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VOLUME:114 No.52 FEBRUARY 6th, 2017
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Super Bowl: Brady leads Patriots to comeback win - see Sports H O M E S & R
FNM DETAILS PLANS TO TACKLE CRIME
By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE Free National Movement has outlined its goals to fight crime should the party win the next general election, noting in its recently released Manifesto plans to establish a national neighbourhood watch programme in every community, re-institute term limits for the commissioner of police, establish a sexual offenders register and enforce Marco’s Law. SEE PAGE FIVE
Two men shot GOLDEN GIRL MEETS HER MATCH dead and five hurt at weekend By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net TWO men are dead and five others are in serious condition in hospital after a series of shooting incidents over the weekend. The two killings pushed the country’s murder count to 19 for the year, according to The Tribune records, and marked five homicides in four days this month. The latest shooting death, the second in nearly 24 hours, took place shortly before 9pm on Saturday off Faith Avenue. Officer-in-Charge of the Central Detective Unit, Chief Superintendent Clayton Fernander said a group of young men were playing dominoes in front of a busi-
ness establishment near St Vincent Road when a man walked up to them and opened fire. “Sometime around 8.40pm, a group of young men were playing outside when a lone gunman fired several shots at the crowd,” Chief Supt Fernander said. “As a result, a young male was shot several times to the body and died on the scene. We do not know the motive for this shooting at the time but we are asking persons who may have been in the area at the time to come forward.” About an hour later, police were called to the scene of another shooting this time in the Washington Street area. SEE PAGE SIX
OLYMPIC gold medal winner Shaunae Miller married decathlete Maicel Uibo, her college sweetheart, on Saturday at Atlantis. See page two for more photographs and the full story.
BUTLER-TURNER OUT OF PARTY IF SHE NOMINATES AS INDEPENDENT By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE minute Official Opposition Leader Loretta Butler-Turner nominates herself as an independent candidate for Long Island she will no longer be a member of the Free National Movement, the party’s Chairman Sidney Collie said yesterday.
In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Collie said according to the party’s constitution, any FNM member that runs against a nominated FNM candidate “automatically disqualifies him or herself”. Last month, Mrs ButlerTurner confirmed to The Tribune that her bid for re-election in Long Island during the upcoming
general election would be as an independent candidate. Last week, she posted a series of photos on social media showing her constituency headquarters in Long Island being repainted blue. She captioned the images with the hashtags independent2017 and campaign2017. “She can do what she wants,” Mr Collie told The
Tribune. “Once she nominates she automatically disqualifies herself from being in the FNM, but right now it is just talk. “I am not going to speculate whether she will actually nominate or not. We will wait and see what happens on nomination day. Politicians say lots of things, you cannot put too much stake in talks. If she nominates
we will do what we have to do.” In December, the FNM appointed a three-person tribunal to decide the fate of Mrs Butler-Turner and the six other members of Parliament who ousted Dr Minnis as leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Assembly earlier that month. SEE PAGE FIVE
notwithstanding decades of prior success in those areas. The party, led by Dr Hubert Minnis, has assured that it will, if elected, “uncap our human resources as growers and stabilisers of the economy,” and “unleash the potential ingenuity of the Bahamian entrepreneur” to stimulate, expand and sustain both themselves and the economy.
By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net CONTROVERSIAL talk show host Ortland Bodie Jr was terminated on Friday as the host of Real Talk Live, The Tribune understands. In a series of emails sent to The Tribune from Mr Bodie, the disbarred attorney alleged that he was “abruptly and unexpectedly terminated” without an explanation or “payment in lieu of the aforesaid unilateral termination.” “For many months, I and other staff members, to my knowledge, have not been paid salaries or wages when due,” Mr Bodie alleged in one email. “When I and other staff members have made queries
SEE PAGE THREE
SEE PAGE SIX
FNM PLEDGE OVER FISCAL DISCIPLINE By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
FISCAL discipline is a key pillar of the Free National Movement’s “Economic Action Plan” to rescue the country’s economy if it regains the government in the upcoming general election. As part of its fiscal initiatives, the party also promises a reduction in real property tax to pensioners who have owned
their homes for at least 25 years and grant value added tax “credits” to businesses who acquire certain locally sourced goods and services. The political party published its 2017 Manifesto over the weekend on its website, ourfnm.org, in which it stressed that the country’s current economic state could not continue to solely rely on tourism, banking and foreign direct investment to sustain the nation and its economy,
ORTLAND BODIE FIRED FROM HIS RADIO SHOW
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PAGE 2, Monday, February 6, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
GOLDEN
GIRL SHAUNAE Miller at her wedding on Saturday at Atlantis.
MEETS HER MATCH SHAUNAE Miller with her new husband, decathlete Maicel Uibo. BAHAMIAN Golden Girl Shaunae Miller tied the knot on Saturday, marrying her college sweetheart Maicel Uibo, a decathlete from Estonia, in the Crown Ballroom at Atlantis, Paradise Island. The officiant was Apostle J Rodney Roberts, of Five Porches Ministries, assisted by Prophetess Janice McKenzie, who had predicted that the Bahamian track star would win Olympic gold in 2016. Captain Joel Stubbs, brother of the bride and Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation president, was one of the organists and the bridal party featured a number of track and field athletes. Several athletes attended the wedding, including veteran quarter-miler Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown and Andretti Bain with their wives. The couple met while they attended the University of Georgia and Mr Uibo, 24, proposed to Ms Miller, 22, last year. Shauntae Miller, sister of the bride, was the maid of honour. The bridesmaids were Kamaria Brown, Natoya Goule, Okola Jones, Tiffany Harris, Tiffany Townsend, Katrina Seymour (the Bahamian quarter-miler and hurdler) and Jessica Beard. Shaunece
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Miller, the youngest sister of the bride, was the junior bride and Arianna Deveaux was the flower girl. Karl Saluri was the best man. The groomsman included Randon Higgs, Markus Leemet, Ashinia Miller, Shaun Miller (the bride’s brother), Carl-Eric Uibo (the groom’s brother). Curt Knowles Jr was the ring bearer. It’s not known if the couple will take up residence in Athens, Georgia, where the new Mrs Miller-Uibo has her training base as she prepares for the IAAF World Championships in August in London, England. In the 2015 championships, she took the silver medal in the 400m in Beijing, China. She celebrated her greatest moment on the track in Brazil when she dived across the finish line to edge out American Allyson Felix for the gold in the women’s 400 metres at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August. Mr Uibo, who competed in a few local Bahamian meets before the wedding, will be heading to Europe to compete in their championships. At the reception, Ejoma Jacozie served as the Master of Ceremonies. There was a beautiful nine-foot high cake made by Take A Bite Cakes.
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Shaunae plunges over line to Olympic glory
SHAUNA E Miller last night won the Olympic gold medal in the 400m in the most dramatic of fashions - diving across the line in a tight finish to secure victory. Her nearest rival, Allyson Felix of the US, was closing her down in the final 100m of the race after Miller had powered through the
first 300m - but in the final steps of the race, Miller threw herself over the line to win by just seven hundredths of a second. Miller had been drawn in a tough lane - out in lane seven where she was unable to see most of her rivals behind her throughout the race.
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There had been concerns ahead of the race as heavy rain forced a delay - but Miller shrugged off any worries to win, bringing home the first medal of the Olympics for The Bahamas. For full coverage of the race and more dramatic photographs, see Sports.
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Monday, February 6, 2017, PAGE 3
FNM commits to NHI plan By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net THE Free National Movement said it would, if elected to office this year, implement a functional National Health Insurance plan with a robust catastrophic healthcare component. It was one of several measures proposed in the party’s manifesto on healthcare that was published on its website this weekend concerning the maximisation of the quality of care to patients. The proposal also follows after the launch date for the current government’s $100m primary care phase of NHI had been delayed to May 2017, according to notes obtained by The Tribune from the recent meeting of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Stakeholder Advisory Council. The primary care phase was initially supposed to be launched in April of last year, but has since been postponed several times. Last week, government
officials announced the launch of National Health Insurance’s primary care physician registration. However, there was still no clear indication by NHI officials as to when that registration process was expected to be completed, which is what has to happen for the commencement of the second phase of NHI, enrolment, to be fully realised. The FNM, in its 2017 Manifesto, said “all Bahamians should have easy access to affordable excellent healthcare and during our term in office we will as a priority upgrade the present health infrastructure, ensure easy and affordable access by all Bahamians to primary, secondary and tertiary, including critical care, provide patients with the right to choose, develop a system that is viable and sustainable (and) embrace a national healthy lifestyle programme to entrench a preventative and wellness strategy to effectively deal with the scourge of the many related lifestyle illnesses”.
