in this
Nassau Guardian photo) had the floor all for himself. He was talking
about the Terrorism Bill. He wanted to talk about the case of the
missing boys in Grand Bahama, and the only way he could think of was to
say that the case of the missing boys was a case of terrorism. He
forgot completely that terrorism is a crime with a political or ideological
motive. The PLP MPs tried to stop him but he insisted, and when the
Government sought to introduce the rule on relevance, he claimed that since
Bradley Roberts, Minister of Works, spoke about the Editor of The Tribune
being a terrorist (click here
for last week’s story), he could talk about the missing children being
a case of terrorism. Not so. The rules say that if a subject is allowed
in a previous intervention in a debate then you can answer or expand upon
it. However, you cannot introduce new material. But no one
would have objected if he had simply asked for the leave of the House to
raise the matter of the missing boys. No one would have objected.
When the Government front bench reminded him that there was a rule on relevance
and he should stick to the Bill, he claimed that the Government was trying
to stop him from expressing his opinion. It is that kind of tiresome
logic that makes a day difficult in the House of Assembly. He knows
better. In any event, perhaps he can now stop grandstanding, now
that the police have made some headway in solving the puzzle of the missing
boys.
MORE
FROM THE SURPRISE PARTY
The staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held
a surprise birthday party for Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell
on Monday 6th October. The Minister celebrated his 50th birthday last Sunday
5th October. Peter Ramsay was there and captured this image.
THE
$500 A PLATE FUND RAISER
Friends of Fred Mitchell put on a fundraiser at
the Harbour House, Club Med on Paradise Island, donation $500 per plate.
All monies went to the Fox Hill Community Centre Fund. The Fund is
chaired by Rev. Carrington Pinder and Benjamin Rahming of Fox Hill.
The total effort will need one million dollars but the first phase of the
building is $200,000 for an all-purpose auditorium for the use of the children
of the Sandilands Primary School.
Photos are by Peter Ramsay...
YOUNG
LIBERALS ON BDM
The
Young Liberals have issued a statement on the call by the extra parliamentary
political party Bahamas Democratic Movement for the resignation of the
Deputy Prime Minister:
The Progressive Young Liberals find the recent
call for the resignation of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National
Security Cynthia Pratt by Mr. Cassius Stuart and the BDM to be unfounded
and preposterous. The fact that Mr. Stuart would chose to politicise
the disappearance of the five missing boys in Grand Bahama, especially
at this critical point in the investigations is both irresponsible and
insensitive. This is a national crisis and not a matter for cheap
political expediency.
The Young Liberals are indeed proud of the yeoman
job that Mrs. Pratt has done to-date. Her leadership at such a trying
and difficult time has been exceptional. Her commitment to resolving
the case of the disappearance of the boys, national security and particularly
the safety and welfare of our nations youth, is unquestionable. She
has proven herself an effective and capable Minister and serves this country
with distinction.
We take the opportunity to remind Mr. Stuart
that the ultimate responsibility for fighting crime in the Bahamas lies
with the Royal Bahamas Police Force. There ought to be no political
or governmental interference with any police investigation in this country.
The Hon. Cynthia Pratt has not been appointed Minister with responsibility
for the Police Force in order to micro-manage the investigations of the
force. This is not her job nor has the Prime Minister mandated her
to do so.
Minister Pratt has been there physically and otherwise throughout
the ongoing investigation providing leadership and support to the police
force. The Police force has stated on numerous occasions that the
Government has provided all of the necessary resources for them to successfully
conduct their investigations, which is indicative that this Government
and the Minister are committed to resolving this matter with the utmost
expediency. The continued presence of Scotland Yard, the FBI and
other international experts are also signs of the seriousness that the
Government applies to this case.
The Progressive Young Liberals demand that Mr.
Stuart desist in his political abuse and prostitution of sensitive matters
to further his own promotion. Undoubtedly his remarks are baseless
and show a lack of sensitivity and political maturity on his behalf.
Mr. Stuart is advised that when he again seeks to break his deafening silence
and rise from the dead that he be responsible in his remarks and be sure
to contribute something of substance to the national debate.
The Young Liberals have the utmost confidence in the ability and
leadership of Minister Pratt. We join the people of this country
in saluting the Minister’s efforts and encouraging her as she does her
best to ensure the security of all Bahamians.
A
WEEK WITH THE PM
Last week, we promised photographs of Prime Minister
Perry Christie's trip to Trinidad where he was the guest speaker at the
commencement exercises for the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and
Tobago. The Prime Minister also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister
Manning of Trinidad at his office 'Whitehall' in Port of Spain. He
was accompanied by Allyson Maynard Gibson, the Minister of Financial Services
and Investment and Minister for Trade and Industry Leslie Miller. This
week, among the Prime Minister's duties was the opening of the annual exhibition
at the Department of Archives in Nassau. Photographs are by Peter
Ramsay of Bahamas Information Services.
B.S.
NOTES FROM GENEVA’S IN FREEPORT…
NEWS FROM GRAND BAHAMA -
G.B. POLICE CRACK CASE
“A number of people were in police custody in connection with the case
of the five missing boys in Grand Bahama and our investigations are very
focused in a particular direction," said Assistant Commissioner of Police,
Ellison Greenslade. He further stated that the police would be relentless
in their pursuit of the perpetrators and would leave no stone unturned.
Monday morning saw the police moving to the rear of the Tivoli Gardens apartment complex near downtown, Freeport. They immediately started searching the bushy areas used by the utility companies to access their high-tension cable lines. Later that day saw the arrival of cadaver sniffing dogs brought in from Florida to search the area. Police said they were now treating the area as a sterile crime scene. As we watched, we did not observe any bodies being brought out. Tuesday morning saw the arrival of Defence Force officers and they conducted a grid type search that covered each square inch. We are reliably informed that this search yielded drugs that were stashed.
On Friday morning, the police announced via special bulletin that four persons were to be charged before the courts in connection with the disappearance of Jake Grant. They further stated that each of these cases with the missing boys was being investigated as distinctly individual cases. With that said, no one believed that these cases were not connected.
Almost immediately crowds started to assemble outside the Garnett Levarity court building. The mood of the crowd was that a "hangman's noose" was too good for anyone involved in the disappearance of these boys. Or, it could be described that our belief in the rule of law had suddenly given way to mob rule. Suddenly, the back door of the courthouse opened and four boys with towels covering their faces were brought out under heavy police guard. As the crowd moved in a lady cried out, "they are just babies." Another put her hand on her head and wept openly. "This cannot be who they charged." The facts are, that four boys aged from 11 - 14 were charged with manslaughter in connection with Jake Grant.
The general view in Grand Bahama is that these four boys charged were mere pawns. The police used this as a reprieve from the intense pressure being placed on them to find the missing boys. It is further believed that the police now have a clearer picture of what exactly took place and are moving in on the real perpetrators.
We believe in this instance because of the nature and the implications for The Bahamas and its tourist industry that the court dockets ought to be cleared and a preliminary inquiry held as soon as possible. We feel that February 2004 is too long a time to wait.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
This week the Ministry of Local Government held a four-day seminar
for local government councillors and administrators. Again, the Minister
of Local Government, Alfred Gray, told the councillors that he intended
to dissolve the city of Freeport council. We believe that the minister's
threats are nothing more than a saber rattling. We have spoken to
our friends in the FNM and they are embarrassed, but they too believe that
it would be a dangerous precedent to set if the minister indeed went ahead
to have the Council dissolved.
News from Grand Bahama intends to report on the activities of local
government at their local meetings; and, if necessary, will bring intense
scrutiny to the troublemakers and the rabble-rousers while reporting on
their attendance and contributions.
In honour of the holiday this weekend, The Bahamas' National Heroes
Day in waiting (see story above), we present
a special contribution by out correspondent DM:
On the occasion of National Heroes Day
“We have no history, culture, or identity, we are not independent and
I believe that within the next 10 years will lose our independence.”
Those were the resounding words of a Bahamian youth. Actually, we have history and culture, but we do not acknowledge it, and we are independent, but we lack the willingness to mature as an independent nation. On the occasion of National Heroes Day, I decided to engage a few teenagers in a dialogue about what it means to be a Bahamian and where they see our country in 10 years. I was astounded by the misinformation and the ill regard for our culture and history. We, old and young, are all called to be nationalist, and as nationalists, it is our duty to seek to enable the betterment of our country at all costs regardless of our socio-economic class, or who we know, or who we voted for, or what has happened before, or what we have been exposed to.
Bahamian history is rich, vibrant, colourful, unique, and diverse. Though we have not come from a line of civil wars, deadly riots, territorial leases, large scale segregation, or natural disasters, we have a country whose physical design is a history all by itself. The impact of our history infuses bravery and skill, courage and strength. Thus, we are not inferior. We have just as much history and just as much culture as anywhere else. We feed off the negativity of the foreigners who reside in this country and say what we do not have, but never once do we stop and ask ourselves, why are they here? This small country has produced athletes who are a threat on the world circuit. In medicine, we are ahead of many highly populated countries that have the resources, and our doctors have international recognition. We have some of the most ingenious artists, historians, and legal minds in the world. Some of the best straw work designers are living in these islands. Some of the best boat builders, fishermen, and sailors are Bahamians, and I could go on and on and on.
