Compiled, edited and constructed by Russell Dames Updated every Sunday at 2 p.m.
Volume 2 © BahamasUncensored.Com
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
THE WORK PERMIT POLICY
The cat was set amongst the pigeons during the week when Brian Moree,
who heads the Financial Services Forum, established by Minister of Financial
Services Allyson Gibson, suggested that the Immigration policy that had
served The Bahamas well in the past to protect jobs for Bahamians needed
to be fixed. His point was that if the financial services sector
in The Bahamas was going to continue to survive then flexibility was needed
to attract the talent to ensure that the sector remains alive. Not
surprisingly, this did not go down well in some quarters.
Lester Turnquest, who is a former Member of Parliament, was quick to respond saying that he thought that the Immigration policy was in fact working well. He thought that approvals were handled on a much more sensitive and efficient basis. He also thought that there is still a need to protect jobs for Bahamians. Mr. Turnquest is right.
Vincent Peet, the Minister for Immigration, answered his critics also during the week, saying that it was the policy of the Immigration department under his leadership to promote Bahamians first. He laid out a regime to the Bahama Journal where he insisted that work permit applications are handled expeditiously, that the Immigration Board meets often and for long hours trying to ensure a fair and rational policy. He said that financial services matters are dealt with as a matter of priority, given the importance of the industry to The Bahamas.
The policy of Bahamianization was invented by the former Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Dion Hanna during the administration of the late Prime Minister Lynden Pindling. The policy built fences around certain areas in the Bahamian economy. It meant that certain jobs were reserved exclusively for Bahamians. It also meant that certain businesses were also reserved exclusively for Bahamians. That together with the education policy of the PLP was more than anything else responsible for the development of the emergent large Black middle class in The Bahamas. This is a feat not repeated in any other Caribbean country.
The policy also had the dimension that said that if work permits were allowed in any sector where Bahamians were not available, then the company had to put in place a training programme which would have Bahamians understudy the positions so that they could eventually take over the jobs. That is very much the policy today, except that the Immigration Department no longer seems to monitor any training component,
In fact, the practice of Bahamianization has always been unevenly enforced. On any number of large construction projects for example during both the time of the PLP and the FNM, foreigners were brought into the country en masse, even though the conventional wisdom would seem to suggest that there must have been construction workers available to build the hotels in the country. Not so said the industry, and so in from Mexico, India, Brazil, the Philippines, the United States and Canada came the workers to do some of the most elementary jobs.
The FNM lost its way during the ten years of Hubert Ingraham’s administration because it was perceived that Sol Kerzner of Sun International got too many opportunities to bring in who he wanted and that the Bahamian worker suffered as a result. The PLP came to power talking about Bahamians first. But there are many today, Black Bahamians having made it like Clarence Thomas, the Black Justice of the Supreme Court in the US, who are in fact doubting Thomases of the policy. One of them is Julian Francis, the Governor the Central Bank. Another is Brian Moree who comes from the FNM stable that would traditionally oppose such a policy anyway but in the present dispensation and his alliance with the PLP, would be emboldened to suggest that it is time to look at the matter afresh.
There is some merit to his arguments. And although many do not like the messenger, the fact is that the Government has to look carefully at the investment policy and the work permit policy. On the investment side, the net effect of denying the ability of foreigners to investment in the retail and wholesale sector below two million dollars in annual turnover has been to deny Black Bahamians a ready source of capital. We put it on an ethnic level because, the white Bahamian businessmen had and have greater access to capital and the net result has been further concentration of wealth in the hands of white Bahamians. That is not in and of itself a bad thing but what it shows is that income distribution is still skewed toward a small portion of the Bahamian population which can only in the end lead to instability. There is a need therefore on the investment side to allow joint ventures between Bahamians and foreigners in all areas so as to allow for access to capital.
On the work permit side; there is still the complaint of young whites from Europe and the Americas being imported into The Bahamas to run the financial services sector. The industry claims, despite all of the Black Bahamians in that sector out of work, that there are simply no jobs and that the people that they have to bring in have something additional to bring to the table like a language skill or contacts with the boardroom or with investors. The truth some people suspect is that the banks simply feel that their customers prefer a white face rather than a Black Bahamian, no matter how highly qualified that Black Bahamian is. The Immigration Dept is clearly sensitive to that but that is a view that must be broken if jobs are to be protected for Bahamians.
There is however a compelling argument that with new products coming on stream in the financial services sector, you will not be able to find all the expertise that you need and so some people will have to be brought in. The question is always balancing properly the factors. We believe that Vincent Peet is the right man for the job and is doing a good job in balancing the factors. Although Brian Moree's is a good intellectual argument, Lester Turnquest's view is the one to be preferred.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 4th December 2004: 74,471.
Number of hits for the month of November ending Tuesday 30th November 2004 at midnight: 288,642.
Number of hits for the month of December ending Saturday 4th December at midnight: 30,645.
Number of hits for the year 2004 up to Saturday 4th December 2004 at midnight: 2,563,781.
BRADLEY’S
ROAD RAGE
Bradley Roberts, the Minister for Works, was not a happy camper this week.
He works assiduously at carrying out the Government’s agenda in the area
of public works. The PLP came to office very unhappy about the millions
of dollars that the previous government spent on the New Providence Road
Improvement Project that they felt should have been spent on social improvement
areas.
The project was designed to create a new road corridor
in New Providence, the island where the largest group of Bahamians live.
Traffic is a huge problem and the road was designed to run along the southern
side of the island and across the middle to allow easy passage from the
eastern end of the island to the Cable Beach tourist area. The project
went bust when the British Company Associated Asphalt went belly up.
It left small contractors at home and abroad with unpaid bills. It
left some international contractors fuming because they felt they were
shortchanged by the Government when the Bahamian contractors’ bills were
settled. The negotiations were difficult with the Inter American Development
Bank who had put the loan project together for an estimated 52 million
dollars.
Bradley Roberts decided that he had enough of the
back and forth with the bureaucracy of the IDB and pulled the Harrold Road
portion out of the project and negotiated with a local contractor to complete
the road. That work is being done. The rest of the project
was to have been completed by a firm from Argentina Jose Cartellone.
Now that is scuttled as well because despite the extensive pre qualification
criteria, the Argentinean firm cannot meet the bond or insurance requirements
for the project which would protect the Government’s position if that company
too went belly up.
The Minister made the announcements on Wednesday
1st December in the House of Assembly and said he is working with the IDB
to divide the project into smaller contracts as he did with the Harrold
Road Project and see if the work cannot be offered to local contractors
to build to international standards. We wish him luck on that.
The original contract was signed by Associated Asphalt on 5th April 2001.
The company went belly up in July of that year. The project called
for construction on 19 road corridors, comprising 15.1 miles of new road
and 9.5 miles of existing roads. Bahama Journal photo of Minister
Roberts by Omar Barr.