“In order to maximise the quality of care, an FNM government will implement a functional NHI plan with a robust catastrophic healthcare component.” The FNM further proposes to “fund, construct and open” a national blood bank, establish an independent facility for the coroner, build an adequate national morgue and “continue its programme of upgrading healthcare facilities across The Bahamas to provide an ambience and standard of care appropriate for the 21st century.” A new emergency room, step-down unit and maternal child health wing at the Princess Margaret Hospital is also promised in the Manifesto as is the creation of new medical wings and an intensive care unit (ICU) at the Rand Memorial Hospital in Grand Bahama. Education The FNM’s manifesto also addressed an area of key concern, namely education and the safety and security of school campuses. The FNM, if elected to
office, said it would “ensure that effective security protocols are established and properly trained security personnel are in place and managed at all public schools, utilise metal detectors to screen all personnel and the schools’ parameters, increase police presence during critical hours before and after school at campuses and school routes to prevent and intervene in potential conflicts (and) enhance the use of CCTV and other technology with real time monitoring of school premises”. The political organisation also acknowledged the areas of challenges in the country’s educational system as addressed in the “Working Draft of the 2016 National Development Plan Secretariat” namely: national skills deficit, substandard numeracy, literacy and oratory levels, lack of inclusiveness in the society and education and unemployment. The party proposes to “end social promotion in the school system, increase investment in education (through) human resources
and training, private sector involvement and technical and vocational training.” The FNM also said the challenges will be addressed “by greater investment in the continuous training, re-training and professional development of teachers and educational professional, increased expenditure on educational infrastructure to reduce class sizes and provide greater resources for the education establishment.” There is also need for increased investment in technical and vocational education in high schools, the manifesto stressed. The FNM also proposes to amend the Education Act to mandate pre-school learning for all children two and a half years old and promises to institute a “mandatory apprenticeship scheme for all 10th through 12th grades.” All qualified students should be able to access a tertiary education with the necessary financing through scholarships, grants and tax incentives, the document added.
Last week, Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald said the onus for recent violent incidents on school campuses must fall on the wider society, further lamenting that officials have done everything they can to stop school violence. Mr Fitzgerald, in his first public comments on violent crimes at school campuses since the stabbing incident at the Government High School campus in January which left one teen in critical condition and two others with injuries, said the presence of police and heightened security forces have dramatically “cut down” incidents but the core issues spurring these matters had to be addressed in the community. Stressing how key “vigilance” has been for the staff and personnel at school campuses, the Marathon MP said schools have now grown to mirror every occurrence seen throughout society. More on the FNM’s proposals on education and healthcare can be found at ourfnm.org.
FNM PLEDGE OVER FISCAL DISCIPLINE from page one
“Underpinning our economic goals will be the need to increase and sustain economic growth,” the document notes. “Therefore, your FNM government’s Economic Action Plan will employ a multi-pronged approach to achieve the following goal: promote fiscal discipline, stimulate Bahamian ownership, create jobs and reduce poverty, and progress public sector reform to create an efficient public service committed to improving the ease of doing business with the government. “The fiscal management of the Bahamas has been less than desirable as evidenced by an unsustainable ballooning national debt and multiple sovereign credit rating downgrades, despite rising taxes,” the document states, adding that “if left unchecked, this situation could doom future generations to standard of living well below what is currently enjoyed in our Bahamas.” Royal Bank of Canada’s (RBC) Chief Regional Economist Marla Dukharan last week accused The Bahamas of squandering the Caribbean’s “most successful value added tax” implementation by failing to act in a fiscally prudent manner. Addressing the Royal Fidelity’s Economic Business Outlook (EBO) conference, she called for the Bahamas to implement “fiscal rules” to cap government spending and establish a debt ceiling and also warned that the
government’s fiscal profligacy could ultimately impose pressure on the Bahamian dollar, and its one:one peg with its US counterpart. There have been repeated calls for a Fiscal Responsibility Act to force the government to be more accountable and transparent in the management of the public finances. This would require it to return to Parliament for approval to raise more money if it has to exceed the limits approved in the annual budget. However, “fiscal rules” would impose even more stringent discipline on the government, as they would set spending and debt-toGDP ratio limits that it cannot breach. While many believe that The Bahamas requires such a strong dose of fiscal medicine, some observers believe that ‘hard and fast’ rules could create difficulties in an emergency - such as the need for urgent response in the aftermath of storms such as Hurricane Matthew. The government is projecting that the GFS fiscal deficit will be eliminated by the 2018-2019 budget year, but in the meantime, notwithstanding VAT’s implementation, which has brought in almost $1 billion, the national debt has continued to grow - albeit at a slower pace in recent years. At end-June 2016, Central Bank data pegged it at $6.695 billion or 74.9 per cent of GDP - a ratio in excess of the so-called 70 per cent debt-to-GDP ‘danger threshold’ established by
the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Central Bank of the Bahamas’ report on December’s monthly economic developments, released last Monday, disclosed that the fiscal deficit was up $67.7m year-over-year due to a combination of reduced revenues and spending increases. It added that VAT revenues for the four months to end-October 2016 were off 6.7 per cent, or $15.4m, at $214.1m due to tough prior year comparatives, which had been boosted by “significant early payments”. The FNM’s 2017 manifesto says the party will: “Review/improve the budgeting process, provide incentives to encourage efficient revenue collection of all taxes, reduce real property tax to pensioners who would have attained the age of 65 plus and have owned and occupied their homes for a minimum of 25 years.” The party also said it would “outsource the maintenance and repair of government office furniture, especially in schools to reduce annual recurrent expenditure,” create employee public private sector partnerships to finance capital projects that are economic in nature and amend the Business Licence Act to ensure that businesses are not unduly disinsentivised by a burdensome tax on gross revenue. The FNM said it would also place emphasis on growing the country’s middle class, and small and medium sized businesses through legislation and
amend relevant financial legislation to “streamline and standardise the procedure for opening domestic bank accounts”. In addition to strengthening the Fresh Start/Jump Start Initiative, the FNM said it will grant “VAT credits to companies acquiring locally produced goods and services in the arts, entertainment, culture, agriculture, fisheries and manufacturing industries.” “A sound infrastructure is critical to synergising all aspects of society into a well-function economy. A government’s investment in infrastructural upgrades can create, drive and sustain employment by generating jobs in many sectors, including construction and manufacturing, while also addressing socio-economic deficiencies in our Bahamas. “Your next FNM government, in collaboration with public/private partnerships, will invest in both new as well as in the upgrade of existing infrastructure throughout the country to bring quality infrastructure to underserved communities to prepare them for development and expansion. The prospective government further proposes to promote renewable energy and energy conservation, inter-island transportation and the upgrading and modernising of Family Island airports, docks and marinas and information and communications based technology infrastructure “to create an enhanced knowledge-based economy,” the document notes.
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FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis at the Torchbearers convention.
PAGE 4, Monday, February 6, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
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Crime continues - where does the blame lie? WE ARE 36 days into the new year and already 19 Bahamians are dead and several others are in hospital fighting for their lives. Over the weekend - Friday and Saturday – two men were killed in separate incidents within 24 hours of each other and five were in hospital. A simple game of dominoes was being enjoyed by a group of young men in a restaurant and bar on St Vincent Road when a car pulled up, fired several shots and sped off. Soon the sirens of police cars and ambulances could be heard speeding to the scene. One man was dead. Shortly after 10pm, a man was standing on Washington Street when a gunman walked up to him, shot him, then fled on foot. That victim is in hospital. Earlier that evening – around 7:30pm – two men were sitting in a car on Durham Street off Mount Royal Avenue when two men with handguns approached, shot them, then took to their heels and ran. The victims were taken to hospital, one died, the other is fighting for his life. Early the next morning – this Saturday – two men were shot on Coconut Grove Avenue. They were taken to hospital where they are in stable condition. The problem with police statistics is that the public never gets the true crime picture — they only hear about those who die, never about the survivors who are maimed for life. Within 24 hours this weekend, unsuspecting Bahamians were being used as target practice by the criminals. These were the very criminals that the PLP assured Bahamians that if elected in 2012, they would quickly rid The Bahamas. They promised the gullible that they had the secret formula to solve our growing crime problem. We did not believe them, but many less informed Bahamians did. Anxious to be able to live without bars on their windows, they voted them in as the government. Now as the end of their five year term draws near – already with 19 Bahamians dead in the first 36 days of 2017 – they are back with their begging bowls filled with bogus promises, and excuses as to why they couldn’t keep their promises the first time. You must understand – according to them – they need more time to complete their mission. It was Prime Minister Christie, who as opposition leader on August 15, 2011, said that crime was the result of bad governance - in other words the Ingraham government didn’t know what it was doing. As Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant remarked in 2015, the PLP will “forever curse the hour” that they erected those large murder posters showing that under the FNM murder was out of control in the Bahamas. No sooner in power – just a few days after the 2012 election— murders started to increase. By 2014 a frustrated prime minister, looking for a scapegoat for his party’s failure, decided to drop the ball on the police: “I said to the minister of state, I’m not prepared to have my own legacy, my own reputation, be tied to a total reliance on the Royal Bahamas Police Force and to the leadership of that force.” And now we have PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts, trying to shift the blame onto former Assistant Commissioner Marvin Dames, who will represent the FNM, as the candidate for Mount Moriah in the 2017 election. “It’s a shame that after years of service with the Royal Bahamas Police Force,” said Mr Roberts, “Marvin Dames is now
trying to distance himself from some of the very anti-crime policies he designed and implemented. When the PLP entered government in 2012, we were faced with an underfunded police force, an underfunded education system, coupled with a court system burdened with a huge backlog of cases. “This was what Dames and his FNM party left us to clean up,” yammered Mr Roberts. Excuses, excuses and more excuses. Probably if the Christie government had listened to the trained police officers the country would be better off today. It would be interesting to know what State Minister for National Security Keith Bell brought to the government. After all he joined the police force in 1985, resigned in 2008, having been trained locally in police work. He then contined his studies to qualify as a lawyer. Weighed in the balance, Marvin Dames has far superior qualifications in police work than has Mr Bell. Mr Dames holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology from Ohio State University, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom. Additionally he holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Police Management from the Institute of Legal Executives. He has also participated in a number of courses including: Fellowship – Yale World Fellows, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; International Strategic Leadership programme (ISLP), Bramshill, United Kingdom; FBI Academy and Senior Command Course, Bramshill, United Kingdom. Mr Dames also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology from Ohio State University, Ohio, USA and a Post Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom. Additionally he holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Police Management from the Institute of Legal Executives. Mr Dames has also participated in a number of courses including: Fellowship – Yale World Fellows, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; International Strategic Leadership programme (ISLP), Bramshill, United Kingdom; FBI Academy; Senior Command Course, Bramshill, United Kingdom. “It’s a shame that after years of service with the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Marvin Dames is now trying to distance himself from some of the very anti-crime policies he designed and implemented,” said Mr Roberts in a press statement yesterday. “When the PLP entered government in 2012, we were faced with an underfunded police force, an underfunded education system, coupled with a court system burdened with a huge backlog of cases. “This was what Dames and his FNM party left us to clean up.” And in 2015 National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage, also trying to slide away from his party’s election promises, had this to say: “And if the people believe we can just wave a magic wand and solve the problems that we face, they have got a sad awakening.” They certainly have. But this time we hope they understand that the PLP never had a solution, and it is foolhardy to try to play the same sour notes to the Bahamian people to secure their vote. We suspect that if the police had been allowed to do their job for which many are well trained, this country would not be in the sorry state that it is in today.