We are lazy, lousy, dependent, and nonchalant and that’s because we have been spoilt. As an independent nation, we are immature. What do we have to show for 30 years of independence? We wonder why we have such an economic strain here, and do not stop to think that far more money leaves this country than is necessary and over the years we did not make the necessary effort to keep more money here. We fail to recognize that we are training our children to be labourers instead of leaders. We fail to see the significance of marketing ourselves, our food, and our industries. We refuse to put in the time to stand on our own. We depend too much on other people to propel our existence (because it is easier). We never stop to think that if America refuses to send us food, how difficult would be for us to survive. We are being exploited because we prefer to be dependent.
What are we doing? Are we making strides to improve our perception? Are our leaders thinking towards the future? Are our leaders innovative? Are our leaders flexible? Are we encouraging our young people to think? Are we, as a people, planning for our future? Are we investing? Are we making an effort to establish our own identity? Are we assisting in developing another, much needed, industry? Are we into research? Are we making education a priority? Are we making an effort of being excited about our background and culture?
The quote by the youngsters (above) illustrates an accurate account
of the future of our country. We are approaching a major crisis.
Think about it!
 |
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK - This week, we think that the official portrait of the Governor General ought to be the photo of the week. A raging controversy burst into public light through an article written by the Bahama Journal on Tuesday 14th October. In it, the Journal revealed that on Sunday 5th October as the Governor General Dame Ivy Dumont, symbol of the Bahamian state and Head of State, was stopped and searched as she passed through the Miami International Airport on her way to St. Marten in the southern Caribbean. The reaction was fast and furious with diplomatic notes flying back and forth between the US and The Bahamas (COMMENT OF THE WEEK) and with Bahamians expressing outrage at the turn of events in the United States. But as you will see from the stories down below Bahamian and other Caribbean officials have to undergo the indignities of it all the time. But, for being a real trooper, we offer this photo of Dame Ivy as our photo of the week. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
INSULTING THE BAHAMAS
You really have to blame Caribbean Governments and the governments
around the world for capitulating to the foolishness that transpires at
US airports. Travel in every country through airports these days
is tortuous. Travelling through US airports is ridiculous.
It is undignified. It is intrusive. It is uncomfortable.
Most people just think of it as a fact of life and move on. But most
Caribbean citizens are shocked to hear that their public officials who
have to traverse the airports of the US to get from one point to another
even through the Caribbean have to undergo the same intrusive searches
that ordinary citizens have to undergo. The Vienna Convention and
diplomatic passports mean nothing these days, except that the passport
is red.
The United States is the only country that makes passengers take their shoes off, their belts off in order to resolve or forestall any possible alarms as you pass through their search mechanisms at airports. A kind of paranoia has set in, in that country that makes them feel that with this high level of intrusion, including searching a 74 year old Head of State, female, non Arab grandmother, passing through the United States that they have stopped a terrorist suspect. That is what Dame Ivy was for those purposes. In another context, a former public official in the US told how ridiculous it was that the airport security officers were searching 83-year-old grandmothers, and thinking that this would improve security at the airports.
The fact is that even as recently as last week, when various sting operations were carried out at Logan Airport in Boston where the whole security nightmare of 11th September began, the weapons were still getting through. So what exactly has been resolved by the new measures, and what level of safety has increased? What we do know is that the level of inconvenience has increased one hundred fold.
It should be known generally that diplomats are in fact special targets. They change flights and flight times frequently. Their schedules are irregular. They book their flights at the last minute, and often change or cancel and then rebook. The result of all their effort to give revenue to US carriers is to be flagged at airports and searched at every step of the way. Take off your shoes, take off your belt, rummaging through their personal belongings: over and over again. It makes no friends for the United States. It makes the blood boil.
Next month the United States and the city of Miami are to be the hosts for the conference of Ministers of Trade from around the region for the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas. Get this, the US and the city of Miami; anxious for Miami to be the chosen spot for the FTAA headquarters are saying that no Minister will have to undergo the indignities of the search procedures. They will supply armed security guards for the passengers as they arrive and they will shadow them through the airport, thus removing the need for a search (see story below) when they enter the sterile part of the airport. It means then that if the United States wants to do something about the situation at the airports in the US, they could. At the moment they do not mean to, but because they want Miami to be the FTAA headquarters, they are pulling out all the stops. They also know that it is a source of constant tension with all countries in the region.
So back to where we started. The whole problem with Latin America and the Caribbean is that they are not respected by the US, its Government or its citizens. The belief is that foreigners are good enough to spend their money in the US but that’s all: not good enough to stay for too long, and certainly not safe enough for the leaders of their countries to be trusted with innocent passage through their country. The US is one of the few transit countries where you have to actually enter their country to move onto another country.
Those are the realities of life. But our bet is if Caribbean leaders would simply stiffen their spines, with the co-operation of Latin American leaders, this foolishness would stop at airports in the US, then Governments like The Bahamas would not have the task of defending what is impossible to defend. The US simply trots out that since Dame Ivy did not have the armed protection when she entered, she had to be searched, and that was that. It is an insult to The Bahamas. But these days we take the insults, roll over and tell them to give us another one. Such is the state of affairs throughout the Caribbean.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 12th October 2003 at midnight: 62,886.
Number of hits for the month of October up to Saturday 18th October at midnight: 140,801.
Number of hits for the year 2003 up to Saturday 18th October at midnight:
1,239,687.
THE
PROBLEM WITH CUBA
The Cuban Consul General in The Bahamas Felix Wilson
Hernandez looks, feels and acts like a Bahamian but he isn’t. He
is a Cuban diplomat who happens to move smoothly through Bahamian society
and has been a more than effective advocate for his country in The Bahamas.
On two occasions within the past year and no doubt
at the behest of his Government Mr. Wilson Hernandez has gone public with
political messages in The Bahamas designed to influence Bahamian public
opinion, knowing full well that this would cause consternation in the US
camp. The first time was a response in the spring to the American
initiative to condemn his country for executing civilian hijackers who
were trying to get to the US. When those highjackers were returned,
they were summarily executed. Other dissidents were then rounded
up and given harsh sentences after brief trials with what is regarded as
an inadequate and non-transparent judicial process. The last salvo
came last week when he announced that Cuba would for the 12th year in a
row be presenting a resolution to the UN to condemn the US economic embargo
of Cuba. He claimed in his press release that he was urging the support
of The Bahamas.
Notwithstanding the press release, the only problem
is that so far as the Minister knew, no official request was made of the
Bahamian Government. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell
was quick to respond to the statements. He said that The Bahamas
has always voted to condemn the embargo but that while The Bahamas stood
with Cuba on that, The Bahamas was concerned about Cuba’s human rights
record, including the lack of transparency in its judicial system and the
lack of pluralism in its political system and the need to protect the right
of dissent.
THE
OFFICIAL BAHAMIAN LINE ON DAME IVY
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on its website,
the official version of what transpired in Miami on 5th October 2003, as
the Governor General travelled through Miami on her way to St. Marten in
The Caribbean (see Comment of the Week). The statement ought to put
the lie to the more outrageous suggestions being made by the media in The
Bahamas that she was stripped searched and that the Bahamian Consul General
Alma Adams and her staff were not present in Miami to accompany Her Excellency.
The underlying suggestion was that the Bahamian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
did not do its job. Leading the way in the lies and invention department
was The Punch. The statement shows that all the appropriate notifications
for the visit took place, and all of the requisite staffing was done on
the matter. You may click here for the full
statement.
THE
OFFICIAL US LINE
The United States Government through its representative
Robert Kerr, the Political Officer at the US Embassy in The Bahamas expressed
regret for the searching of Dame Ivy Dumont Governor General of The Bahamas
and her spouse Reginald Dumont. In statements to the press, the US
official further explained that the version given by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (see story above) was correct.
What the US spokesman added was that notwithstanding
all that had been done, their protocols require that when someone, regardless
of diplomatic status is travelling through US airports and they pass through
the security checkpoint, if the alarm sounds, the reason for the alarm
has to be resolved. This was the case with Dame Ivy. The problem
is that in order for that to be avoided, she would have had to be met by
armed US Secret Service personnel upon her arrival at the airport and escorted
by them to the gate. The US protocol does not usually provide this
for Governors General but only for Prime Ministers. It appears therefore
that the US will have to amend their protocols.
It is believed that upon her return to the US on
her way back to The Bahamas, the matter was resolved by taking the Governor
General through the interior environs of the airport so that she never
left the secure area. That means that this is something the US airports
can resolve if they wish to do so.
WAS
THE PRESS IRRESPONSIBLE?