THE
REAL STORY ON THE ACTION GROUP
Some time ago Tommy Turnquest, the Leader of the
Opposition outside of the House of Assembly indicated to the press that
the Action Group was not officially part of the FNM and did not speak for
the FNM. Of course the fact that the leader of the Action Group is
a favoured member of his household, is always seen everywhere with him
and speaks with authority on his views says much about the real story of
the Action group and the FNM. The best analogy that we can think
of about the FNM and its Action Group is that the Action Group is the dark
side of the FNM, like in the Star Wars Trilogy. They are the ones
who get to do the evil work, while the leaders who sit in Parliament pretend
that they have nothing to so with them. However, The Tribune is not
fooled, and since The Tribune is FNM, they should know.
On Wednesday 1st December The Tribune, following
a story run by The Tribune the day before about Bradley Roberts staying
on for the full term, reported that the FNM’s Action Group (their words
not ours) had called for the resignation of Bradley Roberts, the Minister
of Works for misleading the Bahamian people. That was front-page
news for The Tribune. The story the day before about Mr. Roberts
saying that despite what he had said earlier about the possibility of stepping
down two and a half years into the term, he was staying and he was staying
because the Prime Minister had asked him to, was deep in the back of the
paper. But suddenly the fact that the FNM’s Action Group commented
on the story made it for The Tribune front-page news.
Glory be! We are willing to bet that the chance
of Bradley Roberts resigning over this issue is like a snowball’s chance
of lasting in hell. Or put another way, we will see the Second Coming
first.
VISA
ISSUES IN THE NEWS
The Foreign Minister is incensed at France. That is the way it appears.
He claimed in an address to the Honorary Consular Corps annual Christmas
luncheon that France has been leading the way in unfriendly acts toward
The Bahamas by attacking our financial services sector. He also said
that visas issued by European countries for Bahamians was an issue.
There are no visas required for persons who travel to The Bahamas from
E.U. countries. The Minister said that we can look for an increasingly
aggressive attitude by The Bahamas toward defending its interests against
countries such as France.
The address was made on Thursday 2nd December.
You may click here for the full address.
In the meantime, Acting Foreign Minister Vincent Peet told the House of
Assembly on Wednesday that an investigation will be launched into alleged
problems with the issuance of Bahamian visas to Haitian sea captains.
He made the comments on Wednesday 1st December.
FOREIGN
MINISTER AND US AMBASSADOR MEET
The Joint Task Force meeting took place between
The Bahamas and the United States and on the anti drug fight on Friday
3rd December at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was the continuation
of the famous meeting that took place on 6th December 2002 with then U.S.
Ambassador J. Richard Blankenship in the Chair. That meeting was
adjourned when the Ambassador made certain allegations against the Government,
which the Minister said, blindsided the Government. That was the
session in which the U.S. Ambassador alleged that there was political interference
in the conduct of the investigation into the sting operation that went
bad in June of 1992 involving the vessel the Lorequin. The Commission
of Inquiry reported on the incident and said that there was no such political
interference.
The meeting was cordial this time with the new U.S.
Ambassador. The Minister of Foreign Affairs described U.S. Ambassador
John Rood in The Tribune as bringing energy and keenness to the job and
a sensitivity to the Bahamian situation. The Minister said that there
was a meeting of the minds over the need to involve the Royal Bahamas Defence
Force fully in the anti drug effort. The Minister also revealed that
there is a new trend toward using Haitian sloops to smuggle contraband
into the country and on to the United States. Bahamas Information
Services photo - Raymond Bethel
DEMONSTRATIONS
IN MIAMI
The Cuban Americans are at it again. This
time they are demonstrating against The Bahamas in Miami in front of The
Bahamas Consulate General. The demonstration took place on Friday
3rd December. They allege that The Bahamas has been abusing Cuban
detainees at the detention centre on Carmichael Road in Nassau. The
detainees are the subject of an agreement with the government of Cuba that
says they must be returned to Cuba. The people in Miami want them
sent to the US or more particularly the Minister of Foreign Affairs says
that they want nine detainees to be sent to Nicaragua.
The problem is a legal one, with officials of The
Bahamas insisting that we have to honour our agreement with Cuba.
The agreement to return economic refugees to Cuba is not unusual.
The United States has an agreement that has the Cubans returned to Cuba.
When the Cubans can get the United States to change its policy, then The
Bahamas should probably think about it. Until then the Cuban American
bullies should buzz off!
PAUL
MOSS IS RIGHT TOO
The comment this week (click
here for it) refers to the ongoing debate on the Bahamianization policy.
Paul Moss, an attorney at law, and an activist in the human rights field,
has added his voice to debate. Here is what he had to say in his
own words in The Tribune's Business Section Friday 3rd December 2004:
“I find it staggering that they [Brian Moree
and the Financial Services Forum] conclude that [Immigration] policy is
deterring business growth when persons like myself in the industry know
otherwise. What is the basis of their findings? The report
admits it is impossible to quantify the institutions that may have rejected
the Bahamas as a result of the immigration policy.
“What is more difficult to comprehend is
that the [Forum] Chairman [Mr. Moree], who leads one of the largest law
firms in the country, is endorsing the report even though it says by implication
that he is not sophisticated enough as a lawyer to dispense with sophisticated
legal matters.
“I am left to wonder how Mr. Moree and
those who support him will explain to Bahamian parents who care for their
children and have the highest aspirations for them. I wonder also
about the Bahamian taxpayers, who are currently funding a 100 million dollars
[education] loan programme, of which a significant percentage are going
to be lawyers. How can we say to them we wish to outsource the jobs
for which they have laboured so hard.”
AND
GREG BETHEL'S PERSPECTIVE
The Tribune's Business Section Friday 5th December
reported remarks made by Greg Bethel who is the President of Fidelity Merchant
Bank and Trust and considered a leading voice in investment banking in
The Bahamas. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Bahamas
Telecommunications Company. He made the remarks at the 6th annual
Bahamas Investment Conference. Here is part of what he said in his
own words:
“The Bahamas should forget banking secrecy,
shed its image as a tax haven and rely less on special incentives and inducements
for businesses located in The Bahamas.
“We must come to understand that we are
a high cost jurisdiction with poor infrastructure. The environment
leaves a lot to be desired and we are a people whose productivity is questioned
by everyone with origins outside The Bahamas. We have a decision
making environment that is highly politicised and slow...
“To achieve the desired goal, the Government
has to look at introducing low and predictable taxes and government fees.
Another requirement was stable and predictable politics with quick but
deliberate decision making by the Government and its agencies, including
the Central Bank’s Exchange Control and Bank Supervision Departments, the
department of Immigration, the Registrar General’s Office and the Securities
Commission.