Birth rate: an objective view EDITOR, The Tribune,
FOLLOWING the public furore surrounding the tube tying of females by a certain MP and accusations of irresponsible breeding by a certain Reverend, perhaps it would be useful to take an objective view. There is no question that a significant number of babies are born annually to mothers with insufficient resources, financial or otherwise. Many of these children go on to become poorly educated adults, trapping them in a cycle of poverty. It is simply
a tragedy for all concerned. Rather than excoriating them for their perceived shortcomings, a far better approach can be found in Colorado according to a report in the New York Times. Providing free long-term contraceptives to women resulted in dramatic declines in teenage births (down 40 per cent in the period 2009 to 2013), abortions (down 42 per cent in the same period), along with a similar decline in births to unwed mothers under 25 who had not completed a high school education. Through the Department
of Social Services, it should be simple enough to require females of bearing age to accept long term contraception as a condition for receiving the support of the state. The problem will not be resolved overnight, but the sooner we apply real solutions, the sooner the problem will become tractable with visible results in the overall improvement of our society. To do otherwise would perpetrate the tragedy into a travesty. J G FARMER Nassau February 4, 2017
Opposition must unite EDITOR, The Tribune.
I WRITE in response to some recent comments by Branville McCartney regarding the unlikelihood of an alliance between the DNA and the FNM. However, my message is really for all the leaders of the various opposition forces. Simply put, it is this: Unite, or be destroyed! None of you can take the PLP down on your own. It is as plain as day to the rest of us. That is why hardly anyone has registered - we simply don’t see the point. Certainly the government knows it too and they are happily preparing for another five years in office, laughing their heads off at your expense. And each of you – Hubert Minnis, Branville McCartney, Loretta Butler Turner, John Bostwick, Renard Henfield, Greg Moss, etc. – would know it too if you hadn’t been so blinded by your own hype. Clear perspective is a very difficult thing to achieve or maintain when you’re involved in front-line politics. For party leaders who surround themselves with boot-lickers and yesmen, it is very easy to mistake the grovelling of your ‘crew’ for the feeling of the public at large. But the time is late now. You had all better wake up and smell the coffee. If the opposition forces fail to unite before the upcoming general election, they will all be blown away. You must not allow yourselves to be consumed with a desire to be ‘the man’ or ‘the woman’. You must think about the country. The current disunity in the opposition forces spells disaster for the general public. We simply cannot take another five years of the PLP. The good news is, unite and you will win without
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net question and there will be a place at the table of governance for all of you. For our sake, opposition leaders, wake up, man-up (or woman-up), and act responsibly! None of you is God’s gift to The Bahamas and none of you is destined to win alone. It simply will not happen. Minnis and Co, don’t fool yourselves. The PLP’s litany of failures, errors, embarrassments, indiscretions and dirty tricks does not mean that their considerable support will simply melt away. You have failed to adequately hold them to account for the past four-plus years, and let’s get real – even if the FNM had wiped the floor with Christie and Co in Parliament, the majority of diehard PLPs still wouldn’t care. They don’t care about corruption and incompetence, they don’t care about devaluation to ‘junk’ credit status or the disappearing VAT money. All diehard PLPs care about is that THEY got the job, the contract or the handout this time around, and that they will get it again if their party is returned to office. At least 45% of this population feels that way about the PLP and none of your opposition forces can match that number alone. If Hubert Ingraham couldn’t do it in 2012, there is no chance Minnis will be able to this time around. Bran and the Rebel 7 will get even less support. If history is anything to go by, it takes about 15–20 years for a political party to have a realistic shot at winning the government. It took both the PLP and the FNM that long. What on earth would make the DNA, Loretta and Co, the
Gatekeepers or any other ‘just reach’ group assume things will be different for them in 2017? The clear example is the 1987 election, when a critically-wounded PLP managed to scrape across the finish line first – despite widespread anger at years upon years of corruption, victimization and economic stagnation. This happened precisely because of weakness, division and infighting among the opposition forces of that day. And the people were made to wait another five long years for deliverance. Now, history is about to repeat itself because of the childish, stubborn, pigheadedness of all the current opposition leaders – but this time, it will be much worse. This time, we cannot afford to sink any lower. This society will simply buckle and collapse under the weight of corruption and fiscal mismanagement that has been heaped on our heads by the current government. We will all be buried and will suffocate to death as a nation. But the first casualties will be the arrogant leaders of the opposition forces, who the public will blame for their vanity, selfish behaviour and unwillingness to compromise. You will be to blame and the public will not forget. So to all the opposition leaders, Mark my words: Unite and you will be victorious. Remain fractured and fight each other at the polls, and you will each be personally responsible for the misery and chaos that is to come. For heaven’s sake, swallow your pride and cut a deal with each other, before it’s too late! ROSCINDA CARTWRIGHT February 5, 2017.
Two things to laugh about EDITOR, The Tribune. IN these serious times it is nice to have some comedy, read Friday’s paper. First and this should be read in conjunction with “A Comic’s View” of Friday 3rd, the Hon Minister of Education reveals that he received a sealed envelope with emails inside written about “Save the Bays” which as we know he read out to the House of Assembly. We “ordinary folk” are
always advised to be very careful about accepting emails if you are not sure where they come from. Emails can be doctored to be made to look like the real thing when they are fictitious. Yet the Minister reads these out in the House of Assembly without knowing who they came from and where. That deserves a laugh. Secondly, the CEO of Island Luck is complaining that illegal gaming
houses are ruining his business and the Government is not doing enough to crack down on them. For how long was he operating illegally until he and others bamboozled the Government against the wishes of the people to make them legal. Surely that demands a chortle as well. PATRICK H THOMSON Nassau, February 3, 2017.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, February 6, 2017, PAGE 5
BUTLER-TURNER OUT OF PARTY IF SHE NOMINATES AS INDEPENDENT from page one
The party accused the group of MPs of bringing the party into “disrepute, division, rancour and dishonour” as well as signing, delivering and causing a letter expressing no confidence in Dr Minnis to Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling to be read in Parliament. The FNM’s council also withdrew Mrs Butler-Turner’s candidacy for Long Island and ratified Adrian Gibson, 32, an attorney and former Tribune columnist,
for the seat. When asked for an update on the progress of the tribunal, Mr Collie said the leadership of the party is staying out of the process. “The rebel seven is taking care of that themselves,” Mr Collie said. “We are watching them though. The tribunal has its own process and the leadership is staying out of it. I have not inquired about it.” Attorney for the “rebel seven,” Michael Scott told The Tribune he also has “no idea” what is happening
with the tribunal process because he gave the group “one set of advice” and they “took another”. “I don’t know what is going on,” Mr Scott said. “I gave the seven certain advice and the leader of the opposition decided to take another course. So right now, I do not know what is happening.” In an earlier interview, Mrs Butler-Turner told The Tribune there was no need for her to appear before the FNM’s tribunal - which she called a “kangaroo court” on “trumped up” and “bogus” charges.
LEADER of the Opposition Loretta Butler-Turner.