One question that ought to be asked in the matter
of the search of Dame Ivy Dumont Governor General of The Bahamas at the
Miami airport is whether or not the press was being responsible in revealing
the matter. The first to break the story was Wendall Jones’ Bahama
Journal. Their headline read: ‘Americans Mistreat GG’. The
dam then broke, with The Tribune following and The Guardian finally catching
up with the rest. The Punch spun its own web of deceit, invention
and lies on the subject. The radio talk shows had a field day.
Given the sensitivity of these matters (in the old
days this used to be cause for war) was the press right to publish this
information, personally embarrassing the Governor General? Should
the press have simply allowed the Government to work the matter out privately
and resolve it in the larger US/Bahamian interest? The view taken
by the news media was that the public had a right to know, and that in
any event someone ought to finally bring the matter to a head so that the
US would stop the embarrassment of Bahamian public officials.
A
FAILURE OF CARICOM?
There was a complaint that the President of Guyana
had been stopped and he and his luggage searched while transiting Trinidad
and Tobago on his way to the United States. Such is the reach of
the silly regulations that now apply around the world that the whole regime
of the Vienna Convention and searching the sovereign property of another
state namely the property as represented in their diplomats and their luggage,
has gone out of the window. And so even the President of Guyana becomes
suspect in that context in a Caricom country that is touting free movement
of people. The Caricom leaders have to resolve some issues on this.
Seen in the context of the Dame Ivy incident, it
is important for Caricom leaders to stand up to such improper intrusions.
We go a step further and say that what is needed is for Caribbean countries
to resolve the problem of transiting the Caribbean from The Bahamas to
Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago and points in between.
All roads lead through Miami, and that is the problem. Going through
Miami is not only a nuisance but it shows quite clearly one of the failures
of the whole Caricom process. The Bahamas needs to buy a private
plane for its public officials or rent a jet. That would eliminate
all the foolishness because there would be no need to pass through public
airports.
A
CONTRARY VIEW IN THE BAHAMAS
You would not be surprised that there would be a
contrary view being expressed in The Bahamas about the search of the Governor
General. The Tribune has not weighed in on the matter editorially.
Their view is important since they represent the right wing ideologues
in the country. But even within the PLP there were those who saw
no big deal about the search. Their view was that she is the Governor
General, not the Prime Minister, and if the buzzer went off so what, she
ought to be searched like everyone else. No doubt that is the line
the Americans mean to take. In their published response to the matter,
the US said that even their diplomats and public officials travelling through
the US have to undergo the search procedure. Yes, that may be, but
they are not the Governor General of the country and all that that represents.
OPPOSITION
TO NATIONAL HEROES DAY
It appeared to be so obvious that it did not seem
that a campaign was necessary. There needs to be a holiday to honour national
heroes. There were men like Sir Lynden O. Pindling, the founder of
the nation of course. Obvious candidates like Dame Doris Johnson,
the campaigner for women’s rights and Sir Milo Butler who was the people's
champion long before Pindling. Some have mentioned Leon Walton Young,
after whom a school was named and Dr. C. R. Walker. All are in that
category of national hero. But the Government has run into some small
but important interference on the subject.
Hubert Ingraham's administration, after years of
lobbying by the National Heroes Day Committee drafted a bill that would
establish a system of National Honours, abolishing the now British honours.
He also planned to replace the now called Discovery Day with National Heroes
Day. The country has been calling it that for three years now although
officially it is still named Discovery Day. The day is said to mark the
“discovery” of the new world by Christopher Columbus. That is anathema
to Fr. Sebastian Campbell and the National Heroes Day Committee and many
Bahamians who see Columbus as the advent of the genocide of the native
people in this region and not a person to be celebrated.
Then comes George Mackey, the former Minister and
MP who is normally progressive, in his weekly column in The Tribune, and
later at the National Heroes Day celebration itself on the Montagu Bay.
He comes along to say that Fr. Campbell and his band were trying to rewrite
history by eliminating Columbus’ role from history. He said that
we would be losing out on an economic opportunity to capitalize on the
fact that we were the gateway to the new world if we eliminated the holiday.
Those facts are simply not true.
No one is trying to rewrite history and if the Ministry
of Tourism wants to use the Columbus theme they are free to do so.
But as each generation comes along, they have new priorities. This
generation as it builds this country is shifting emphasis away from the
Euro centric notions of The Bahamas and its history to a more Creole centred
focus, that is the local civilization that emerged to create the modern
Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Part of that is the day set aside to
honour the people who established that state. Chief amongst them
is Sir Lynden.
The day chosen was not to eliminate Columbus, but
rather to substitute an existing holiday without creating any additional
expense for the business community by the creation of another holiday.
It is much more simple therefore than all that. We hope the Government
sticks to its guns.
THE
PUBLIC SERVICE SETTLEMENT
The Minister of the Public Service Fred Mitchell
and The Bahamas Public Sector Alliance, representing all public sector
unions, met with the Prime Minister on Wednesday 15th October. The
dispute between the two sides over the postponement of the salary increases
due on 31st July is now thought be over. The two sides issued a cryptic
statement in which they said that the talks were frank and fruitful and
that they would announce the details of the agreement later. But
there was a cheery atmosphere as they met the press last Wednesday afternoon.
The Government has announced a press conference
on the matter for Monday 20th October. If that is an end to the matter,
then congratulations are in order to the Minister of the Public Service
for the skilful manner in which the entire matter was handled.
TERRORISM
BILL DERAILED
Last week, we reported that Philip Davis MP for Cat Island, Rum Cay and
San Salvador gave a masterful presentation in the House of Assembly on
the Terrorism Bill, meant to bring into domestic law the treaty to suppress
the financing of terrorism and to create certain offences on terrorism.
His criticism in fact derailed the whole effort of the Government and sent
them scrambling back to the drawing board. The result is that the
Attorney General Alfred Sears has drafted a set of amendments to meet the
concerns of Mr. Davis and other human rights activists. Nicely silent
during the debate was Minster of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell, perhaps
the foremost human rights activist in the Government.
Last week, we indicated that we would not support
this bill at all, even with amendments. The bill is not necessary, and
is part of the whole overkill in response to the 11th September events.
The result of this overkill is the erosion of the civil rights of Bahamians.
(Click here
for last week’s report).
OBIE
TELLS THEM OFF
Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe is the Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism
Organization (CTO) and something must have ticked him off. The Minister
was in Puerto Rico all of last week at the CTO and saw the need to defend
the Director of the CTO with some pretty harsh words to the private sector.
Here is what the Minister had to say in his own words:
“My support for Jean Holder Secretary General
is unequivocal. I stand with him. Any criticism of the Secretary
General is criticism of me...
“While I welcome the views of our friends
and our partners, I am bitterly opposed to what I consider to be an unwarranted
attack on a man who has earned honour in this region for taking an idea,
a dream, giving it life and making it live. His commitment to the
region is without contradiction. Mr. Holder falls into the category
of one of the very few whose lifelong work has been a commitment to the
upliftment of the people of the Caribbean...
“I applaud his work and when his departure
from office of the CTO arrives it will be accompanied with dignity and
with the honour benefiting a Caribbean statesman...
“I call for an ego-freeze, to allow for
the warmth of our personalities and the synergy of our commonalities and
spirit of unity to prevail.”
Minister Wilchcombe is pictured in this file
photo from last year's CTO meeting.
THE
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION MOVES
The Government has announced that the Ministry of
Education has finally moved into its spanking new headquarters on Thompson
Boulevard, next door to the Customs Headquarters Building. The Building
is built and owned by the National Insurance Board to whom the Government
is to pay rent. Let’s hope they can properly maintain the building.
The Ministry moved from its headquarters in the old Collins House opposite
The Tribune on Shirley Street. Nassau Guardian photo by Lorenzo McKenzie.
DEATH NOTICES
We wish to report the deaths and burials of Felix Knowles (left) and David
Saunders (right). Both men while pretty well known in their own rights
in The Bahamas are perhaps best known as the siblings of fairly famous
people in The Bahamas.
Felix Knowles is the brother of former Minister
of the Government and Member of Parliament for Cat Island Ervin Knowles.
Mr. Knowles died in the waters off Montagu Bay on Saturday 9th October.
He was 67 years old. He was a road contractor and businessman by
profession. He married twice: first to the former Iris Dillet and
then to Marilyn Taylor. He is survived by five kids. From the
first marriage: Danielle, Dillon and Dale (known as Happy) and from the
second marriage: Jihan, Jules-Curtis. He had two other sons: Kevin
P. and Kevin T.
David Saunders is the brother of Winston Saunders,
the former Magistrate and now head of the Cultural Commission. He
is survived by his wife Stephanie who is the sister of Attorney Charles
Mackay and five children, one of whom predeceased him. Anthony, Jane,
Maximillian, Ashley and Philip.
Mr. Knowles was buried from St. Margaret’s Church
in Kemp Road where he grew up. The funeral was Saturday 18th October.