“Also needed to secure The Bahamas' place
in the global environment were an excellent communications regime and modern
infrastructure. A liberal immigration policy, a well trained work
force and a crop of competent managers was a necessity in any progressive
climate.”
THE
SEASON FOR A FRUITCAKE AT THE TAXI UNION
The Tribune has been seeking to amuse the Bahamian
people again by trying to make Leon Griffin, the husband of the Minister
for Social Services Melanie Griffin look like a bad guy. Mr. Griffin
is the President of the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union, and he has been engaged
in fighting a rearguard action first by the renegade political activist
Rodney Moncur, and then lately by his former ally in the Union Cheryl Ferguson.
Ms. Ferguson was helped by Mr. Griffin to be elected
to the post of Vice-President. She used to be a Progressive Liberal
Party supporter and an active leader of the Women’s Branch of the PLP.
But since the 2002 election she has left and become an FNM supporter and
member of the Women’s Branch of the FNM. Her friends say that she
left the PLP because the PLP promised to make her a Senator after the last
election. That promise like most things these days with her is a
figment of her own imagination.
Ms. Ferguson went through a dramatic weight loss
over the last five years and some people say that it may have affected
her thinking. It often has that affect on people. Just a few
weeks ago, she led an action to seize the office of the President in his
absence from the country, and purported to fire him as the manager of the
Taxi Union's business. The Tribune played that up for all it was
worth, only to discover surprise surprise that it was all false.
She had no authority to do it. She was restrained by the Courts and
stripped of all of her purported authority. No apology from The Tribune
for misleading the public. Maybe, the Action Group of the FNM ought
to look into that (click here for
our story above on the Action Group of the FNM).
The strange thing is that as soon as that court
case was over, Ms. Ferguson reportedly went to Mr. Griffin asking whether
even in the circumstances of her outrageous behaviour, she now could be
permitted to continue to use the Taxi Cab Union's office. That got
the laugh it deserved. Now Ms. Ferguson has told The Tribune that
she is running for the office of President of the Union. According
to The Tribune of Wednesday 1st December, she likens herself to Hillary
Clinton, and wishes to become the first female Prime Minister of The Bahamas.
Again this is one of these numbers where we will see the Second Coming
first. But it shows you the pathologies with which we are dealing
with this lady.
But what made The Tribune's headline was a call
from Ms. Ferguson to Mr. Griffin’s wife, the Minister of Social Services
to help Mrs. Ferguson become president of the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union.
This surely is pure entertainment. You can hear them howling with
laughter all the way into the balcony seats. Here is the direct quote:
“As sisters [she and Mrs. Griffin], let us show the men how it is done.
If she is half the woman I think that she is, she will talk to him.
He knows I will beat him in next year’s election and he is trying everything
in his power to block me.” Ms. Ferguson was apparently responding
to the fact that she had been questioned by the police when certain allegations
were lodged against her.
Mr. Griffin did not mince words. He told The
Tribune: “None of what she is saying is true, and I won’t give her the
glory of answering her back. I thought that one day she’ll hit rock
bottom, but it looks like she went under it. I’m wondering how low
she is going to go? She wants to be the president and an aspiring Prime
Minister and she is going to crawl on her stomach to say the things she’s
saying.”
The Tribune of course is selling papers, so you
would not be surprised that the next day, they went back to Cheryl Ferguson
again. She claimed that Mr. Griffin suffered embarrassment and humiliation
after the pastor blocked his speech at the Richard Moss (former taxi cab
union president) funeral last Sunday. That is a lie. The preacher
did not block Mr. Griffin. The time simply went and the preacher
stopped a number of persons from speaking. But there was no blocking
of Mr. Griffin. This is just Ms. Ferguson’s twisted imagination at
work again. This is the Christmas season, and there is a fruitcake
at the taxi cab union and the name Griffin is certainly not written on
it.
LIFE
WITH AIDS
This week The Bahamas marked World Aids Day with
a reminder that there must be eternal vigilance against this disease.
There was a church service. There was the annual AIDS walk.
President of the Aids Foundation Camille Barnett pronounced herself pleased
with the turnout. There was a special focus this week on women and
girls, the fastest growing segment of persons affected by the disease.
U.S. Ambassador John Rood participated in the walk on Saturday 4th December.
PRIVATE
TELEPHONE COMPANY
We reported on this site two weeks ago that Indigo
has started up as a new company to compete with the Bahamas Telecommunications
Company (BTC). The company has now started in earnest. They
report that they are starting to market phone cards of $5 and $10 denominations
to make overseas calls, and they say despite the drop in prices by BTC,
they can still beat the prices for long distance calls. According
to the CEO of the company, the age of $1 per minute calls from The Bahamas
to the US is finished.
30
YEARS OF CUBAN BAHAMAS RELATIONS
The Deputy Foreign Minister of Cuba was in town
this week. He was here to mark the occasion of the 30th anniversary
of diplomatic ties between The Bahamas and Cuba. The Acting Minister
of Foreign Affairs Vincent Peet joined the Deputy Minister at the opening
of a special function to mark the occasion. The Cuban Deputy Minister
and his Consul General in Nassau met with the members of the Select Committee
of the House of Assembly on Foreign Affairs. The function and the
meeting took place on Tuesday 30th November. The picture is by Raymond
Bethel of BIS.
JOB FAIRS
Thousands of people lined up from as early as 5
a.m. on Monday 29 November to attend a job fair held by the Riu group of
Spain, the new owners of the Grand Hotel on Paradise Island. This
was the second such fair. The Nassau Guardian who reported the story
said that some 3000 people showed up to claim the jobs. It is not
known whether this represents the dire straits in which many people find
themselves with no work or whether these are people hoping to shift to
new jobs. Nassau Guardian photo.
CONSPIRACY
OF SILENCE IN FREEPORT
A letter writer to this column this week raises
the question of what the true position is of the health of Edward St. George,
the Chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority. We do not know.
We think that this is a legitimate question. Edward St. George has
now been out of commission in Freeport for two weeks or more.
The letter writer admits to rumours going around
Freeport of the state of Mr. St. George’s health following an operation.
The Grand Bahama Port Authority has not been forthcoming, except for the
brief announcement that they made last week (you may click
here for that announcement). The letter writer says that the
matter is said to be more serious than is being let on.
What is curious is that none of the newspapers in
the country that is supposedly such an aggressive and honest press have
said a word. The Tribune was quick to put Sean McWeeney’s illness
on the front page. Of course, he is a PLP and so all his business
should be on the street as far as they are concerned. But on their
great friend Edward St George they have had nothing to say, not even the
brief announcement made by the Port. There is no question that in
any other society this would smack of a conspiracy of silence. A
man of such importance, a key to Freeport’s future, has virtually disappeared
from sight. And no public reporting mechanism can tell the people
of the city that he has controlled for a generation what is going on.