FNM details plans to tackle crime from page one
The FNM also plans to create a Guns and Gangs Unit in Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) and undertake a “comprehensive audit” of the RBPF to review the pay of police officers and determine whether the crime fighting agency has the “requisite manpower to effectively execute its mandate”. The party’s manifesto was recently posted on the FNM’s website, ourfnm. org. In the two pages dedicated to crime, the FNM said it believes that it is the right of every citizen to live and work in a safe and prosperous community. “We believe that crime is a societal and not a political problem and hence we are committed to collaborating and working with all community partners, parents, church leaders, youth leaders, social workers and all relevant agencies of the government to arrest the crime epidemic that out country faces,” the document noted. FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis has heavily criticised Prime Minister Perry Christie and the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) for “failing to adequately address the crime epidemic” in the country. Dr Minnis had previously pledged that the Bahamas would be “safer” under his administration. According to The Tribune’s records, there have been more than 580 homicides in The Bahamas since May 2012, when the PLP assumed office. While the PLP was in opposition, the party posted billboards around New Providence, which read that there had been more than 490 murders under the last Ingraham admin-
istration. The murder total last year was the lowest since 2012. However, 2015 was a record-breaking year for homicides. In the FNM’s manifesto, the party lays out 20 ways it plans to decrease crime and improve the effectiveness of the police force. The party said during its next term in office it will enforce a zero tolerance for crime; develop a modern, efficient crime fighting machine; establish, build and equip an independent forensic lab; work with community based partners; eliminate habitats where criminality flourishes; enact legislation to establish the National Intelligence Agency; enforce Marco’s Law and establish the sexual offences register; use state of the art technology; establish a national neighbourhood watch consultative council; establish a public sector anti-corruption agency; conduct a comprehensive review of police officers compensation and re-institute term limits for the commissioner of police, commodore of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the commissioner of corrections. As it relates the to the police force and the other armed forces the FNM pledges to: reorganise the police reserves; strengthen the RBDF satellite bases; implement aggressive measures to arrest the trafficking of narcotics and firearms; arrest gang violence through educational programmes; establish a Guns and Gangs Unit; undertake a comprehensive manpower audit of the police force and identify an external inspector for our law enforcement agencies whose responsibility will be to review the efficiency and
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effectiveness of our enforcement agencies. On Friday, while speaking at the final night of the FNM’s Torchbearers youth convention, Dr Minnis tied the recent arson attack at the Magistrate’s Court Complex on Nassau Street to the government’s terrible performance on crime. “(Last) week’s firebomb at the Magistrate’s Court Complex on South Street off Nassau Street is a sign of the troubling times under the PLP,” Dr Minnis said. “If that court complex had burned down, our criminal justice system would have been crippled. There would be an even greater crisis of law and order. That firebomb was an attack on the Bahamian state. It is another example of the spread of criminality on the PLP’s watch...The level of gang violence and membership in the country is frightening. “There is too much school violence. Quite a number of high school and junior high students regularly bring weapons to school. Just (last) week we heard of a seventh-grade student who reportedly brought a gun to school.
Gangs are growing up our children, where they learn skills no young people should have, such as how to use a gun or how to steal.” Dr Minnis said the FNM will “not make wild and outrageous promises which cannot be kept, like the PLP did last time, and will do again during this election” but he said the FNM “will put our shoulders to the wheel and we will turn our Bahamian ship of state in a different direction, the right direction.” Criticism Some of the FNM’s crime plans were outlined by former Deputy Commissioner of Police Marvin Dames on Friday at the final night of the FNM’s Torchbearers youth convention. In response, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts criticised Mr Dames and the FNM. “When the PLP entered government in 2012, we were faced with an underfunded police force, an underfunded education system, coupled with a court system burdened with a huge backlog of cases,” Mr Roberts said. “This was what Dames
and his FNM party left us to clean up. The PLP government worked hard to make our communities safe and beat back the scourge of crime. We took an aggressive approach with massive investments in technology and a new fleet for RBDF, more boots on the ground, establishing an anti-gang unit, more courts in operation, the disposal of more cases, the doubling of the conviction rate and a massive reduction in the time to trial. “We need our young people to join us in changing the course of our beloved country for the better. That’s why we empowered young people to serve their communities through visionary programs such as Urban Renewal 2.0, the Citizens Security, and Justice Programmes. Education is the most powerful tool we can give our youth and that’s why the Christie administration doubled the investment in scholarships and established the University of The Bahamas. “But big changes like these take time. The government remains painfully aware that more must be done to touch the lives of
more of our people in socially challenged communities; one life lost is one life too many. In our fight against crime, we have always been on the side of the people. “We wish Mr Dames, Dr Minnis, and the rest of the FNM would start rooting for The Bahamas and not against it. We are not done and have much more to do to fight crime. But with the foundation we’ve built, we will continue to empower our youth and make The Bahamas safer,” Mr Roberts said. Yesterday, Mr Dames responded to the PLP chairman, saying Mr Roberts should be the last person to give advice on crime. “He is delusional and lacks credibility,” Mr Dames said in a statement. “While our schools and communities are under siege by gang violence and armed criminals, Bradley Roberts and the PLP continue to cast blame in a desperate attempt to remove the focus from their own failures as the government. Who if I may recall before coming to office convinced Bahamians that they had the answer for crime.”
PAGE 6, Monday, February 6, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Five killings in four days from page one
Police said the victim was standing near the street when a man, armed with a handgun, approached and shot him before fleeing on foot, he was taken to hospital where he is listed in stable condition. Earlier Saturday, around 9am, police were called to the scene of a shooting incident in Coconut Grove. According to Chief Supt Fernander, two men were shot multiple times by two males in a champagne coloured vehicle. The victims were taken to hospital where they are listed in serious but stable condition. The second homicide took place shorty after 7.30pm on Friday. According to reports, two men were sitting in a vehicle on Durham Street, off Mount Royal Avenue, when two men with handguns approached and shot them before fleeing the area on foot. The two men were taken to hospital where one of them died a short time after arrival. The other man remains in serious condition. And then shortly before midnight, police said a man was sitting in his Honda Civic on St Cecilia Street, Chippingham, when a man with a handgun approached and robbed him of cash and a gold chain. The gunman then took the victim’s car
A MAN was shot and killed on Saturday night while playing a game of dominoes. Officials are seen, above and below, at the scene. Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff and shot him before speed- everyone,” Chief Supt Fer- them, we know the prolific offenders and we are charging off. The victim was nander said. “We are aggressively out ing persons but they are in taken to hospital where his condition is listed as serious there. A number of per- and out of prison and they sons are being arrested are continuing their old but stable. Chief Supt Fernander and charged and we are ways.” There were 14 homicides said police are “aggressive- saturating these areas and ly investigating” all of the we encourage members of in January, according to shooting incidents. Police, the public to come forward this newspaper’s records. On February 1, two men he said, are working “hard” with information to assist to ensure that the Bahamas us. It’s not only the police in Grand Bahama were that fight crime; we have killed after they were shot is safe for everyone. “We are following leads to hold hands to curb this while at Logwood Road in in respect to all of the shoot- crime situation. We have Freeport. One of the vicings. I just want to ensure to come together to ensure tims died at the scene while Bias Street in New Provi- at 911 or 919, the Central members of the public that everywhere is safe. We the other died in hospital. On Thursday, February dence. Detective Unit at 502-9991 the police are out there, we will aggressively go after Anyone with information or Crime Stoppers anonyare doing some things and persons who continue to 2, a man died in hospital we will continue to try and wreak havoc in our society. after he was shot after 1am on any of these incidents mously at 328-TIPS. Investigations continue. make the Bahamas safe for We will continue to target while riding a moped on is asked to contact police
ORTLAND BODIE FIRED FROM HIS RADIO SHOW from page one
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Bodie in an email that the company has “decided to suspend your hosting of the show effective immediately until we have paid you every penny owed to up today”. “The stress associated your being owed money needs to be addressed. We will secure a fill in host until you have even brought up to date,” the email said. In a subsequent email, the radio station’s lawyer, Howard Thompson, demanded that Mr Bodie issue a public apology and a retraction “to avoid court proceedings”. The law office also threatened to sue Mr Bodie and make a formal complaint with the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Mr Thompson also indicated that Mr Bodie breached the terms of confidentially of his written employment contract by releasing confidential information to persons not connected with the company. Mr Bodie was disbarred in 1985. Attempts to reach Mr Bodie or executives at More 94.9 FM were unsuccessful up to press time.