Mr. Saunders was buried from the Christ Church Cathedral. He was
cremated.
THE
POPE’S 25TH
In 1979, within a year of Pope John Paul II becoming Pope, he visited The
Bahamas. It was a brief stopover, a refuelling stop for Alitalia
on its way to Rome from the Pope’s official visit to Mexico. The
plane arrived just before midnight. There was a mass at the Thomas
A. Robinson Stadium. The Government and people were assembled there
including the Papal Knights. It was a moving event. One hour
and half later the Pope was boarding his flight to go home to Rome.
As he climbed the stairs, the wind blew his cap from his head. He
tried to recover it but it was gone. A young police constable ran
onto the tarmac picked it up and bounded up the stairs to return it to
him. It was a moving moment, and then the doors closed and he was
gone. The man has dominated moral thinking for the last quarter of
a century; he is undoubtedly a great man. We congratulate him on
his 25th year. He is an example that old people should not be discarded
and that they should work as part of the fabric of life until it is God’s
decision to call them home. He is a monument to the dignity of the
human being. The Bahamas Government issued a statement to His Holiness
the Pope marking his 25th anniversary as Pope.
WHAT
DO YOU MAKE OF KOBE?
The ruling on whether silly sorry Kobe is going to stand trial for the
alleged rape of a 19-year-old woman in his Colorado Hotel room comes on
Monday 20th October. The stuff coming out in the courtroom makes
it a little less certain that there may be a conviction if it goes to trial.
Turns out that the woman appears to have had sex with at least three men
including Kobe during the three days including the day of the alleged rape
and the day after and before. There was sperm and pubic hair from
another man who, unlike Kobe, is white in her underwear that she had tested
by the police. Then there is the report that she did not make the
complaint immediately after the incident.
All of this does not mean that there was no rape
but the issue of when she said no is also in doubt. The report says
that Kobe had his finger around her neck as they were having sex and penetrated
her from behind and that when she removed his fingers from her neck that
was the first indication that she objected and he stopped. You can imagine
the feeding frenzy of the press after that. ‘Slam Dunk for the defence,’
they said. The prosecutor told them not to rush to judgement.
He said that he has not told everything that he has in his arsenal.
ALLEGRO
CONCERT IN FOX HILL
Antoine Wallace is a brilliant singer, arranger
writer and conductor of music. He is also a brilliant teacher.
He leads a group of Bahamian musicians called the Allegro Singers.
Mr. Wallace conducted a concert of religious music at the St. Mark's Baptist
Church in Fox Hill to mark the fiftieth birthday of Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell
and to raise money for the Community Centre in Fox Hill. In addition
to the singers, there was a feature presentation by 10-year-old Valentino
Stubbs. He brought down the House. The audience was also wowed by
a virtuoso performance from the young daughter of Rev. Drs. Mr. & Mrs.
Carrington Pinder (pictured at right).
PLP
CHAIRMAN IS A MARRIED MAN
Every father would be proud to have him for a son, much less a son-in-law.
He is dashing, aggressive, and ruggedly handsome. He is a success
in his profession as a lawyer. He is politically ambitious and is
now the Chairman of the governing party. Raynard Rigby was caught
by a beautiful woman. She is Alexandria Reckley, now Rigby. They
were married in an elaborate ceremony in St. Barnabas Anglican Church in
Nassau complete with two trombones and three trumpets in fanfare; ‘Sunrise!
Sunset!’ sung by Abigail Charlow, and the ceremony by the Suffrugan Bishop
of the Anglican Church Gilbert Thompson. In attendance were the Prime
Minister and half the Cabinet. The mother of the groom is Mavis Edgecombe,
now Tinker. The parents of the bride are Alexander Reckley, former
Treasurer of the PLP, and Mrs. Reckley. The Minster of Foreign Affairs
was also there and posed in this Peter Ramsay photo with the couple at
the wedding reception. Congratulations!
MINISTER’S
TRAVELS
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell travels
to Birmingham, Alabama this week for two days on a private visit and then
to Mexico City for a hemispheric security conference.
A
WEEK WITH THE PM
Mrs. Bernadette Christie (centre), wife of the Prime Minister is pictured
cutting the ribbon to officially open the 'Links' Safe House for Women
in crisis. The president of the local Nassau chapter of Links, Senator
Sharon Wilson is at left. Left to right are Mrs. Wilson, Ms. Margaret
Thompson-Johnson, Ms. Gladys Gary Vaughn, US National President of Links,
Mrs. Christie, Dr. Agreta Eneas-Carey and Ms. Dorothy Phillips.
After the opening of the Safe House on Friday, Prime Minister Christie
moved on to an awards ceremony at Government House for longstanding members
of the Valley Boys Junkanoo group. The Prime Minister is shown addressing
the group as Valley Boys leader Winston 'Gus' Cooper looks on at left and
Deputy to the Governor General Paul Adderley sits at right.
Mr. Christie also attended a ceremony held by the
Roman Catholic archdiocese of Nassau to salute Bahamians for long contributions
to the church's system of education in The Bahamas. Mr. Christie
is shown with Archbishop Lawrence Burke in a presentation to Ms. Eloise
Archer and sharing a lighthearted moment with Bishop Patrick Pinder.
The event was held at the Crystal Palace hotel. Bahamas Information
Services photos by Peter Ramsay.
MAILBOX
This week, a letter from a Bahamian student overseas:
"I am a Bahamian student in the United States.
I used to be a religious reader of this website for many months, however
since the PLP government has come to power, this website seems to be a
'do what is necessary to make the PLP look as good as possible' website.
The objectivity on the website leaves a lot to be desired.
"I said all that I did above to say stop being
so PLP biased and report the issues as they are. Otherwise call the
website after yourself!
Regards,
Donell Smith
(To this, we say - If you don’t like the content, then you could
always look elsewhere for your reading material. The site in our
opinion continues to be as objective as it always was. We are of
course PLP supporters—Editor)
BUS
DRIVERS THREATEN A STRIKE
Nicholas Jacques, the leader of the Jitney Drivers
in The Bahamas, has threatened to strike if the Government goes ahead with
a proposed increase in fees for buses to remain on the road. The
drivers say that it unfairly targets them and not the wealthier limousine,
livery and tour bus services. The Minister of Transport Glenys Hanna
Martin met with them and promised to investigate their complaints.
The joke went around Nassau that if they parked their buses they would
be doing the country a favour. Mr. Jacques, at left in white shirt and
tie, is shown with other drivers in this Nassau Guardian photo.
NEVILLE
WISDOM & GLENYS HANNA MARTIN RIDE
Minister of Sports Neville Wisdom is so serious
on the subject that he joined his constituents on Saturday 18th October
in a 26-mile bicycle race as a fundraiser. He got his colleague Glenys
Hanna Martin to join him. She managed to get to 13 miles but in the
process ran into the mirror of a car. Ouch! Word has it that
the Minister of Sports fell from his bicycle but he finished the course.
What was that St. Paul said to Timothy about having finished the race?
Now there is crown laid up for the Ministers in heaven! Good ride guys!
INTERNATIONAL
FOOD FAIR
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' International Food Fair opened Saturday
18th October at the Botanical Gardens in Nassau. The wildly popular
event features booths of many countries with representatives in The Bahamas
offering their national dishes for consumption. Much of the profit
goes to local charities. The event is run by the International Cultural
Affairs Committee of the Ministry, chaired by the Minister but functional
headed by James Catalyn and Ambassador Leonard Archer. Minister of
Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell is shown at top in this Patrick Hanna photo
as he addresses the crowd against the backdrop of the Scandinavian countries
participants. The Minister and his associate Calvin Brown are also
seen in this Bahamas Information Services photo by Derek Smith at bottom,
touring Barbara's Straw Work with proprietress Barbara Knowles Jesubatham.
Mrs. Jesubatham hails from Long Island. The event continues today, Sunday
19th October.
AN
ANGLICAN COBBLE UP
Told you so! The Anglican prelates who met
in London at that emergency meeting that took three months to convene have
cobbled up a compromise on the issue of homosexuality and the church.
Remember all the talk. The church was going to break up because Eugene
Robinson duly elected under the rules of the autonomous but affiliated
church in North America, was elected and will be consecrated Bishop.
The primate of the US was asked whether there was anything that could stop
the consecration. He replied that the second coming could intervene.
We wonder what our Archbishop thought as he sat
in on the final press conference on the issue after hearing about the second
coming. What it means is that the Anglican Church founded as a result
of a political decision and democratic as a drawbridge (it goes down for
everyone) has decided that each church will decide whether they will affiliate
with the other church. That means nothing doctrinally is decided.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the Chief of the primates,
tried to get Bishop Elect Robinson of New Hampshire not to accept the position.
He politely refused. That, we suppose, is that.
NEW
CELL SERVICE COMING
Leon Williams, the VP of the Bahamas Telecommunications
Company, has announced that the new GSM system is 80 per cent installed
and will be ready for customer service in December 2003. This is
welcome relief for customers of BaTelCo who have had to put up with disconnections,
bad connections or no connections of cell service because of the untimely
decisions to replace the old cell service in The Bahamas.