‘Tis passing strange!
HEALING
FOR CASH
In the ever present shift of the main stream newspapers
to compete with The Punch and The Source for the down market audiences,
the Nassau Guardian carried a story this week about a faith healer who
was asking for cash before he healed the sick. How this rates the
front page of a daily newspaper of mainstream orientation is beyond us,
but then The Guardian is a paper that can’t seem to get its act together.
Even today, you still can’t get the Nassau Guardian the same day in Freeport
because notwithstanding the fact that The Tribune can get published on
time and out to the airport to take the first flight, The Guardian just
can’t seem to get it right.
The Guardian in a story by Mindell Small reported
on Tuesday 30th November that Pastor Paul Lewis of Jamaica was in town.
He is now a resident of New York. There was a church tent set up
at the junction of Baillou Hill Road and Carmichael Road. Pastor Paul Lewis
called out to the congregation that he would bless 13 people for $1,000
each. Hey, if the man upstairs will hear the cry and reward the blessing,
then you get off cheaply. Instead, the ungrateful wretches went and
complained to Mr. Small of The Guardian that they had to pay for their
blessings! Duh! Remember the Lord loves a cheerful giver.
Count your blessings!
WISDOM
TO ‘SHORE UP’ SPORTS YOUTH AND CULTURE
The Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture has announced
the strengthening and expansion of the departments of his Ministry on Grand
Bahama. Minister Neville Wisdom announced the appointment of Ms.
Denise Minnis as Assistant Youth Director for Grand Bahama, Abaco and Bimini.
“The reality is that during its heyday, when the Ministry of Youth, Sports
and Culture was structured, – not under the former administration, but
the one before that – you found that there were more youth workers working
in Grand Bahama alone than the entire department as now constituted.
We want to get back to that point where we assessed the needs, for youth
work, for cultural work and for sports work here in Grand Bahama, and have
it properly addressed and properly staffed.
Mr. Wisdom said, “We believe that youth work, sports work, and cultural
work define who we are as a people... We build all the beautiful buildings,
and fixed all the roads, and ensured that the financial services sector
was doing well, and all of that is good. But,” he added, “When you
have a lawless and uncivilized society, then all is lost. Our young people,
particularly in the Family Islands, continually tell me they have nothing
to do.
“And so, we have to restructure, to ensure that
we provide the opportunities for young people, for our cultural artists
and for our athletes and sports persons, to ensure that at the end of the
day they have minimal facilities, at worst, and opportunities to develop
themselves to be best that they can be,” said the Minister.
Mr. Wisdom stated he has given instructions to the
Ministry to begin a talent search in the country, in areas of youth, sports
and culture, to give every talented youth, every talented Bahamian, an
opportunity to develop their talent.
He has mandated that sports officers to “Go in these Family Islands,
find some volleyball players, find the best people to play basketball,
find the best in sports.”
The Minister continued that he has also asked a
number of cultural practitioners to go into those islands and “let’s see
if there are people that want to rekindle this spirit of culture, where
we had fire dancers and limbo dances, and native floor shows; and, to also
find those wonderful soloists and artists, and culturally bring this country
back to life, in a Bahamian way”.
Minister Wisdom pointed out, that the intrusion of foreign culture
in The Bahamas has done untold damage to us.
“You stop the average young man and ask him why
is he wearing his pants almost below his hip, and he can’t tell you; you
ask the average young lady why she dresses so provocatively, she can’t
tell you, other than the fact that they saw it on TV, or they saw it as
they watched the reggae artists, or what have you.
“Everybody else is defining who we are and most
of the time those definitions are not very positive,” Mr. Wisdom said.
The Minister said that Bahamian culture and Bahamians,
in his way of thinking, in the purest sense, are some of the most talented
people and Bahamians have some of the richest traditions in the world.
“People,” stressed Mr. Wisdom, “want to copy us,
and they want to be like us because we have been so successful.”
He pointed out that this infusion of foreign culture has caused some of
our young people to want to go in other directions and deny themselves
their Bahamian heritage, “and we want to do something about that,” said
Mr. Wisdom. Story includes reportage by Dudley Byfield of BIS
Grand Bahama. Minister Wisdom, right, welcomes the newest
member of his team, Miss Denise Minnis, centre, the Assistant Youth Director
for Grand Bahama and the Northern Bahamas. Pictured left is Mr. Harrison
Thompson, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth, Sports, & Culture.
BIS PHOTO by Greg Christie.
CHILEZA
LOOKS AT THE TREE
The High Commissioner to South Africa came to Nassau
last week and went to Freeport for his official visit. The visit
to Freeport was mainly to inspect the tree that was planted by his President
Thabo Mbeki when he made the state visit to The Bahamas last year.
The tree was blown over in the storms in Grand Bahama in September.
It has now been righted, and the High Commissioner went to see whether
the tree would survive. Pictured left to right in the photo are:
Mr. Alexander Williams, Sr. Administrator for the City of Freeport; Ambassador
Chileza; Mr. Charles King, Sr. Administrator for West Grand Bahama, and
Superintendent of Police, Mr. Basil Rahming. Photo by Derek
Carroll
LANDFALL
CENTRE REPORT ON EXTRADITION
The Landfall Centre for Finance – Trade & International
Affairs has released the Executive
Summary of a report on Extradition, questioning the constitutional
validity of the Treaty and the 1994 Extradition Act. Dr. Gilbert NMO Morris
– Executive Director of the Landfall Centre commented on the release: “We
were asked by a number of parties why there had been no constitutional
challenges to the “Treaty” or the 1994 Act. The parties themselves were
uncertain as to the constitutional position. We undertook to examine
the question from the same grounds which underlie our examination and conclusions
concerning The Bahamas acceptance of OECD – FATF or IRS initiatives.”
Dr. Morris, along with professor Marshall Langer, Richard Hay and Bruce
Zagaris are leading thinkers on cross-border regulatory initiatives in
financial services. He commented further: “Observers must note that
our aim is defense of a principle. Wherever The Bahamas signs on to any
international or bi-lateral obligation, regard must be given to constitutional
questions, particularly as it relates to Articles I – II and Article 52(1)
of The Bahamas Constitution. That is the general analysis. This should
be followed by review of Articles 15 – 27, Article 48 (I) (b) and Article
23 (II) (2) as regards the authority of the Supreme Court on the obligations
of the government in respect of privacy. None of this was debated in parliament
in respect of the treaty, nor was there consideration of the risks to rights
or reciprocity.”