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the stories behind the news
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2017
insight@tribunemedia.net
The future is now What does leadership succession planning look like for young party supporters as the election looms? Ava Turnquest canvasses opinions
D
uring the evening session of the House of Assembly last week, Prime Minister Perry Christie declared that the upcoming general elections are “not in the near future”. The nation’s leader was responding to jeers from the Opposition, during debate on the Freedom of Information Bill, that promised disclosures would not be given before Parliament was dissolved. As mandated by the Constitution, the next election must take place within the next three months - on or before May 7. While Mr Christie’s admission last week could be interpreted flatly as a reassurance that he will not call a snap election before Easter, perhaps it can also illuminate the generational disconnect over the concept of time in politics. For some, and most certainly the average citizen, three months could well be considered within the realm of “near future”. Although the semantics are arguable, there are unmistakable parallels to succession planning in mainstream political parties. What does the “near future” look like for young party supporters in the trenches this election cycle? Particularly within the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), where incumbent Bain and Grants Town MP Dr Bernard Nottage, 73, is slated to face off against 21-year-old Free National Movement (FNM) candidate Travis Robinson. To be clear, age is not an accomplishment. But at what point does it become more attractive than tested experience? In a reflective critique of the current social climate, architect Patrick Rahming takes a stab at the generational maw that threatens to swallow up any chance at transformative national progress. In a piece entitled “492”, he concludes: “We dropped the ball, those of us over 70. We have lied to our children about almost every aspect of their development and raised them to be spoilt and entitled. Talk shows demonstrate this, with hours on end of complaints about everyone in authority and precious few attempts at crafting solutions to the nation’s real problems or taking responsibility for solving them.” Mr Rahming continues: “Their unproductive behaviour makes noise, but does little to move the country forward. They blame us for the inertia, saying we should get out of the way. The problem is, they are less prepared to run a country than we were, because our parents did a better job of preparing us to take responsibility than we have. “I am ashamed of my generation.” Mr Rahming’s missive leaves a lot to be digested by both sides of the age gap, but with younger voters the largest demographic, the crisis of succession planning seems to be the most salient. Engaging commenters to his article, Mr Rahming furthers: “What makes it generational is not age. It is the fact that, 50 years ago, those on the scene were responsible for defining certain things for those to come. Instead of defining
independence as a responsibility, we defined it as ‘freedom to do whatever we pleased’. “Instead of defining education as the preparation of all citizens for productive participation in our society, we defined it as the preparation for further education and the separation between the ‘academic’ and the ‘technical’. Instead of trying to understand how our economy works, we simply rode the success of the former regime. “Instead of reinforcing and supporting the social agents that made us an exceptionally resilient people, we replaced them with political ‘programs’.” He continued: “Those things happened at a particular time, and have made a great contribution to the way the current generation sees the world. That is why they are constantly seeking someone else to ‘lead’ them to what should be the responsibility of citizenship.” Perhaps the political organisation that suffers most under the stereotype of youth suppression, and a chokehold on upward mobility, is the PLP. On the sidelines of the party’s first national convention in eight years, Southern Shores branch delegate D’Angelo Whymms argued that the decades-long gap between party supporters and party leaders was about more than just hollow upward mobility, but a true test of personal integrity. Mr Whymms, 30, said: “I have been involved in the party for a long time and though some people get frustrated, impatient, I think that is where a lot of people fall by the wayside because they’re power hungry as opposed to being in it for the people, which is what I think people should be in it for. “The individuals involved with the PLP, the ministers, the governing party, they are all in it for the party. The ability to speak to and sit down with them and hear the plans and platforms, the persons that are around them [leaders] are young so if they surround themselves with young individuals the ideas cannot be anything but innovative and modern. “It’s just timing,” he said. “Persons have to understand that. I think that the PLP is poised to win and, if they lose, it’s all their fault. There’s no way that they can lose with the political climate the way it is right now. “I think individuality plays a huge role. When you know who you are as a person, what the naysayers have to say is of no consequence to you. When you know where you’re going and you know what your aspirations are and how you’re going to get there, you have to remember that a part of that process is patience. If you aren’t [patient] you will find yourself making moves that are not going to be in your best interest, and if you just waited a little longer maybe you would be in a better position. “Waiting is not doing nothing, patience is never doing nothing. Patience is a virtue and I don’t think when we were thinking of the virtues that we thought patience was something that was going to get nothing done, we thought pa-
Travis Robinson, FNM candidate for Bain and Grants Town, faces the PLP’s Dr Bernard Nottage, inset, at the general election. tience was necessary and we need patience for us to move forward and progress as a nation. We have to be patient without that we won’t get anywhere.” What the acts of patience and waiting in good faith look or sound like, are demonstrably different across the established parties fighting for dominance at the polls. Travis Edgecombe, 27-year-old FNM trustee, told Insight that a “true leader” knew when to throw in the towel, adding that such an endeavour required “honest” introspection on the part of the indi-
vidual and the organisation. “I believe that succession planning is extremely important in every organisation,” Mr Robinson said. “Some leaders are chosen for a season and others for an extended period of time. It is imperative that the future generation is always represented in all political parties because they are the future and we live in a world where technology is advancing by the minute. Fresh, new and innovative ideas by young millennials will help to catapult the organisation through wisdom and guidance.” He said: “I believe there
“Though some people get frustrated, impatient, that is where a lot of people fall by the wayside because they’re power hungry as opposed to being in it for the people.” - D’Angelo Whymms, PLP
“One of the ways we ensure succession planning is through term limits, something that other major parties have only recently started talking about.” - Jayce Braynen, DNA
“Fresh, new and innovative ideas by young millennials will help to catapult the organisation through wisdom and guidance.” - Travis Edgecombe, FNM
is upward mobility because in the FNM we were able to say yes to a 21, 24 and 28-year-old male candidates that believe in our leader’s vision, and our leader believes that they have something to offer, that they have a voice to be an example to their peers and that they are able to defeat and beat the aged status quo.” Directly addressing speculation over its candidate selection, Mr Edgecombe said: “Whether persons may say our younger candidates don’t have what it takes, or other Bahamians are inspired by this bold move, it places the perception that something is changing and it has sparked a flame in young Bahamians that they have a voice and can be heard. They will no longer be ignored, stressed, depressed or oppressed but realising that their future is worth fighting for.”
I
n the Democratic National Alliance’s (DNA) camp, 20-year-old trustee Jayce Braynen emphasised that unless succession planning was expressly constituted within an organisation, there will never be a changing of the guard. He spoke to the journey of upand-coming statesmen that have been give a national platform with the DNA, and their openness and willingness for professional development and progressive reform. Mr Braynen is a national trustee for the DNA, and a trustee for its youth arm, the Young Democrats. “To me, succession planning shows political maturity,” he said. “It shows a capacity to think outside of your political influence and even life span. The truth is that life will go on after your particular time is done, and there will be political leaders that take your place to push the country forward. “One of the ways we ensure succession planning is through term limits, something that other major parties have only recently started talking about. I joined the DNA because unlike other groups, they had the foresight to put term limits into their constitution. Mr Braynen continued: “To me, this has already ensured mobility in my party. I expect the DNA to legislate the same should they be the next government as well. I never liked the phrase ‘wait your turn’. Unfortunately, I have only seen it used by sen-
ior persons as an excuse for why they have not retired from politics as of yet. ‘Your turn’ is so subjective, and in a country like ours where leaders can run until the day they die as long as their party props them up, it can last a literal lifetime. “That’s absolutely unacceptable,” he added. “We must better facilitate the transfer of power from one generation the next. I often point out that our Prime Minister has been the leader of his organisation for 19 years, one year less than I’ve been alive. He is currently 53 years older than me. At some point, the challenges his generation faced becomes separate from the challenges mine and the one directly before me faced. “If persons like himself cannot do the honourable thing and pass the baton peacefully from one generation to the next, we should mandate it after two terms through legislation. I loved former President Obama, but even he had a time to go as well.” Both major party conventions have come and gone, with one party aggressively pursuing a narrative of young leaders on the frontline with seemingly little regard for tested experience, and another comfortable with labouring under the assumption that it has pigeonholed its youth core into propping up an aging executive. There is a third party set on branding itself as a viable and energetic (young) alternative; however, too often it finds itself seduced by the cheap tricks and tactics of the very establishment it seeks to disassociate itself from. There are a handful of independent candidates, and as we get ready to hear the election bell sound, it remains to be seen whether there will be enough time to organise a successful challenge against the two-party swing voting culture. Over the weekend, We March, self-designated non-partisan change agents began advocating (more openly) for independent candidates to endorse in the upcoming elections. With voter registration still awkwardly low despite the loud cries of a dissatisfied electorate, it will be interesting to see what develops in the “near future”. • Comments and responses to aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
PAGE 8 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2016
Email: insight@tribunemedia.net
A simple answer to a simple question - please! The government has consistently misled the public over the sale of Baha Mar and continues to do so, Malcom J Strachan says
I
t’s fitting that on Super Bowl Sunday, the Government, via our Attorney General, would continue with the Government’s untruths on Baha Mar. Go big, or go home, right!? Why not throw that ‘Hail Mary’ for old time’s sake. To hell with the truth. Why let that get in the way of your “good story”. It’s pathetic that seemingly intelligent people would still try to argue the Government’s handling of this debacle. The Christie administration has failed, and continues to fail in this, and many, many other regards. What the Attorney General was seeking to do, and failed horribly at it we might add, was deflect from the smoking gun that was dropped last week. Graeme Davis, president of Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE) Bahamian subsidiary, in a spectacular case of foot-in-mouth, exposed that our Prime Minister had once again misled the Bahamian people. Perry Christie, you would recall, told a little tale a few months ago. He’s been telling tales his whole life, we know, but this one was number 375 on Baha Mar. The last one was the biggest. Baha Mar has been sold! The Prime Minister had his usual flock of Cabinet ministers standing behind him that day, but
now the visual makes so much sense. We encourage our readers to go back and rewatch/view the images again. You would see that a handful of ministers were not smiling. Some, in fact, looked dumbstruck, a look of disbelief. Now we know why. They were trying their best to tell us not to be fooled again, and we won’t. Never again. Last night the Attorney General issued a statement that does more to show how complicit and untrustworthy they have become. The issue that her office - actually the Office of the Prime Minister really should have been addressing - was whether or not there actually was a sale of the resort. A simple Yes or No would suffice. Instead, we were treated to this: “The Government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas remains actively engaged in the advancement of the Baha Mar Resort development. As has been recently reported by the new developer, the resort is on course to be a great success for The Bahamas.
The Prime Minister surrounded by his ministers at his national address on Baha Mar’s sale in August. Photo/Shawn Hanna It is important to note that CTF Enterprise’s Bahamian company, “CTF BM Operations Ltd”, is a duly licensed entity incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The company is well-equipped and eager to undertake initiatives to ensure the successful opening and operation of the Baha Mar Resort by its target date of April 21st 2017. CTF Enterprises is a
“Why would your Government push to have a resort opened in April, possibly only a month before the general election? Votes, and only votes.”
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world-class operator and owner of top-branded hotels worldwide, including Rosewood, and is involved with top casino brands around the world. It also operates iconic hotels under various brands in the United States and Europe. To date, it has been reported that 15 contractors and 322 Bahamian employees have been engaged by CTF. It is anticipated that a total of 1,500 Bahamians will be engaged by April 2017. CCA reports that to date there are nearly 100 Bahamian vendors and contractors and 500 employees involved in the Baha Mar completion. CCA also confirms that it has paid the CCA Bahamian contractors who had little or no hope of being paid in Delaware. The Government continues to collaborate with CTF to secure maximum benefits for the Bahamian people. The National Training Agency has been actively involved in the recruitment process. On Tuesday, February 7th, 300 applicants from the National Training Agency will be interviewed. The interview process continues and it is anticipated that by the end of next week, 2,100 Bahamians will be interviewed for various levels of employment. It has been confirmed
that the 1,500 employees previously made redundant will be given the opportunity to be re-engaged during CTF’s recruitment exercise on Wednesday February 8th through to Saturday February 11th. The significant levels of investment made by CTF attest to the fact that investor-confidence in The Bahamas remains strong: our country is still a great place to invest. The Government celebrates these major steps forward, knowing that the jobs and opportunities will have a major impact for many Bahamian families.”