B.S.
NOTES FROM GENEVA’S IN FREEPORT…
NEWS FROM GRAND BAHAMA -
“We have no history, culture, or identity, we are not independent, and I believe that in ten years, we will lose our independence.” This was the opening quote from our correspondent D.M. as she spoke to young people during the occasion of National Heroes week.
When news broke this week that the Governor General, Her Excellency,
Dame
Ivy Dumont travelling under diplomatic arrangements in her capacity
as Governor General of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas was subjected to
a secondary search at Miami International airport, October 5th, 2003, on
her way to a Caribbean conference. Last week's quote immediately
came to mind as to why our young people think as they do. Dame Ivy,
in my view, along with her handlers subjected the Commonwealth of the Bahamas
to a grave indignity when she did not insist that international protocols
under the Vienna Convention be observed. By allowing herself to be
searched, she unwittingly submitted the Commonwealth of the Bahamas to
a grave injustice. As a Dame of Her Majesty, she surrendered her
sword and shield.
The Commonwealth of the Bahamas does not have a standing army, but as a member of the United Nations, what we do have is the weight of International Law and Conventions; and, unless we insist upon the adherence to these laws and conventions, our sovereignty will continue to be undermined.
If our people are to be left with any dignity and not be taken over by countries who believe in double standards, and that "might is right", we will, at the highest level at present, have to take a stand. It is not enough for the Minister of Foreign Affairs to lament and say that this is a problem which regularly happens routinely to other countries and that this problem has to be worked out. This type of posturing has no place in the modern Bahamas. What we will have to insist upon is our rights under those same conventions. For it is the only defence that a small state has in this new world order. Otherwise, mankind reverts to the law of the jungle. - B.S.
Our correspondent D.M. today writes on oppression.
On Oppression
Though many of us regard oppression in the formal state as treating
a person of another ethnic background cruelly and it is usually a term
that is not often used today unless we, ourselves, are referring to heat,
oppression in its most subtle form is present in our world and as you look
around its prevalence dominates major areas in our own Bahamas.
Oppression means to be kept in subservience. It means that we do not think. It means that we are to remain in the position in which we are placed. It means that we perform menial tasks though we are qualified to do more. It means that we are satisfied with the living conditions that we are in. It means that we do not use our voices to express our disagreement, and if we do express ourselves we express it amongst those who are no in a position to help us. It means that others, who are not of this country, are allowed to talk to us and treat us as they wish. It means that we are not respected. It means that we view ourselves as helpless and inferior, or believe that our voices will never be heard. We have many social concerns that have placed many in oppression who do not realize it. There has been evidence to show that we are rising out of tradition in some areas, but we still display much evidence of our once physically oppressed states of slavery. There is a need in this country for us to rise up out of our oppression and be fully empowered.
A large majority of Bahamians are literate and we are allowed to think and act without fear of being harmed. Though many of us are educated on paper, we have not learned to read the world. We are to examine and re-examine the surrounding power structures of our society in all areas, think critically about who we are and where we are going, and let our voices be heard.
People think that to be a thinker is to be radical and many believe that to be radical is to be angry or aggressive. To be radical is to be critical, loving, humble, and communicative. It means giving others the right to choose. Your friends and colleagues will "see your point" only if they develop a critical perception and perspective. In order to be critical, you have to deliberately expose your self to an education that examines assumptions we make every day and be reflective. A “true” educational experience makes a person unique.
Though we have the luxury of democracy in the Bahamas, we must remember that if we are voiceless we are automatically powerless. If we view ourselves as helpless and inferior, we are. We cannot control how others view us, but we can control how we view ourselves. History helps us understand why we do what we do. We are a reflection of all that has gone before us (negatives and positives); we are indebted to the people and the ideas that have preceded us. However, the world has changed, politically, economically, scientifically, ecologically, culturally, demographically, those days are gone. That was then, this is now. Today things are complex and we can have a complex understanding of how the world is ordered, why people act the way that they do, and why they don’t. We are called to be visionaries. We are asked to do our part to elevate ourselves, our communities, our country, and our world. For the equation to be true, we should all make a contribution to the cause and be “agents of change”. Just something to think about. - DM
"...just as lightening makes no sound until it strikes, the revolution will be generated quietly..."
MAILBOX
Something in the mailbox this week specifically for the News From Grand
Bahama section - 'CA' [no, we don't think it's the former Minister and
MP for Pineridge] writes about D.M.'s
comments last week on nationalism.
The current political culture in the Bahamas, which is essentially also the dominant culture in the Bahamas, breeds either PLP's or FNM's not Nationalists.
Until we stop brainwashing our people to get them to support the "right" party and start educating them properly about our country nothing will change. Each new election is a fresh opportunity to rewrite our history as it were. No wonder we don't know who we are. Every five years we're told something new!
This same political culture also fosters the dependence you spoke of. If our people remain lazy, unmotivated and uneducated, they will always need politicians and senior civil servants to "help" them out. It's nothing more than subliminal self-preservation on the part of our leaders to keep our people ignorant and non self sufficient.
Even though everyone thinks they know by default which party I support I tell everyone I can this one thing: I am a BAHAMIAN first not a PLP or FNM. Would that we should all feel the same.
Regards,
CA in Freeport
Police have charged 35 year old Cordell Farrington with five counts of murder in the disappearance of each of the missing boys in Grand Bahama (see below), except Jake Grant. The 5 counts include the murder of 22 year old Jamaal Robins, another Freeport man who disappeared in May. Farrington is said to have moved to Freeport from Nassau about 18 months ago and was employed at Kelly's, a local hardware store. Crowds cheered as Assistant Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade and other officers brought the accused to court for arraignment. He has been transported to prison in Nassau on remand. Earlier, police confirmed the discovery of human skeletal remains identified as the victims in the case. Expect a full report in our Sunday update.
REMEMBER THE MISSING BOYS… From left DeAngello McKenzie, Jake Grant,
Mackinson Colas, Junior Reme and Desmond Rolle. If you have any information
on the whereabouts of these three boys, please call in Freeport, The Bahamas
242-352-9774/5. A reward of $10,000 is offered.
 |
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK - The Anglican Archbishop led his church the Anglican Diocese of Nassau and The Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands in a mass of blessings as the annual Synod of the Church began on Monday 21st October. The Archbishop is also the Primate or Metropolitan of the Province of the West Indies. He had just returned from London and a special conference of the world wide Anglican community to deal with the ordination of an openly homosexual Bishop in the state of New Hampshire in the United States. The Bishop said that the appointment of a homosexual Bishop was unacceptable to the Anglican Communion. That venture into the grit of human sexuality did not detract from the grandness of the occasion with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet grandly arrayed, and organ music rising to crescendo and traditional hymns. We thought that the Archbishop at his pulpit ought to be the photo of the week. The photo is by Peter Ramsay. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
THE UNIONS ACCEPT THE INEVITABLE
The Minister for the Public Service Fred Mitchell is now seen as
a master negotiator for the Government having manoeuvred and talked the
Public Sector Trade Unions into accepting the position that the pay raise
due to the public servants due in July 2003 would in fact be paid in December.
With all the sound and fury all summer long, the Unions were saying that
the money had to be paid partially in October or else. They never
seemed to be quite sure of their footing, and in the end it appears that
their judgement must have been that they did not have the support of their
members for industrial action. In the end, for the good of the country,
the sound and fury ultimately died away.
As the agreement was signed on Monday 21st October, everyone was gracious about the entire matter with Kingsley Black, the leader of the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) and the head negotiator for the Unions praising the Public Service Minister for his great work in bringing the matter to conclusion. John Pinder, Mr. Black’s counterpart in the Bahamas Public Service Union, was equally effusive and they all pronounced themselves happy with the results.
But what did they get exactly. They did not get the pay day in October. They got exactly what the Government said that it would give. The only satisfaction they did get one suspects is that the promotions that had been held up over the negotiations were also to be processed and announced to the public before the 29th October and the monies due for those promotions are to be paid into the accountants by 26th November, the regular Government pay day. But that is no new money. The fact is the promotions were due anyway and fully budgeted. The Unions also agreed that in receiving what the Government promised, they would not engage in any form of industrial action.
The Minister pronounced himself pleased on behalf of the Government, and said that the Government required further fiscal restraint from the public sector, and that there was a need for harmony in the workplace. The public seemed generally pleased at the results, and that seemed to put the matter to bed.
Now of course comes the hard part; that of trying to ensure that all that the Government promised will in fact be carried out. The public service itself can sabotage the whole effort by making sure that the pay increases are not actually in the bank. The Ministry of Finance and the Treasury were said to be working hard to make sure that this happened. A special part of the Minister’s announcement had to do with the agreement of a career path for accountants so that there would be no obstacle from those who have to execute the Government’s policy.