Dr. Morris was asked about the perception that may
appear that he was supporting those charged with offences in the US: “I
am not given to play games”, he said. “Serious people understand that the
issues I raise are for adults. I have heard such nonsense during our push
against the financial services laws. Some uninformed persons were saying
that I, and my colleagues supported the old system and even money laundering,
even though there is a 20 year old international public record of my statements
arguing that the Financial Services platform in The Bahamas is “bottom-feeding”,
and we ought to have developed a high end approach consistent with some
of the institutions present here. I argued that Custodial Banking services
was one way to go. And now people who benefited from the way things were
are of sudden expert evangelists against money laundering? It is galloping
nonsense. We are satisfied that our position has been proved right in the
international arena.”
Dr. Morris noted that Mr. Maurice O. Glinton would
be leading a charge on the basis of the unconstitutionality of the Extradition
Treaty, as it relates to bail. “He has already won an interlocutory
motion on general grounds of unconstitutionality. In addition to that,
the entire matter of extradition must be considered against the relative
balance of power and resources between the Bahamas and The United States.
We must play our role in the world. But as Mr. Glinton has said over and
again ‘we cannot treat our constitution as if it is a mere inconvenience
to agreeing with other nations or international institutions.”
THE
BOYS WIN BRONZE
It is now official. The Bahamian men’s relay
team from the 2003, get this the 2003 Paris World Championships have now
been awarded the bronze medal for their performance at those games.
One of the members of the American relay team was found to have taken a
banned substance and was stripped of his medal. It has now been ruled
that the entire team should lose the medal. And so The Bahamas moves
up one place from fourth to third and are awarded the bronze. Congratulations
to Chris Brown, Avard Moncur, Dennis Darling, Nathaniel McKinney.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
On Edward St. George
I don't think that you have been aggressive enough
in telling us the true story of what is going on here in Freeport.
The announcement last week, and your previous story about the future of
Freeport has only caused more speculation. Do you know what is going
on? Where is Edward St. George and what is the true state of his
health? The people need answers. We certainly can’t depend
on the Bahamian press to tell us the truth about what is happening?
So where do you stand?
Solomon James Smith
See the story above on Conspiracy
of Silence. –Ed.
The writer is an Anglican priest in training. He is the son
of Brenda Archer, organist at St. George’s Anglican Church and a leader
in the FNM women’s movement and the nephew of the Bahamian athletic great
Tommy Robinson. – Ed.
THIS
WEEK WITH THE PM
This Week with the PM will return next week with Bahamas Information
Services photographs by Peter Ramsay.
 |
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK - The Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell was back in his law clothes this week to present the petitions of the newest members of the Bar of The Bahamas: Troy Kellman (pictured with Mr. Mitchell) and Samantha Rolle. In his address to the Court, Mr. Mitchell told how he had first met the two persons on his tour in 1998 of the campuses on which Bahamians studied throughout the Caribbean and the Americas. Mr. Mitchell met them at the University of the Northern Caribbean, the Seventh Day Adventist University in Mandeville, Jamaica. He reminded the Court of the days when the first generation of black lawyers were called to The Bahamas Bar: Sir Lynden Pindling, the Hon. Arthur Hanna, the Hon. Paul Adderley, Sir Orville Turnquest and the Hon. Loftus Roker and the fact that only one man the late Governor General Sir Gerald Cash presented each of their petitions for call. “In those days, I was the only one”, Sir Gerald replied. You may click here for the address of the Minister on Troy Kellman and here for the address of the Minister on Samantha Rolle. |
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
THE RIOT AT THE CENTRE
Bahamians were shocked when they heard on Thursday 9th December
that the Detention Centre that has been in the news for allegations of
inhumane treatment was on fire. The report of The Bahamas Government
on the issue (click here for that statement)
said that the Cuban detainees set the building on fire, and refused to
allow the Defence Force officers into the building. No one died but
the building burned to the ground.
The
detainees are now the further subject of international attention.
From the reports of the reactions on the Bahamian radio talk shows, it
appears that most Bahamians would rather them be gone. The question
is: why have they been in The Bahamas so long? Some have been in
The Bahamas since March 2004.
The answer is rather complex. There is an agreement between the Cuban Government and The Bahamas government that says that The Bahamas government is supposed to notify the Cuban Government of the arrival of illegal Cubans within three days of their arrival. That never seems to happen because even though the agreement does not admit to the international obligation to discern political refugees, it appears that only when that process is complete is the notification given to the Cuban Government. Sometimes between The Bahamas Government and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, which helps with the process it can be months. As a result, some of the present detainees have been in custody for too many months. That is the real inhume treatment, keeping people incarcerated in the facility for so long; a facility that was clearly not designed for that purpose.
Some are suggesting that what needs to happen now is that the same way the Haitian migrants are processed, the Cubans should be processed and returned immediately to their places of origin.
What
now complicates matters further is the geopolitical situation. You
have a powerful lobby of rich Cubans in South Florida who want nine of
the persons to go to Nicaragua, a country that has apparently agreed to
give them visas. The U.S., which refuses to take them from The Bahamas
will then take them one supposes from Nicaragua. It is that group
that is suspected of fomenting the revolt in the facility and ultimately
that led to the protests over food and then the fire.
It is curious that the fire came the day after the Government reported that an independent investigation by the Police dismissed as untrue the allegations of brutality and inhumane treatment by Amnesty International. Amnesty has branded the report as a whitewash. Amnesty made a few other incredible charges about the conduct at the centre, which simply bear no resemblance to the truth, and are gross prevarications.
The Bahamas is between a rock and hard place on this but the Cuban detainees should all be sent home. A charm offensive has to be opened in Florida to help stop the public relations problems there. There were small demonstrations there again on Friday 10th December. The Bahamas must not be blackmailed by any group. It should follow what is in its best interest by dealing humanely and quickly with the Cuban refugees and send them back home or allow those who have political refugee claims to stay or go to third countries if it can be arranged.
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 11th December 2004: 60,382.
Number of hits for the month of December up to Saturday 11th December 2004 at midnight: 91,027.
Number of hits for the year 2004 up to Saturday 11th December 2004 at midnight: 2,624,163.
BAHAMIANIZATION
AT CENTRE STAGE
You may have read our Comment of The
Week last week and the column of last week in which we reported extensively
on the report by the Financial Services Forum Sub Committee, made public
by Attorney Brian Moree on the radio Love 97 programme ‘Jones and Company’.
There has been a serious backlash.
The report has been denounced from every quarter,
save and except for one of the subcommittee members Rick Lowe. Mr.
Lowe is also a member of the right wing think tank the Nassau Institute,
so you would not be surprised by anything that comes from that quarter.
Every other public comment concluded that the Forum’s report calling for
a re-examination of the immigration policies to allow more foreign workers
into the banking sector, including lawyers was ill advised. Some
were not so charitable in their language.