W
e opted to publish her statement in full for one reason, and one reason only. Look at it again and tell us if she actually said that the resort has been sold. With all the twisting and spinning in her statement, the Attorney General could not bring herself to contradict what Free National Movement leader Dr Hubert Minnis and Democratic National Alliance leader Branville McCartney have argued all week. The resort has not been sold, and the Government has misled the Bahamian people. Our Attorney General, as one of the negotiators on this project, who has been to China more times than this country can afford to
push for a deal, could not bring herself to utter those simple, little words. So, ask yourselves: why would your Government push to have a resort opened in April, possibly only a month before the general election? Votes, and only votes. If they cared about actually getting the resort opened before then, and have Bahamians back on the job with Baha Mar contributing to our economy, they would have engaged all bidders, most especially the project’s original developer who had offered a superior offer to that of Chow Tai Fook. But our Government was clearly in bed with the Chinese all along. They worked their magic, and used all their might to remove him and throw the project into disarray. So now that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has done what they needed to do to satisfy their new Chinese masters, the Bahamian people have to ask themselves, on whose behalf can they truly say the PLP has been working? Certainly, not you or I. We hope, for their sakes, that their cronies have been well taken care of for their efforts. They have earned every red penny for selling out their country. • Comments and responses to insight@tribunemedia.net
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THIS WEEK IN THE TRIBUNE Today Business - crime costs Bahamians more than any other Caribbean country according to an IDB survey, Neil Hartnell reports Sports - reports and photographs from Super Bowl 51, the Bahamas tennis team loses in the Davis Cup, plus Fourth Quarter Press
Plus comment from Nicole Burrows and sporting mischief and mayhem with Inigo “Naughty” Zenicazelaya
history and interviews Sports - The Finish Line, a look at the local sports scene, by Brent Stubbs
Wednesday
Plus A Comic’s View - Naughty’s unique take on the week in the Bahamas
Tribune Tech - a weekly look at what’s new in the world of technology
Thursday Obituaries and Religion, a weekly review
Plus the latest properties for sale and rent in the Home Buyers’ Guide
‘On da Hook’, a weekly look at fishing in the Bahamas
Tuesday
Friday
Woman and Health - weekly advice on taking care of your mind and body and women making waves in the Bahamas
Weekend - a 28-page section devoted to the best in arts, music, fashion, food, books, entertainment, gardening, animal matters, fitness,
Saturday The Tribune’s Top 5: a special video review of the week’s top stories by Khrisna Virgil on www. tribune242.com Every day in The Tribune, news, business, sports, weather and Classifieds Trader - the best guide to cars for sale, real estate, help wanted and more. Plus breaking news and updates on your mobilefriendly tribune242.com
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2016 PAGE 9
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
GAIN AN EDGE A NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
GAIN AN EDGE
A NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Making college possible: a parent’s perspective F
rom experience, Charlotte KnowlesThompson will tell you that you can afford college with careful planning. As a widow, Mrs KnowlesThompson worked hard to ensure that her two children graduated from C R Walker Senior High School and was determined that they would go to college no matter what. Currently, her son Blaine is a Computer Information Systems major at the University of The Bahamas while her daughter Blaire, a Lyford Cay Scholar, studies Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University. After extensively researching scholarship opportunities for her children, Mrs Knowles-Thompson created “Say Yes to Scholarships”, a Facebook forum focused on providing college resources for Bahamians. Here, she shares the tips she has learned along the way. Why such an emphasis on going to college? “In my house, there is no democracy - college is mandatory. I didn’t give my children the option of saying “I don’t want to go to college”. I’ve seen the struggles one faces without a college degree and I did not want this to happen to them. I didn’t want my children to fall prey to the social ills of our country. There is a
By participating in a speech competition given by the Elks Lodge, Blaire received international exposure as she moved on to the next round of the competition and a scholarship! Finally, use the internet to research. There are scholarships that are available to international students based on their major but you have to search of them. Alone, none of the scholarships would completely pay for Blaire’s tuition but when added to her Lyford Cay Foundation scholarship, they have made tuition manageable.”
way out but that only comes from having a college degree.” How did you help your children select the best college programmes for them? “Throughout their school years, I encouraged my children to do activities that would expose them to careers so they could figure out their professional interests. As they approached Grade 10, I knew it was time to seriously begin preparing for college. Together we researched to help them find respected and accredited universities. Blaine passed five BGCSEs, and automatically received free tuition at University of The Bahamas, a great institution right here at home. After talking with professionals in the culinary industry, Blaire decided on Johnson & Wales University because it would give her exposure to diverse cultures. We toured the North Miami campus, met the Dean of Academic Affairs and even visited the Safety
LYFORD Cay Scholar Blaire Thompson and her mother, Charlotte Knowles-Thompson. and Security Department so I knew she would be safe.” How did you create a plan for your daughter to afford college? I started looking when they were in Grade 11. College is not cheap, so I would advise families to start researching early! Once we decided where Blaire would attend college and found out the cost of tuition, I looked for scholarships in her specific discipline. I calculated all the
maximum amounts that could be awarded to give me an idea of how many scholarships we needed to apply for. I knew that in my worst case scenario, I could agree to a payment plan with the school. But I remained optimistic that with Blaire’s academic accomplishments she would receive scholarships.” In “Say Yes To Scholarships,” you provide so many resources for Baha-
mian students. What first steps should Bahamians looking for scholarships take? “For high school students, the first step should be visiting their guidance counsellor. When I reached out to my children’s guidance counsellor, I received a wealth of information including a list of available scholarships that Bahamians are eligible for. Also research what scholarships are available through civic organisations.
Any last thoughts to share with parents? “College is an opportunity for our children to have a better life. We should instil in them passion, give them the opportunity to live comfortably and encourage them to contribute positively to the growth of our nation. NEXT WEEK: Understanding the University of the Bahamas bursary and financial aid. • “Gain An Edge” is a weekly collaboration of the Lyford Cay Foundations, Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute and University of The Bahamas aimed at promoting a national dialogue on higher education. To share your thoughts, email gainanedge@tribunemedia.net.
Debunking the myth of exchange controls THE Central Bank continues to ease exchange controls. This is a good thing. However, I again ask why the fear of completely removing exchange controls? Those against the elimination of exchange controls usually frighten the public and government officials with the fear of currency flowing out of the country like a fast moving river. We should learn from history. When the UK had exchange controls foreign currencies stayed off shore. After their removal the UK has been a
View from afar
By JOHN ISSA
haven for all currencies as well as precious metals. An example closer to home is Jamaica. Since removing exchange controls, foreign exchange has flooded back to Jamaica. Almost half of the deposits in Ja-
maican banks held by Jamaicans are held in foreign currencies. The removal of exchange controls has not only stopped the panic to get money sent overseas but has seen Jamaicans bringing their overseas funds
back home. The other big fear promoted by opponents of the removal of exchange controls is that the Bahamian dollar will devalue. The removal of exchange controls does not cause the devaluation of a currency. The printing of too much currency is the cause of a currency being devalued. The printing of too much
currency is totally in the control of the Government. Once there are no controls, foreign currency flows freely into and out of a economy as needed. With exchange controls there is a constant effort by Bahamians to spirit funds overseas and keep it there because they can’t take it out freely. Do you know anyone who
has not been able to get what foreign exchange they have needed sent overseas whether by legal or illegal means? I have never met one. Case closed: exchange controls keep money out of a country, not in. • John Issa is executive chairman of SuperClubs. He is writing regularly in The Tribune.
PAGE 10 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2016
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
Political leadership in the Caribbean The remarks in this commentary were spoken in a television interview in Grenada on the day that Fidel Ruz Castro, the former President of Cuba, died. The discussion centred on whether contemporary Caribbean leaders lacked the courage that previous leaders, such as Castro, displayed.