The other hard part is who will get promoted. The public service has a voracious appetite for promotions, and in some cases where promotions have been held up for almost two years, there is a tremendous pent up demand for promotions. The police have not had a promotion since the PLP came to power, and they will be expecting everyone in the police ranks who was PLP and held back during the FNM's time to get a promotion, and those who do not will be bitterly disappointed. The same thing applies in the Prison service where the prison officers complain that there is open warfare in the administration over the fact of who will lead the prison. It is leading to disagreements amongst the men, and a lowering or morale in the prison.
The only wet blanket in the whole scenario though was the Central Bank Governor Julian Francis who has the bad and inimitable habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time in the wrong forum. He was on the radio on Sunday 20th October suggesting that the Government was being irresponsible for agreeing to the salary raises that he claimed would have to be paid by borrowed money. He did cover himself by raising the possibility that some other items could be deferred to pay the raise. No one was listening however after the first part.
And so we hope that what happens is that negotiations can start in the rest of the public service to look at the question of productivity and how to better serve the public, and change its rules to make it easier for people to be transferred and be dismissed when they are not producing. That means the question of public sector reform must be tackled in earnest. The public service is still seen by many as an albatross around the necks of the Government and the Bahamian people. That perception must be removed, and it can only be removed by the public servants themselves.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 25th October at midnight: 61,447.
Number of hits for the month of October up to Saturday 25th October at midnight: 202,248.
Number of hits for the year 2003 up to Saturday 25th October 2003
at midnight: 1,301,134.
THE
ANGLICANS AND THEIR GAY BISHOP
The hullabaloo in the Bahamian Anglican Church about
a gay priest in another country in another part of the Anglican Communion
that the local communion does not have to recognize anyway continues.
The Anglican Archbishop Drexel Gomez has spent considerable intellectual
capital in seeking to first denounce homosexuality, a fact of human life
as long as the records of man go back, and secondly to denounce Eugene
Robinson, the American priest who is a homosexual and about to be ordained
Bishop. It just seems a lot of noise and effort being made over something
that is not significant for the Bahamian Anglican Church.
The Archbishop sought to soften his disdain by saying
that the Lord loves the sinner but hates the sin. The Anglican Archbishop
told his congregation that homosexuality and Bishop Elect Robinson were
unacceptable, that the Lambeth Conference of 1998 reaffirmed the teaching
of the church on the subject. The meeting just held in London has
confirmed that teaching. He said that the ordination of the Bishop
in New Hampshire would cause a fundamental realignment of the Anglican
Communion. That means that the West Indian province is to refuse
to accept the ordination of Bishop Robinson as valid. It will also
refuse to affiliate with that particular diocese.
The Anglican Church was founded by a politician
who wanted to get his hands on the riches of the Catholic Church in his
kingdom. He also wanted to marry someone else and the Roman Catholic
Pope refused. He then nationalized the church. It is therefore
historically grounded in politics. It was the state church of the
English and later the colony of The Bahamas and has therefore been associated
with the politically elite class in the country for centuries, and all
their foibles. But it has been losing ground in The Bahamas to the
churches of extemporaneous prayers who hold no truck for the softness of
doctrinal compromises that recognize the realities of daily life.
The suggestion is that the intense reaction to this
latest effort in the United States is an attempt to defend Anglicanism
from the view in the Caribbean that it is soft. The church seeks
therefore to defend its territory and keep its members. One can’t
blame them for that, we guess. The Archbishop's remarks were made
in his charge at the opening mass of Synod in Nassau at Christ Church Cathedral
on Monday 20 October.
THE
AIDS E MAIL LIST
Some nasty person with a really sick mind has been
circulating e-mail around The Bahamas with the names of 26 local people
who allegedly have HIV/AIDS. The message reads: “warning this is
not a joke or a hoax. The following people listed have been tested
and confirmed as HIV positive or with full-blown AIDS. Prevent someone
you love from being next—forward this to everyone on your list.”
Both daily newspapers thought the story was important
enough to carry on their front pages. The e-mail appeared to have
come from a medical facility. The Tribune of Tuesday 21st October
said that the medical facility was able to confirm that the name listed
as the sender was that of an employee at the facility. They could
not confirm whether she actually sent it. In addition to the names,
the e-mail also gave the place of work of the persons listed in the e-mail.
The e-mail claimed that the persons on the list
were still sexually active and that if someone had had sex with the persons
they should get tested. Knowingly infecting someone with the AIDS
is an offence in Bahamian law. But what is interesting about this
is that despite all the public effort to make an infection with AIDS neutral
in a social and psychological sense, it is still considered a death sentence
and to carry some moral opprobrium. For men, it makes people suspect
that they are homosexual and for women, people then think of them as sexually
permissive. That is a problem that the society still has to over
come but it reinforces that which the e-mail’s sender is warning about,
people who continue to hide the condition.
The police are looking into the matter because if
it is true this is a flagrant violation of the confidentiality of the customers
of the medical facility. Further, if it is untrue it is a grave libel
on those persons named on the list.
HIV
IN THE PRISON
The Nassau Guardian’s ‘Lifestyles’ section on Monday
20th October published a story by Mindell Small under the headline: ‘ONE
IN 14 MEN IN PRISON HIV POSITIVE’. According to Dr. Emanuel Francis,
former doctor at the prison some 8 percent of the persons who enter the
facility are found to have AIDS. The article says that no prisoner
has contracted AIDS in prison but that they have come into the prison with
AIDS. They are not separated from the general population unless they
are actually ill. The article goes on to quote the usual statistics
about the prison, which was built in 1953 to house 400 inmates but now
has 1397 inmates of whom only 47 are women. Nassau Guardian photo.
TROUBLE
BREWING AT COB
The Bahama Journal has caused a stir with an editorial on Friday 24th October
suggesting that the College of The Bahamas is in turmoil. The Journal
said that a full page appearing in the press during the week advertising
all the senior positions in the College suggests that the College Board
intends to replace the entire top echelon of the College. It then
goes on to say that the powers that be made an error when it appointed
Dr. Leon Higgs (pictured) in 1997, without dismissing Pandora Johnson and
Rhoda Johnson Chipman from the College. Their logic was that each
of those other persons wanted the top job and their continuing under the
new President meant that they never effectively worked to help him fulfil
his mandate.
Many at the College and some politicians are said
to be dissatisfied with the direction of the College under Dr Higgs.
Others suggest that he was never given a fair chance, and that he needs
to have a full two terms of five years to prove himself. There was
no immediate reaction from the Board of the College of The Bahamas that
is headed by Franklyn Wilson, the businessman and head of Arawak Homes
Ltd.
Most people who know the Prime Minister Perry Christie
say that it is unlikely given his disposition that he will allow a new
President to be chosen for the College in the absence of a clear reason
for Dr. Higgs’ contract not to be renewed. But this would seem to
be an important juncture for the College as it faces the next step in its
development, that of university status.
It would seem that efforts ought to be made to ensure
that things run smoothly but at the same time one can’t be too content
if the College is not producing the products that it should for the country.
There is still no adequate library at the College.
SAY
NO TO THE GAS PROJECT
The companies that have applied to The Bahamas Government
to run gas pipelines from The Bahamas to South Florida have an aggressive
marketing
and opinion influencing campaign going on in The Bahamas and in the United
States. Each week, there is some article or other in the press suggesting
that one or other of these projects is near to approval by The Bahamas
Government.
The Government itself has not been too clear about
what it is doing. The process seems to be moving inexorably on, and
no one has said what the Government actually intends. The Ministers
responsible for overseeing the project’s entrance into The Bahamas Leslie
Miller, the Minister of Trade and Industry and the Dr. Marcus Bethel, the
Minister for the Environment seem by their public statements to be giving
encouragement to the proposals. On the left wing is the Bahamian
Ambassador for the Environment and the Chairman of the BEST Commission
Keod Smith. Responsible for environmental assessment for the Government,
he has taken the position that things are moving too quickly with all of
the projects.
There are known to be some Ministers of the Government
that are adamantly opposed to any natural gas projects in The Bahamas as
antithetical to all that The Bahamas is as a tourist resort. The
projects will not bring many jobs and will have no beneficial spin offs
that anyone can suggest. All they appear to be are money-making schemes
for the lawyers who are seeking to get them approved. They are not
about environmental concerns. It is a real case of ‘show me the money’.
Let there be no doubt where this column stands on
the issue. These natural gas projects should be opposed and opposed
and opposed. Ultimately, none of them will benefit The Bahamas and
they should not be approved.