The Bahama Journal in its report of Tuesday 7th
December said that the Minister for Financial Services Allyson Maynard
Gibson took issue with the report. She said of it “They’ve … looked
almost exclusively at the point of view of employers. Bahamian employees’
points of view are not adequately reflected in that report, it has been
said and so I think they may want to take note of that.” Attorney
Moree at left (Bahama Journal photo) and Minister Maynard Gibson (right)
also from the Bahama Journal.
GLASS
CEILING REMAINS
In The Tribune’s Business Section of Tuesday 7th
December, Paul Moss, the activist and Managing Director of Dominion Management
Services has accused Brian Moree and his sub committee of “advocating
the abandonment of Bahamianization”. He argued that Bahamians in
the industry had “jobs but no real ownership”.
Mr. Moss said: “From my own experience, it is a
glass ceiling. There is no upward mobility. When one work permit
dies, another is given. That is why we are calling for the Government
to design policies for affirmative action to allow Bahamians to participate
more fully. There is no question we have the talent.”
Leslie Moss, a banker who is in a legal dispute
with his former employers in the sector told how he has been a trust administrator
since 1986. He said that he had applied for 12 jobs over the past
20 months and all have gone to expatriates. He told The Tribune that
the bank and trust companies have no intention of giving the top jobs to
Bahamians.
FINALLY
– NEWS ON EDWARD ST. GEORGE
Last week, we reported in this column that there
appeared to be a conspiracy of silence on the question of the health of
Edward St. George following what we now know is a heart valve replacement
operation. Now the Grand Bahama Port Authority has come forward with
a little bit more information. Here is what the most recent press
release had to say on Thursday 9th December:
“The medical condition of Edward St. George,
Chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited, has shown no significant
change. Four weeks ago, Mr. St. George underwent routine surgery
for a heart valve replacement, but has since endured a difficult recovery
and remains gravely ill in intensive care.”
The release quoted Lady Henrietta St. George, the
wife of Mr. St. George as saying:
“I am overwhelmed by the number of calls, the
offers of help and the extraordinary outpouring of prayers we have received
from The Bahamas. This is a difficult time for us and it is comforting
to have such warm support coming from the place Edward and I love so much.
Some have said they want to help but do not know what to do. I tell
them Edward is receiving the best care possible and that nothing would
please him more than to hear that the people of Grand Bahama continue to
rebuild their homes and lives after the devastating hurricanes.”
LOOKING
FOR THE ROBBERS
Every once in a while, there is some strange phenomenon
that overtakes The Bahamas in a kind of frenzy. This week was one
of those times. The phenomenon this time was the great crowds that
gathered near the public courts to see the arraignment of the five persons
who were captured by the police and charged with the robbery of the Royal
Bank of Canada in Spanish Wells on 1st December. Four were accused
of robbing with handguns Rihoda Pinder of $21,128.88, the property of the
Royal Bank of Canada and on the same date it is alleged that they kidnapped
Ms. Pinder. They were also charged with dishonestly receiving the
same sum of money on that day. The fifth was charged with abetment
to armed robbery.
The five men were all pictured on the front pages
of the newspapers and the crowd in Bank Lane went there, some skipping
out on work to see the robbers. Just to be accurate however, they
are alleged robbers. So just for our readers, here are the pictures
of (from left) Mark Curtis, Jeremy Pinder, Gershan Johnson, Jermaine Ferguson,
and William Fox. Felipe Major took the pictures for The Tribune.
It is worth noting that it is coming near Christmas time and this is the
time when these snatch and grab type robberies take place. Usually,
the police catch the people within hours of the robbery. There was
no exception this time. They were caught on the mainland of Eleuthera
within short order.
FOREIGN
MINISTER IN EXUMA AND BOCA RATON
Fred Mitchell, the Foreign Minister and Minister
for the Public Service travelled to Georgetown, Exuma over the weekend
to meet with leaders of the Exuma community for discussions on the way
forward in Exuma. He was hosted by Anthony Moss, the Member of Parliament
for Exuma and Deputy Speaker. Today Minister Mitchell is in
Boca Raton for meetings on the Cuban American protests that took place
in Miami on Friday 10th December. He returns to The Bahamas on Monday
for the annual Christmas lunch hosted by the Governor General for the Cabinet
on Monday 13th December.
AL
JARRETT TAKES OVER
Well now it’s official. Al Jarrett, the Chairman of the Bahamas Electricity
Corporation is now the Chairman of the Bank of The Bahamas. The Prime
Minister Perry Christie announced it at the meeting of the House of Assembly
on Wednesday 8th December. He said that he was sure that Mr. Jarrett
would perform to the highest expectations. He said that he had no
doubt at all. Mr. Jarrett succeeds Hugh Sands, who stepped down after
eight years at the helm of the Bank.
Some were heartened by this comment that Mr. Jarrett
made to the Nassau Guardian which was reported on Thursday 9th December
2004: “I have a lot of learning and reading to do and I have realized that
the bank is functioning very well. I don’t think I would be there
to reinvent the wheel, but to be a facilitator to make sure that we continue
on an upward path.”
Mr. Jarrett’s rise to the top of this bank is an
appropriate example of how Bahamians are blocked from top jobs in the industry
(click here for story on Bahamianization in the
financial services sector). If he were another person, and from
another country, he ought to have been the head of the Royal Bank of Canada
in The Bahamas where he spent almost his entire career in banking, but
alas the Royal is the one Bank that has been unable or unwilling to allow
any Bahamian to rise to the top in that Bank. The irony is that the
Royal are the Government’s bankers. Nassau Guardian photo
CLOSED
SEASON FOR GROUPER
This year, the fishermen seem to be making less
noise about the issue but we are elated that harvesting grouper from the
sea will be closed to everyone for two months from 16th December to 16th
February. This follows a controversial ban last year for a month, which
had all the fishermen up in arms. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force
will be responsible for policing the ban.
Some fishermen last year were arguing that all closing
the season would do is to make the fish available to the fishermen of the
Dominican Republic. The conservationists said that one way to get
the fishermen to sign on to this would be to have them police the grounds
and pay them to do so during the closed season. The RBDF said that
they are ready to defend the Bahamian fishing grounds during the closed
season.
This period between December and February is the
time when the Nassau Grouper aggregates for its annual mating rituals.
The Bahamas has the last surviving population in the Caribbean of aggregating
groupers. The ban only applies to the Nassau Grouper and not to other
species like the black fin and yellow fin rockfish as they are called in
The Bahamas.
We think that the ban is a good thing and should
actually be extended to one year next time. The fact is that there
are too many examples of the absolute crash of fishing species because
of over fishing, particularly taking fish during their time of spawning.
Let us hope that we can avoid that problem here. Nassau Guardian
photo by Letisha Henderson
POOR ZHIVARGO
It was interesting reading the other day, the tortured
logic of Zhivargo Laing, the former Minister for Economic Development under
the Free National Movement. Apparently someone accused someone of
intellectually dishonesty and having a selective memory. He never
quite said who was the accuser and who the accused. One wonders who?
