THE UNCLE TOMS OF FREEPORT

The Government of The Bahamas led by the Prime Minister Philip Davis announced three weeks ago or so that he had had enough with the Grand Bahama Port Authority and their dissembling on the sale of the shares of the Port to the Government. Push had come to shove.  The economy of Grand Bahama was declining and the Grand Bahama Port Authority does not have the capital to do anything to reverse it.  So after a year of behind the scenes talks, he went public.  The result is a pushback from the shareholders, well we believe it’s only Rick Hayward who is doing this, but the face is still the  Grand Bahama Port Authority.  The plaything is about to be taken away from the children of the former owners. They are putting on a tantrum but they will lose the asset if they keep it up.  Chairman of the PLP Fred Mitchell told them that they are making a serious political mistake by attacking the Prime Minister publicly.  But now you have entered the fray two civic activists, one of whom himself was demonstrating against the Grand Bahama Port Authority and the other President of the Chamber of Commerce in Freeport.  They say the Government must stop attacking the Port and that the attacks are a disaster for Grand Bahama.  Their commentary is foolish and they should stay out of big people’s business. It comes off as an attempt by them to become relevant and important and like they are servants of the Port.  The only way for Freeport to improve is if the present owners of the Grand Bahama Port Authority give up their shareholdings and move on. The Davis Government is determined that the present owners of the Port must go.