PUZZLING
SIGNALS FROM THE CENTRAL BANK
The Central Bank Governor Julian Francis was on the Wendall Jones’ Radio
Show on Sunday last, and on it he appeared to criticize the Government
for moving to settle the dispute with the Civil Servants. He has
already had published in the quarterly report of the Central Bank, just
out, that the deficit will rise to 147 million dollars, putting it at the
same level as fiscal 2003-03, presumably blowing the plans to lower the
budget deficit. He also did a very strange thing as the Governor
of the Central Bank. He made a complaint about the charges for services
by one of the banks that he regulates. He claimed that the charges
were outrageous. Now this comes from the regulator of the banks,
and it is also the worst example to use, a personal example that does not
necessarily project into objective reality. The question, it immediately
begs, is what did he do with the complaints of other customers of banks
in The Bahamas that thought that other charges were usury? It gives
the impression that Mr. Francis was only interested in the matter because
it affected him personally.
The banks responded the next day, taking issue with
the Governor of the Central Bank. We agree with him that the charges of
Banks are usury but surely he is in a position to meet with the chiefs
of the Banks and deal with any complaints that he or the public has with
the banks.
The final puzzling point which we mention is Mr.
Francis' comparison of the registering of International Business Companies
in The Bahamas prior to the new legislative regime as “like the drug trade”.
According to the Governor of the Bank, when the IBCs were being registered
in The Bahamas, we were simply collecting money and not caring what the
IBCs represented. This he said was easy money flowing like the days
of the drug trade. Hmmm!
THE
CENTRAL BANK REPORT ON THE DEFICIT
The Tribune of Wednesday 22nd October in its Business
Section reported that the Central Bank’s quarterly statement predicts that
the national debt will hit $2.37 billion by June 2004. The report
predicted that the indication of a settlement payment to civil servants
may run the national debt up to more than the 40 percent benchmark below
which the IMF want the Government of The Bahamas to keep the national debt
as a percentage of GDP. The debt is projected to go by June 2004
to $2.37 billion dollars. Most of the debt is denominated in Bahamian
dollars, some 87.9 percent. The largest component of that is held
by the National Insurance board.
THE
FNM VISITS THE POLICE
The only FNM that seems to making any sense these
days and seems to be working is Senator Tanya McCartney, the daughter of
the Hubert Ingraham's main man Alphonso Elliott aka Bugaloo. She
has issued a number of statements in her capacity as National Security
spokesman, and was seen in the press with the other leaders of her party
visiting the Royal Bahamas Police Force on a tour of the Force’s facilities.
Their statement called for the Government to provide adequate facilities
and equipment for the police. The police have always been favourites
of the FNM.
The PLP is said to be in trouble with the police
again over the fact that promotions have not been done on a timely basis
(See Comment of the Week) and the fact that they are not given the respect
and pride of place of the Security Forces under the PLP. Some were
offended by the lack of attention paid to the facilities for police officers
at the Prime Minister’s residence, even though it was pointed out to them
that the responsibility for facilities for officers is that of the Commissioner
of Police not the Prime Minister.
Defence Force officers voted for the PLP in droves
because they thought the PLP would replace the present Commodore and redress
some of the perceived imbalances that the FNM established between themselves
and the police. That has not happened and has the Defence Force disgruntled
as well.
THE
MINISTER OF TRANSPORT GETS A RETRACTION
Eileen Carron is the Publisher of The Tribune. She is the classic
example of intellectual dishonesty. She has this great hate for the
PLP that causes her paper to publish anything that seeks to discredit the
PLP. During the last week, there was a dispute between the Government
and the Jitney Drivers. Their President Nicholas Jacques was said
to have made certain statements about the Minister of Transport Glenys
Hanna Martin that portrayed her as not knowing what was going on with her
ministry. That was all Eileen Carron needed. Off she went with
an editorial in which she expressed surprise that the Minister did not
know the fee structure for jitneys.
No doubt Mrs. Hanna Martin was not amused.
The point was that the statement attributed to Mr. Jacques was bad enough
but the fact that the statement was untested by any reference to her to
see whether or not what Mr. Jacques asserted was true went beyond the limit.
The report of Mr. Jacques’ remarks appeared on Monday 21st October.
The editorial appeared on Wednesday 23rd October. The retraction
issued by Mr. Jacques appeared in The Tribune on Thursday 24th October.
You go girl Glenys!
TAX
SYSTEM TO CHANGE
James Smith, the Minister of State for Finance gave
a major address to the Chamber of Commerce on Thursday 23rd October. In
it he reviewed the tax structure and said that regardless of what we do
with the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME)) or World Trade Organization
(WTO) or the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA), the tax structure
of The Bahamas has to change. He seemed to indicate that the Government
is looking at Value Added Tax (VAT) as the replacement of the present reliance
on customs duties. We welcome the news that the Government is finally
preparing the country for what is going to be a giant shift forward in
the funding of the country’s business.
CONCH
ON THE ENDANGERED LIST
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has
moved to prohibit the further importation of the meat of the conch from
Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. This action is taken
pursuant to the obligations under the Convention on International trade
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora or CITES. The queen
conch (strombus giga) is popularly eaten in The Bahamas but export of conch
is not permitted from The Bahamas.
We applaud the announcement by the US. The
Bahamas needs to limit the trade in conch as well, by perhaps having a
closed season when the conch cannot be collected from the waters of The
Bahamas or sold in our markets. There is considerable concern about
the pressure on the conch stocks in The Bahamas.
THE
GROUPER IN NEED OF PROTECTION
The Government needs to act to prevent fishermen
from taking groupers during their spawning season from December to January.
The Bahamas has the last populations of grouper in the Caribbean that engage
in aggregations for spawning. The fish is in danger of disappearing
if action is not taken soon to stop the over fishing especially during
the spawning period. Sir Nicholas Nuttall (pictured), the head of
BREEF, the environmental protection group, has called for the ban.
He announced through the Nassau Guardian that the Cabinet would be debating
the issue of the ban on Tuesday 22nd October. No word on what the
Cabinet's decision is, but it should clearly be to impose a closed season
on the grouper.
STEVE
MCKINNEY OFF THE AIR
Steve McKinney (pictured) really seems to be having a hard time with his
life. Every time it seems that he has a popular show on the air for
some reason he is unable to get it off the ground and stay off the ground.
Now again this week after six months of a show called ‘Drive Time Talk’,
Steve McKinney’s contract was not renewed by the Broadcasting Corporation
of The Bahamas.
The Corporation went into overdrive to say that
the show was not making money and that he had been irresponsible for getting
the Corporation into legal difficulties when the station was sued by a
listener who felt she had been libelled. The corporation settled
the suit. But legal suits are occupational hazards for Broadcasting
Corporations, and that's why you should have insurance. The show
is a popular show, and ZNS should take steps to ensure that it is put back
n the air. As for Steve it is incumbent upon him to examine why this
kind of thing keeps happening or is it just a conspiracy against him?
A
NEW DIRECTOR OF CULTURE
Last week Dr. Nicollette Bethel was appointed the
Director of Culture. She was transferred from the College of The
Bahamas where she was a lecturer to the office of the Director. She
succeeds Cleophas Adderley who was appointed Director of the Musical Heritage
Programme. The idea of the latter post is to allow Mr. Adderley time
to spend on what he loves most, writing and arranging Bahamian Music and
developing The Bahamas National Youth Choir and other choirs. He
will also look after the recording and categorizing of Bahamian music.
Dr. Bethel succeeds in the same office of which
her father was the first occupier. He is now deceased and left us
with such gem songs ‘When the Road Seems Rough’ and ‘Praise’.
Dr Bethel is trained as a social anthropologist and is known for her work
on Bahamian sociology and culture. Of her father whom she succeeds,
she said: “Those are very big footsteps to fill. I do have a very
good role model to follow in him, and I hope that what I do would be worthy
of him and make him proud.” Of her works she said: “I think we have
a lot of ground to cover now, because there are generations out there that
have little whatsoever contact with what is Bahamian. That’s one
area that needs exploring.” The announcement was made by the Prime
Minister on Tuesday 21st October.
A
CRUISE TAX FOR ALL THE CARIBBEAN
Jeremy McVean, who is the President of the Bahamas
Hotel Association, has come out in favour of the 20 dollar per head cruise
tax that the Caribbean Tourism Organization wants to impose on the cruise
ship industry. He said that in order for it to succeed that it must
have the support of all Caribbean countries. He said that in the
past attempts to impose such a tax have foundered when the cruise industry
was able to pick off one country after the other and divide and rule.
Mr. McVean is right and we support the tax. Our problem is how the
cruise industry is able to use the Caribbean resources and feel that they
are doing us a favour by being here while they contribute to spoiling the
environment. We need to extract a tax that will help pay for the environmental
and social impacts upon the Caribbean as a region. We will all have
to stand together, but don’t hold your breath.
EILEEN
CARRON - WHATEVER IS SHE THINKING
Last week in this column we spoke about the Governor General and the way
she was treated passing through the airport in Miami, Florida. (Click
here for last week’s column). We indicated that The Tribune had
not weighed in on the subject and predicted that true Uncle Tom that she
is Eileen Carron (pictured) would not support or defend the Governor General
but would defend the Americans. She has now weighed in. Her
editorial of Tuesday 22nd October confirms what we predicted. She
is an Uncle Tom or Auntie Tom as the case might be. She went further
and claimed that the reaction to Dame Ivy’s difficulties should have been
dealt with as a private matter and was only a part of the vendetta of the
Bahamian Foreign Minister against the American Government. Such silliness
is most unworthy of any response but there are no doubt some people who
would believe it.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke to the College
of The Bahamas Politics and Government Class on Wednesday 22nd October.