It was surely the most carefully worded, contorted piece, in his Tribune
column of Thursday 9th December, paradoxically named 'Straight Up Talk'.
Mr. Laing sought to attack that person who called
someone “intellectually dishonest” by saying that the person simply disagreed
with what he had to say.
But how about a person who knows the truth of what
he says, and deliberately uses a distortion of the facts or deliberately
gets the logic wrong to make an argument that he knows does not hold water?
The facts stare you in the face and the interpretation is quite clear,
except to the “intellectually dishonest” writer who trumpets the opinion.
There are plenty of examples from Eileen Carron, his Editor at The Tribune.
Mr. Laing went further to deal with the issue of
“selective memory”. He said that all people have selective memories.
He claimed that when someone (he did not say who) accuses you of a selective
memory, they are really criticizing the memory and choices of a free writer.
But what about someone who knows the facts; the
facts stare him right in the face but he closes his eyes to some facts
because it suits his argument. That is selective memory. There
are plenty of examples of that with his Editor Eileen Carron of The Tribune.
Of course, we wouldn't dare suggest these things
about Mr. Laing. We know that he would never stoop to that.
Thank you to Sir Arthur Foulkes for clearing up his views
with regard to the British colonial civil service in his column of Tuesday
7th December in The Tribune. There was a commentary in this column
about Sir Arthur’s defence of the existing civil service structure that
is badly in need of reform (click here
for that comment).
We said that he seemed clearly enamoured of the
British colonial civil service that had caused him to come to such grief.
He responded this week to say that they had indeed caused him grief, but
he thought that there is a need for a neutral public service. We
don't disagree but there needs to be a political layer put in between the
Minister and the existing public service structure to make the system more
effective.
The suggestion and thought has come from Nassau
that Sir Arthur has got to write a book, and that book must tell us how
the civil service cavorted with the then powers that be to unfairly oust
him from office. Now that we would pay lots of money to read!
Tell us what happened, Sir Arthur.
CHAIRMAN
EMERITUS OF COB
We congratulate the Rt. Reverend Michael Eldon,
the former Chair of the College of The Bahamas for 20 years; 1975 to 1995,
for being appointed the Chairman Emeritus. A service of thanksgiving
was given to the man who served as the first Bahamian Bishop of the Anglican
Church in The Bahamas on Friday 10th December. The occasion also
marked the launch of the College’s 30th anniversary as an institution.
TRUST
CARL TO GET IT WRONG
The headline of the Nassau Guardian seemed quite
incredible. ‘INDIANS FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE’, it said. Then when
you went on to read the body of the story, it went on to say that at a
meeting of FNMs in Grand Bahama, Mr. Bethel postured that the FNM had to
be returned to office because there was a secret plan by the PLP to hire
at least 50 Indian accountants. The Prime Minister rose to his feet
in the House of Assembly with the paper in his hands to say that the FNM
should really not respond to rumour. He said it was untrue.
But then again, why bother, if the source of the information is Carl Bethel,
the FNM Chairman; that should tell you something about the veracity of
the information.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Recent Comments
Thank you very much for the comments
on the working paper, I prepared several weeks ago and
was published in the Tribune. This working paper is a snap shot in
time of the current situation in the Bahamas. More than ever, time
will prove these to be accurate assessments. While the working paper is
directed to others in the United States responsible for Caribbean policy,
I do believe Bahamians can benefit from a different point of view occasionally.
Several more will be forthcoming regarding issues affecting the nation
states of the Caribbean.
With that said, I also received
comments from the Guardian regarding the investigation of Inagua incident.
While I consider some of the personal characterizations of a former US
Ambassador reckless and amateurish, I am glad to see the Commission was
able to find the information I provided Minister Mitchell accurate.
As Winston Churchill said, “I have never given any body hell, I just told
the truth and they thought it was hell.”
Ambassador J. Richard Blankenship
The writer served as Ambassador to the Bahamas from the United States
– Ed.
THIS
WEEK WITH THE PM
Shown in the shadow of Kerzner International's Atlantis,
Prime Minister Perry Christie addresses the groundbreaking ceremony for
the third phase of the major hospitality industry project at Paradise Island,
now projected to cost $1.75 billion, up from the $1 billion previously
announced. The Kerzners told the media that the project had been
adjusted to take current market trends into account. Now, instead
of a monolithic hotel tower of 1500 rooms, there will be a 600 room all-suite
hotel and a 400 room condo hotel. These two join the 88-unit 'ultra-luxury'
condos being constructed at the Ocean Club Estates. The adjusted
project is expected to provide some 2000 more jobs for Bahamians.
NEW TRANSPORT FLEET FOR EXUMA - Prime Minister Christie travelled
to Exuma during the week to help celebrate the launching of Exuma Transit
Services, a co-op formed by Bahamian tour, taxi and bus drivers at the
Prime Minister's encouragement. The company has borrowed $500,000
from The Bahamas Development Bank for a new fleet of vehicles, including
limousines, taxis and buses to transport the influx of guests to the island.
Tourism in Exuma has seen a dramatic upsurge since the opening of the Four
Seasons hotel. Mr. Christie is shown with government officials and
members of Exuma Transit Services.
BAHAMAS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – The Prime Minister joined filmmakers and celebrites from around the world to open the inaugural edition of The Bahamas International Film Festival. The festival entertained Bahamians and visitors with a diverse presentation of international films. The Festival is a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing the local community and international visitors with a diverse presentation of films from around the world, offering films that might not otherwise be released theatrically in the Bahamas and fora for exploring the future of cinema. Tim Aylen - Vision photo
A GOOD TIME IN CHURCH - Prime Minister Christie attended a church
service during the week celebrated by Bishop Ross Davis. Our photo
shows an electric moment during the service with Mr. Christie, along with
Ministers Allyson Maynard Gibson and Shane Gibson and others in the congregation
interacting in delight with one of the celebrants.
PLP CHRISTMAS PARTY - Senior statesmen of the Progressive Liberal
Party were among those joining in the celebrations at the Sir Lynden Pindling
Centre at the party's Gambier House headquarters this past week.
Prime Minister Christie is shown cracking a joke to the obvious hilarity
of former Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Hanna, Deputy Governor General Paul
Adderley and former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Clement Maynard.
Bahamas Information Services photographs by Peter Ramsay; PM at
BIFF Tim Aylen - Vision photo
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
THE BRITISH PACK UP AND LEAVE
There were all sorts of clever lines that one could use to describe
the announcement this week that the British High Commission in Nassau is
to close next year. In some quarters, it was felt as a definite blow
in that the British were our former colonial masters, and it seemed as
though we were being abandoned. This was so stinging that the British
Government’s representative here was forced to say that The Bahamas was
not being abandoned by Britain. Whatever the case, the British announced
on Wednesday 15th December that they were closing their embassy in The
Bahamas and removing its work to Kingston, Jamaica. After that, all
their work here would be done through an honorary consul.