World View
By SIR RONALD SANDERS
So, Castro had the capacity to resist because the people wanted resistance. That was IDEL Castro is a the chemistry that worked controversial man for him at that time. He of history. But he was helped, of course, by was a great Carib- the Cold War between the bean warrior and we in the US and the then Union of region should never forget Soviet Socialist Republics that. with Russia at its centre. If as small countries, we The Soviet Union helped have a voice today in the significantly to support the world, and we can resist the Cuban economy. bullying of larger countries The aspirations of today’s to some extent, it is be- Caribbean leaders are no cause Fidel Castro showed different to Castro’s; their us the way. Castro is not a circumstances are differman the Caribbean should ent. Caribbean economies denigrate; the people of the are small and, when there region should not join the is an economic West in makdownturn or ing him into ‘We have some major a demagogue Caribbean calamity in of no consethe countries nationals in the quence; he is with which we an important tourism industry, trade or from figure in the for instance, who which our forCaribbean and eign investwe should hon- have been trained ment comes, our and revere as hotel managers, our economies him. become conwith master’s Our leaders strained. It’s today, as much degrees in hotel not that the as Castro in management; leaders would 1959 when he yet we bring less not like to do led the revolubetter, they tion, under- qualified people are operating stand that if from Europe and in restricted we are going the United States, circumstances, to have a place and they do the in the world we denying top jobs best they can. have to fight to our own.’ They have no for it. Castro’s champion as circumstances Castro had with the Soviet were different. Union. At the time of his revoBut they miss opportunilution, Cuba was a place ties by not doing more toof widespread poverty; the gether. I remind that, when country’s economy was cap- the embargo was placed on tive to an American mafia Cuba by the United States who owned the casinos and and other western governhotels, and who formed an ments, four Caribbean alliance with the Cuban countries, acting in unison, elite that exploited the ma- broke it in 1972. In other jority. There was a sense aspects of advancing their of outrage in the people of interests in the internationCuba at the grassroots level. al community, Caribbean
F
countries have been most successful when they act together. CARICOM is a valuable tool for the advancement of the Caribbean people and for Caribbean countries individually and collectively. Unfortunately, since independence, a kind of false nationalism has crept into our psyche; one which, in some cases, cannot admit to being as much a citizen of the Caribbean region as a national of a country within it. Part of the reason is that leaders don’t give effective leadership on this issue. In a recent commentary, I wrote on the departure of the Obamas from the White House. I made the point that Obama left some remarkable legacies to America; one of them is what he did with the word “immigrant”. “Immigrant” to many people is a dirty word; it denotes somebody coming into your country to take something away from the existing population. Unfortunately, that is how immigrants are presented by ultra-right wing nationalist groups around the world. Obama showed that “immigrant” is a phenomenon that has been a part of American history from its beginning. People have always gone to America because they believed it was a land of opportunity where they could fulfil dreams. The vast majority work hard, they help build the economy. Together, over many generations, they all made America the richest and most powerful nation on the earth, despite the fact that they were white, black and brown; Catholics, Anglicans, Jews,
CUBAN President Fidel Castro stands on the Great Wall of China in 1996. Hindus and Muslims. They that we do to the people in The point is that our cirstill do, notwithstanding our region. We have Carib- cumstances are such that current railings against im- bean nationals in the tour- we need each other; no ism industry, for instance, single country in the Carmigration. In almost every Caribbe- who have been trained as ibbean - none, not Trinian country, there exists an hotel managers, with mas- dad and Tobago, with its anathema to migrants from ter’s degrees in hotel man- oil and gas resources, not other Caribbean countries, agement; yet we bring less Guyana with its vast land displayed particularly at qualified people from Eu- and natural resources, not airports where Caribbean rope and the United States, Jamaica with its large poppeople face discrimination. denying top jobs to our ulation can survive on its Why does it happen? Lack own. own. The world is tough, We have to break down and it is only by the marryof education and information about the benefits of this barrier, which has de- ing and integrating of our integration contribute in veloped since independ- resources at all levels that part, but so too does ma- ence. Remember that prior we can hope to do better. If nipulation by politicians to the independence of we continue to let integrawho thrive on creating an Jamaica and Trinidad that tion languish, I am afraid enemy to mobilise follow- started the process of frag- we are writing our own ers. Identifying the person mentation, the West Indian suicide drama and we are who is different as a threat countries were one ad- acting it out. We have to ministrative region where overcome it. And, political is always easy. There has not been suffi- people were free to travel leadership matters - from cient advocacy of Caribbe- as they wished with the governing and opposition an integration by the lead- same currency; the same parties alike. ership of the region to help passport. They could go people to understand that, into any West Indian terriSir Ronald Sanders is whether or not we came in tory to work and live. They Antigua and Barbuda’s the same ship, we are now were “West Indians” - one Ambassador to the United in the same boat and that people; differences yes, but States and the Organisation boat is in turbulent waters. none that could overwhelm of American States. He is All of us in that boat have the similarities. Independ- a Senior Fellow at the Into row it together; if not we ence made us feel that we stitute of Commonwealth will sink together. There- have somehow become Studies, University of Lonfore the attitude of antipa- different; yet nothing re- don and Massey College in thy toward our own has to ally had changed except we the University of Toronto. have a flag, an anthem and The views expressed are his stop. In the Caribbean, we give economies that are diffi- own. Responses and previmore work permits to peo- cult to manage and grow by ous commentaries: www. ple from outside our region themselves. sirronaldsanders.com.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, February 6, 2017, PAGE 11
100 YEARS YOUNG FOR CECILIA SMITH GOVERNOR General Dame Marguerite Pindling visited Cecilia Smith to celebrate her 100th birthday at St Joseph’s Day Care Centre, Boyd Road, on Wednesday. Photo: Letisha Henderson/ BIS
Ministry slams human rights group By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration yesterday challenged the objectivity and veracity of an international civic organisation’s claims of alleged human rights violations in The Bahamas. Kerry Kennedy, president of Robert F Kennedy Human Rights, wrote an “open letter” to Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Fred Mitchell that was recently published on a Caribbean affairs website, inviting the government to address, with RFKHR, a number of allegations concerning abuses and mistreatment of migrants at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre. The letter detailed a denial of entry to the facility during a recent trip to the capital after a week’s delay of a response from the Department of Immigration to the organisation’s request to be allowed to see the premises. However, the ministry yesterday said it “regrets the tone of the letter which
decries the objectives of the organisation Robert F Kennedy Human Rights that states it is ‘committed to ensuring the highest standards of fairness, truth, and justice’.” “The letter is, again, replete with errors and exaggerations,” the ministry stressed. “The fact that Robert F Kennedy Human Rights were able to freely enter the country and interview nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and leave without incident speaks to the normal exercise of a strong democracy in the Bahamas and the country’s routine protection of human rights. “Unfortunately, Robert F Kennedy Human Rights has yet to be fully transparent with regard to its association with a disgruntled permanent resident and the so-called ‘environmental organisation’ Save the Bays in following an evident political agenda in the Bahamas. The Bahamas government continues to put no reliance on their objectivity or commitment to the truth,” the ministry’s statement added. “With regard to ‘precau-
tionary measures’ requested on behalf of Save the Bays, despite protestations of fearfulness by that organisation’s principals, they have thus far refused to cooperate with the legitimate efforts of the authorities in seeking to ensure their protection from what must now be seen as spurious claims of imminent harm.” In November, the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) called on the government to take steps to protect the lives and personal integrity of five STB members and their nuclear families following a petition made by the Grand Bahama Human Rights Association (GBHRA) members Fred Smith QC, journalist Francisco Nunez, activist Joseph Darville, musician Kirkland Bodie and environmentalist Romauld Ferreira. The petition alleged that the men have been subject to threats of harm, harassment and intimidation as a result of their advocacy and adversarial stance against the government and private developers on environmental issues, and that these actions have been endorsed
by “official and unofficial” state agents. In Ms Kennedy’s open letter, the president of RFKHR said that international human rights organisations have documented the human rights violations at Carmichael for over a decade, going back as far as 2003 where Amnesty International reported “prolonged, arbitrary detention” and that “the poor conditions observed at the centre and reports of illtreatment, amount in many cases to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.” “Since then, US State Department Reports and human rights organisations have consistently reported that detention conditions at Carmichael fail to meet international standards,” Ms Kerry wrote. “The Caribbean Institute of Human Right’s (CIHR) 2014 visit to Carmichael revealed disturbing new details. Detainees spoke about overcrowding, the lack of potable drinking water, a broken sewer system, and abusive conditions. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights believed that these facts established
at Carmichael were ‘in a serious and urgent situation that place their lives and physical integrity at risk’ and requested that the Bahamian government implement protective measures to safeguard detainees’ lives. Unfortunately, many of the conditions I heard about on this visit echoed earlier inhumane conditions, pointing to an ongoing problem that requires immediate attention.” The letter also spoke to gender inequality in The Bahamas, noting that “Chapter II of the Constitution of the Bahamas makes distinctions between men and women’s ability to pass on their Bahamian citizenship, which violates the American Convention on Human Rights’ and many other international human rights conventions’ prohibition on discrimination on the basis of sex.” “Despite widespread local and international support for constitutional amendments that would ‘enshrine the principle of equal rights among women and men in the Constitution,’ these amendments were overwhelmingly re-
jected by the Bahamian people in the June 2016 referendum, largely because religious leaders opposed to these amendments ran a ‘deceptive campaign’ that mischaracterised women’s equality as a means of legalising same sex marriage,” the international activist noted. “Robert F Kennedy Human Rights invites you and the rest of the Bahamian government to join us in conversations to address and resolve these human rights violations. This year, we will continue to monitor the implementation of the precautionary measures at Carmichael and those ordered on behalf of the human rights defenders, Save the Bays. We will be also be organising training for civil society organisations on the international legal human rights framework and the Inter-American system of human rights. We invite the government’s input and participation.” “Let’s work together to ensure that The Bahamas guarantees human rights for everyone within its jurisdiction,” Ms Kennedy concluded.