The Minister explained that the entire matter became public because of
the press. The Tribune in fact followed a Bahama Journal story, blaring
it over the front page. He said that he asked the Bahama Journal’s
publisher not to publish the story because he thought it would be embarrassing
to the Governor General. He told the students that if Eileen Carron
were so principled on the question of dealing with the matter as a private
one why did she violate her own principles by following the Journal in
making the story public? Silly! We can think of no better reaction.
FOREIGN
MINISTER’S PRIVATE VISIT TO ALABAMA
Fred Mitchell, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has just completed a private
visit to the city of Birmingham in Alabama, the United States of America.
A news release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The purpose
of the visit was to reciprocate a visit made to The Bahamas in August 2003
by Donald Watkins, the Chairman of Alamerica Bank in Birmingham.
Mr. Watkins is interested in a project to provide seed financing for new
entrepreneurs in The Bahamas. Dr. Gilbert Morris who is the co-ordinator
of the project was also in Birmingham. Talks on the issue of the
fund proceeded and it is hoped that an announcement will be made shortly
about whether the fund is to be established.
The visit took place from Thursday 23rd October
to Saturday 25th October. The initiative is a totally private sector
initiative and will involve no public money. The Minister was introduced
to Mr. Watkins by fellow alumni John Katapodis of the John F. Kennedy School
of Government, who is also from Alabama. The Minister arranged the
introduction of Dr. Morris. He has no other involvement in the project.”
Pictured from left are Chester Cooper, CFO British American Insurance who
also represents a group of young Bahamian entrepreneurs, Minister Mitchell,
Mr. Watkins and Dr. Morris.
FOREIGN
MINISTER OFF TO MEXICO
Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell left Atlanta this
morning for Mexico City where he will join other Ministers of Foreign Affairs
at a ministerial meeting in Security Issues. This meeting was mandated
at the Summit of Americas called by heads in Quebec, Canada. The
Minister will be joined by OAS Ambassador for The Bahamas Joshua Sears
and Commodore Davey Rolle, head of he Royal Bahamas Defence Force.
PETER
MCWEENEY DIES
Peter McWeeney has died. Mr. McWeeney, 42,
was buried at St. Augustine's Monastery on Saturday 25th October after
a funeral at St. Anselm's Roman Catholic Church, Fox Hill. Peter
was predeceased by his father, William T. McWeeney and is survived by his
mother Thelma McWeeney, three sisters: Lady Eugenie Nuttall, Denesia Burnside
and Mary El-Fituri; four brothers: Sean McWeeney; William (Billy) McWeeney
Jr.; Dr. Vincent McWeeney and his twin brother, Paul McWeeney.
A
WEEK WITH THE PM
Prime Minister Perry Christie did his part for Road
Safety Week in The Bahamas, this past week. Mr. Christie is shown
at a news conference with Minister of Transport & Aviation Glenys Hanna
Martin and some future drivers in the country. Among Mr. Christie's
engagements this week, also pictured are a visit to the constituency of
Minister of Housing & National Insurance Shane Gibson for gala celebrations
and an address to visiting police reservists.
DAYLIGHT
SAVINGS TIME
A reminder, especially for those in The Bahamas
- don't forget that Daylight Savings Time began at 2 a.m. Sunday 26th October.
At that time, clocks were set one hour back in time.
B.S.
NOTES FROM GENEVA’S IN FREEPORT…
NEWS FROM GRAND BAHAMA -
MISSING BOYS
The Commissioner of Police was in Grand Bahama this past week to announce
the promotion of officers of the Police Force on Grand Bahama. It
seemed that no one was interested in that exercise; rather people are more
concerned with the ongoing investigation of the missing boys. Commissioner
Farquharson told the media that they did not find the body of Jake Grant,
and it was not unusual to bring charges without a body. He then took
the opportunity to ask the public for assistance in bringing to the police
any information no matter how small on the disappearance of the boys.
THE POLICE AND DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS
ZNS last week carried a similar story to one that we carried some weeks
ago regarding the concerns of the downtown merchants since the relocation
of the central police station. This week we are able to report that
after numerous warnings to the young men who hang around, drink and make
lewd comments to shoppers and other passers-by, the police finally acted.
They invited three of the loiterers to spend the day at the new police
station. News of the action must have spread very quickly through
the downtown community because on Thursday and Friday, the young men had
moved out of the town centre to the outer perimeter of the town area, and
there was finally peace shoppers and merchants alike. We hope the
police, as the holiday season approaches would continue with their vigilance.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The Minister of Local Government has finally gotten the message.
He told the media that, for the time being, he will not move to have the
City of Freeport Council dissolved. He said that he will give them
one last chance to try and work together. We understand that at least
two council members now understand that they have being played like puppets
on a string, and, in short order we expect that they will resign their
posts. We believe that the others because of the increased scrutiny
will finally start to do the work that they were elected to do.
Meanwhile, we say to the Minister that we believe the law in its present form is sufficient, and, if a member does not show up for three consecutive meetings that seat is deemed vacant. So, we suggest no further amendments be made to the act. If members do not get along, the Minister might consider a time of prayer with the councillors, but he should not be goaded into the trap of giving his political opponents a stick with which to beat him.
TAXI/BUS BUSINESS
The taxi fleet in Grand Bahama is in a sub par state because of the
downturn in tourism in the past three years, franchise holders have not
been able to keep their fleets up to their normal standard. Meanwhile,
changes in the transportation business have also caused some setbacks because
groups now prefer to be moved in coach type buses where their luggage fits
beneath their seats.
Last week, we saw just how this whole operation of moving groups works at the Grand Bahama International Airport when a group of golfers from central Florida arrived for a three-day golfing holiday. These golfers stayed at the Royal Oasis Resort & Casino. The bus company that handled the guests was Sun World Travel & Tours. The entire process, inclusive of bags, took about 15 minutes to move approximately 100 persons. There was no wrangling, no pushing or shoving. We thought that this was a better way of doing business.
We are faced with the problem of far too many taxis with insufficient fares. Could this be the beginning of the end for the traditional taxi business, as we have known it for at least forty years? If, in fact, this is the case, we suggest to the Minister of Transport to hold the line on the issuance of franchises.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
Best wishes are extended to Nicholas and Donna Seymour on the birth
of their daughter, Soniaa Seymour. Her grandparents are Brian Seymour
and Sonya Seymour and Percy and Agnes Barr. The new baby’s great-grandparents
are Felix and Antoinette Seymour and Arthur and Carol Sherman.
DEATH ANNOUNCEMENT
Mr. Sanfus Kemp, well known businessman, was found dead in his Jamaica
Avenue, Freeport residence on Friday. Police do not suspect fowl
play but an autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.
D.M. ON BRENT SYMONETTE
On Brent Symonette’s Comments… I listened this week to the comments
of the Honorable Brent Symonette when he had an audience with students
of the College of The Bahamas. He spoke of the major reason why he
was not appointed leader of his party (because he was white). I have
always had a controversial opinion on the matter, but chose to spend time
in silent observation. The manner in which the comments were presented
this week carried a suspicious tone and trickled down my neck all week.
The fact is that our country is made up primarily of people of African descent. The country has faced hard times in its youth with regard to physical oppression by persons of European descent. The fact is that the majority of people of European descent have a deeply rooted nature in regarding blacks as inferior regardless to how we look at it. In that vein, it seems that a person of African descent, who is from another country, would be given support to lead this country before a Bahamian of European descent. Regardless of how traditional those ideals may be, that is the mindset of the majority of this population. It all boils down to trust, loyalty, and experience.
I speak frequently about taking on the mantle of a nationalist, because that is the way forward for our country. Ideally, in a nationalist country, whoever is better suited to take our country to another level should be given the opportunity to lead the country regardless of his or her party affiliation, race, creed, or gender. But, the question is: Are we ready for that? Do we trust a person of European descent to lead us? Would that person look out for the interest of the grass-root black man? What does Mr. Symonette have to offer this country as a leader? Who do you see leading our country in another 20 years? Where do you see this country in another 20 years? Are you a nationalist? Would you give up tradition to see your country move to another level?
As a growing country we must learn to think “outside the box”, think critically, and question our own belief systems (both personally and nationally). In Mr. Symonette’s vie for leader of his party he did not exert himself enough. He did not try to prove himself trustworthy. He did not try to convince the people that he is the man for the job. He simply took his blows and crept in the corner. In addition to being qualified, a leader must be assertive and tenacious, brave and courageous amidst adversity. Is that the person you want to lead your party/country?
“...just as lightning makes no sound until it strikes, the revolution
will be generated quietly...”