On another level, the whole thing seemed insulting that Nassau, which most Bahamians think of as a major capital should be given such short shrift by the former colonial master. But those who had been noticing in the words of one politician would have seen that “they haven't been doing anything here for years”. The local office did no more consular work, all taken to New York and applications had to be done on line through their New York office. The office itself was only open half the week. The diplomats themselves did not seem to be very engaged in the life of the Bahamian community as they once were. The diplomatic receptions had almost ceased. The scholarships that they once offered no longer seemed as forthcoming. Britain itself seemed to be going through a dumbing down, with every traditional aspect of their life being stripped away by the socialist Government now in power in the United Kingdom.
If anyone was under any illusion about them, the foolish adventurism against the Arab world when they helped to lead and persist in leading an invasion of Iraq sealed their fate in the Caribbean world. The British are like all countries pursuing their own interests, and those interests no longer include the Caribbean. They have had enough of it. Their naval presence is next to nothing, and their interest is in Europe and the Middle East. And so to help save a lousy five million pounds, the embassy in Nassau closes.
The question, then that The Bahamas has to ask itself is one that many people have been trying to urge the country forward. But we are slow. There is still the Bahamian link to the Privy Council. Should we still be giving them our business when they deliver this slap in the face to the country? Should we not be reorienting ourselves toward the European theatre where the real action is in Brussels and in Geneva? What does our High Commission actually do in London?
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell tried to make the best of it. His view was that it was just a tad strange that while tourism was increasing from Britain to The Bahamas with the arrival of Virgin Airlines next July, the British were in fact cutting back on their diplomatic presence here.
Well that’s life. The British are gone. The young people probably don’t care a hoot whether they are here or not. The older people still thinking back to the days when the sun would never set on the British Empire are themselves fading away. All sorts of other decisions now we should be free to make: no more colonial honours, no more Queen. Why not be rid of it all and get on with our own life?
Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 18th December 2004 at midnight: 59,893.
Number of hits for the month of December up to Saturday 18th December 2004 at midnight: 150,920.
Number of hits for the year 2004 up to Saturday 18th December 2004 at midnight: 2,684,056.
EDWARD
ST. GEORGE DIES
Mr. Edward St. George, the Chairman and co-owner of the Grand Bahama Port
Authority has died in hospital in Houston, Texas. He succumbed to
complications from heart surgery in the early hours of Monday 20th December.
He was 76. Mr. St. George and his business partner and
friend Sir Jack Hayward, took complete control of the Port in 1976.
You may expect a full report in our scheduled upload on Sunday 26th December.
As we upload this bulletin, a news conference is being held by the Grand
Bahama Port Authority and the following statement has been released by
Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie:
On behalf of the Government of The Bahamas, I extend the most sincere condolences to Lady Henrietta St. George and all the family of Edward St. George on the very sad occasion of his passing early this morning. It is the end of an era in Freeport.
Mr. St. George was truly a giant in the economic development of our nation’s major city in the north. His vision for the future of Freeport and the island of Grand Bahama generally, was a beacon for the values of self-determination and economic success so evident in the citizenry of the city which he dearly loved and to which he devoted his life’s energies.
From his early days as a Magistrate and Solicitor-General in this jurisdiction and throughout his life in business, Mr. St. George demonstrated a love and understanding of the people of The Bahamas that has augured to mutual and lasting benefit over the many, many years of his association with this country. His commitment to the Grand Bahama Port Authority, along with his longtime friend and associate Sir Jack Hayward, began in earnest almost 30 years ago and has ushered in all the major developments of the city during that time.
The Bahamas has lost a very dear and most valued friend. Edward St. George will be sorely missed.
The people of Freeport and Grand Bahama must remain steadfast in
this time of sorrow, secure in the knowledge that the Government of The
Bahamas remains committed to working hand in hand with Sir Jack Hayward,
Sir Albert Miller, Mrs. Willie Moss and the leadership of the Grand Bahama
Port Authority for the continued success of Freeport.
FREEPORT
IN THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW
(From London by Sharon Zoë Smith)
Yea though I walk through
The Valley of the Shadow of death
I shall fear no evil
--- Psalm 23
The telephone calls to me in London were fast and
furious. The questions were about the state of the health of Edward
St. George [see late bulletin above].
Last week there was a brief and not too forthcoming statement about his
condition from the Grand Bahama Port Authority. I read it on this
site. (You may click
here for the report of that statement) But according to citizens calling
in from Freeport, there is definitely something seriously amiss with the
health and life of Edward St. George. Things are still quite hush
hush.
When last I wrote in this space, there was some
consternation that someone would talk about transitioning in Freeport.
But from the telephone calls that I have received it seems time to consider
that if the great man dies, exactly what is at stake.
I believe that the Government should consider buying
the shares of one of the major shareholders. In the short term though,
what is important is stability. The potential investors have to know
that there is stability in Freeport and their investments will still have
a steady presence to protect their investment and a reliable partner with
which to deal in the Grand Bahama Port Authority. For the moment,
it seems to me to mean Sir Albert Miller. If Mr. St. George dies
though, it will be the end of an era.
ANDRE
RODGERS DIES
The Nassau Guardian led with a headline on Tuesday 14th December 2004 “The
Death of A Bahamian Legend/ Rodger’s Passing Shocks The Community”.
Mr. Rodgers was two weeks away from his 70th birthday when he passed away
while sleeping at his residence on Monday 13th December 2004. He
was a legend in his own time, but at the time of his death, he had passed
away long ago in the collective knowledge of much of the Bahamian community.
While the ruling elites were knowledgeable and appreciative
of what Andre Rodgers had done by becoming the first Bahamian to become
a major league ball player, (and by all accounts, he was good), in today’s
Bahamas, the knowledge of that contribution and the appreciation of it
at a mass level does not quite seem there. He joined the New York
Giants (later San Francisco) on 16th April 1957. He played at shortstop,
first base and third base for the Milwaukee Braves, the Chicago Cubs and
the Pittsburgh Pirates. He ended his career with the Pirates on 8th
June 1967.
Andre returned home with a legend’s name but the
personal difficulties, the struggling with alcoholism soon took its toll.
Shortly before his death, he had been hospitalized and a leg had to be
amputated. That from all accounts, this took him into a psychological
tailspin. He never recovered. The baseball stadium in the Queen
Elizabeth Sports Centre was named after Andre Rodgers on 9th June 1989
by the late Sir Lynden O. Pindling. The comments from all who knew
him