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PAGE 12, Monday, February 6, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Woman accused of sex with minor to submit alibi By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net A FRENCH-Canadian woman accused of sexually assaulting a minor said on Friday that she would submit an alibi to the Office of the Attorney General within 21 days. Karine Gagne, 23, of Quebec, Canada, returned before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt for a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI) presentation that would fast track her case to the Supreme Court for trial concerning the unlawful sexual intercourse charge she is facing. That concerns an alleged incident on January 5 at Great Sturrup Cay with a 15-year-old boy, who cannot legally give consent to have sexual intercourse. Gagne has been charged under Section 11(1)(a) of the Sexual Offences Act, Chapter 99 which reads: “Any person who has unlawful sexual intercourse with any person being of or above 14 years of age and under 16 years of age, whether with or without the consent of the person with whom he had unlawful sexual intercourse is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for life.” Section four of the Act
KARINE GAGNE, 23 of Quebec, Canada, charged with unlawful sex. notes that sexual intercourse includes “(a) sexual connection occasioned by any degree of penetration of the vagina of any person or anus of any person, or by the stimulation of the vulva of any person or anus of any person, by or with - (i) any part of the body of another person; or (ii) any object used by another person, except where the penetration or stimulation is carried out for proper medical purposes; and (b) sexual connection occasioned by the introduction of any part of the penis of any person into the mouth of another person, and any reference in
this Act to the act of having sexual intercourse includes a reference to any stage or continuation of that act.” The accused was told at her first court appearance last month that she would not be allowed to enter a plea until she is formally arraigned before a judge of the Supreme Court when the matter is forwarded to the higher court. On Friday afternoon, with the aid of an interpreter, the chief magistrate informed Gagne of the contents of the VBI and her right to enter an alibi in court or in 21 days to the Office of the Attorney General. However, it took a number of explanations and examples before she understood what was being asked of her. Gagne chose the latter and is now scheduled to appear in the Supreme Court on March 3 before Senior Justice Bernard Turner at 10am to receive a date for trial. She will be allowed to enter a plea to the sexual assault charge in her Supreme Court appearance next month and is represented by attorney Lisa BostwickDean. She remains on remand at the Department of Correctional Services until her next court appearance.
TWO men were arraigned on Friday. Richard Charlton, left, was accused of two counts of murder and a count each of attempted murder and arson, while Delano Fawkes, right, was accused of arson. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
MAN CHARGED WITH TWO FATAL SHOOTINGS AND ARSON By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was remanded to prison on Friday after he was charged in connection with two recent fatal shootings in the capital. Richard Charlton, 22, appeared in Magistrate’s Courts facing two counts of murder, and a count each of attempted murder and arson. The murder charges were brought under Section 291 (1) (b) of the Penal Code, which does not attract the discretionary death penalty if a conviction is reached at the end of trial.
It is first alleged that on January 22 he intentionally and unlawfully caused the death of Anthony Mather and then attempted to cause the death of Ashtain Gale on the same date. It is also alleged that on January 11, he caused the death of Kevin Rolle. Concerning the charge of arson, it is alleged that he and 20-year-old Delano Fawkes, being concerned together on January 18 with others, did intentionally and unlawfully cause the house of Lynda Joseph at Majors Alley to be set on fire. Neither accused were allowed to enter a plea to their respective charges be-
cause the cases would be fast-tracked to the Supreme Court, where a formal arraignment would take place for each of them. This would occur through service of a voluntary bill of indictment, scheduled for March 28 when they return to Magistrate’s Court. They were remanded to the Department of Correctional Services in the interim. However, they were advised of their right to apply for bail to the Supreme Court. Fawkes has retained attorney Lennox Coleby to defend him while Charlton was unrepresented in Friday’s arraignment.
THE TRIBUNE
A new era as BPL brand is launched By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Power & Light (BPL) formally launched its brand on Friday, hoping to mark a new era for the country’s electricity provider since PowerSecure was selected as its manager. The company hosted events throughout the day that appealed to both customers and employees. Company officials handed out gift bags to BPL employees at its Mall at Marathon branch and main office and allowed customers who paid their bills on Friday to be eligible to win prizes, including $1,000. BPL also unveiled its new main office building sign on Friday and hosted an hourslong celebration event for its employees, all of whom wore the company’s newly unveiled shirt. The company revealed its blue, yellow and green logo, which Pamela Hill, the CEO, said symbolises trust, growth and renewable energy respectively. The move to name the institution BPL sprung in part from a desire for a complete brand break from its past, when it gained a
PAMELA HILL, chief executive officer of Bahamas Power & Light. reputation for unreliability and profit loss. So far, under the management of PowerSecure, BPL, formerly the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, has been plagued with the same problems, and is frequently a target of criticism and frustration for Bahamians who suffer power cuts. “We know reliability is the biggest element in terms of services that customers expect and demand,” Ms Hill said. Ronnie Brannen, president of PowerSecure International, attended Friday’s events as well and said
efforts are underway to strengthen the reliability of the company’s services. He said: “If you think about reliability, what we did was we identified some areas that need to be rebuilt. For example, we have an underground feeder that goes from Big Pond to Blue Hills. It seems to be the weak link. So we had a schedule of 90 days to rebuild that. We compressed the schedule and will finish in 45. “So, now when we have an outage, this express feeder between Big Pond and Blue Hills will expedite restoration by several hours. So every time there’s an outage we work hard to get to the root cause, identify what happened, what can we do to prevent it and more than that we’re finally getting out front to do some preventative work instead of just reacting to the outage.” Despite Friday’s formal launch, BPL has still not released its business management plan. Hurricane Matthew was seen as a setback for the company last year when it left behind a trail of costly damage. Ms Hill said the company is not yet able to say how much the hurricane cost the company.
Monday, February 6, 2017, PAGE 13
OUT with the old and in the new, Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) has replaced the old ‘BEC’ sign. Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
Funeral Service
MR. JEFFERSON WILLIAM “Bill” PINDER of Winton Estates, Nassau, The Bahamas, died peacefully at his home on Sunday Evening 29th January, 2017 at 9:30 p.m. After a long illness in the presence of his family. A Funeral Service will be held at St. Anne’s Anglican Church, Fox Hill Road, Nassau, on Saturday, 11th February, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. Reverend Father Hugh Bartlett will officiate and interment will be in St. Anne’s Cemetery, Fox Hill Road, Nassau. He was pre-deceased by his wife, Ethlyn Virginia “Jean” Pinder; his father, William Bertice Pinder and his Mother, Emma Remelda Pinder-Magraw. He is survived by his two sons, William Craig Pinder and Richard Perry Pinder; his grand-daughter, Alice; brother, David John Pinder; in-laws, Ruby Collins, Doris Anderson, Yvonne Knowles, Alexander C. Knowles Jr. Patrick A. Knowles, Geoffrey W. Knowles, Charlton V. Knowles, Deborah S. Knowles, Julianna Green, Richard Anderson Sr., Shirley Knowles, Amarylis Knowles, Patou Regent, Rosa Knowles and Linda Knowles; nephews, Stephen Collins, Colin Pinder, Richard (Rick) Anderson, Brian Anderson, Michael Knowles, Andrew (Andy) Knowles, James Knowles Jr., Roman Knowles, Olivier Knowles, Ryan Knowles, Christian Knowles, David Knowles and Mathew Green; nieces, Joanne Aranha, Cindy Woodward, Gina White, Lisa Butorak, Karen Leonard, Michelle Knowles, Trishka Wiethuchter, Vanessa Knowles, Bianca Carter, Daniela Knowles, Amanda Knowles, Brittany Green and Marissa Knowles. A host of other relatives and friends including, Ruth Moushabeck, Jean-Jacques Goulet, Marsha Stewart, Bruce Stewart, Karen Aliata, Robert and Linda Brown, Claire Brown, Julia and Steve Motti, Johnny Brown and Mary Knowles, Joanne and Thierry Lamar, Lori and Braden Dawson, Joan Albury and Wellington King. Beloved caregiver, Emily Ibasan Ramirez and beloved housekeeper, Delores Rolle.
SEVEN DOMINICAN IMMIGRANTS DETAINED By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net IMMIGRATION officers on Grand Bahama apprehended seven illegal Dominican immigrants on Wednesday at a local resort in Freeport. Immigration officer Napthali Cooper said investigations revealed the immigrants - six men and one woman - came to Freeport to be smuggled to the United States by boat. According to reports, officers were out on inquiries around 1pm when they stopped and questioned two Dominicans in the International Bazaar. The men told officers that they were on their way to a resort. When the officers accompanied the men to the resort to retrieve their documents, five more male Dominicans were discovered in the hotel room they were staying in. Mr Cooper said that the officers recognised two of the men who had been previously arrested in November, 2016, along with eight other Dominicans who had
chartered an plane from the Dominican Republic to Freeport. All of the men were in possession of fraudulent work permits and were fined $3,000 each or one year imprisonment. All the men paid the fine and
were deported to the Dominican Republic in early December. This latest group will be flown to New Providence where they will be detained at the Detention Centre to await repatriation.
Bill had an extraordinarily colourful and diverse life. He was born on October 4th, 1931 to parents, William Bertice Pinder, a hospital Lab Technician and Later Bleach Manufacturer and Emma Remelda Pinder (Nee Darville) A Sunday School Teacher and Dress Shop Owner. Bill attended Queens College High School in Nassau where he was Head Boy and Excelled in many team sports such as Rugby, Softball and Swimming. A born athlete, he and his team won many rugby championships in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. Bill married his High School sweetheart Jean, ( Nee Knowles) on December 26th, 1951 together they had two sons: William Craig Pinder and Richard Perry Pinder. Bill together with his father Bertice founded Blanco Chemicals Limited In 1950, a company that is still thriving today and run by son Perry. Bill’s diverse life included many extracurricular activities notably stage perormances with the nassau operetic society where he played many lead singing roles in reprised broadway musicals such as Carousel, Oklahoma and his most famous signature role as Tevye in Fiddler On The Roof. Bill was a skilled spearfisherman and spent many of summer weekends boating and diving with his closest friend the late Sidney Brown and Sidney’s sons Robert and Johnny. He will be dearly missed by all. With special thanks to the entire staff at Blanco Chemicals who Bill commanded so much love and respect throughout his life. Also a special thanks to his personal caregiver, Emily Ibasan Ramirez and his housekeeper, Delores Rolle who gave him such loving care during his long illness. A very special thanks to Dr. Ian Kelly, Dr. Duvaughn Curling, Dr. Theodore Turnquest, Rene Roth and her nursing team with a special mention of thanks to Melinda. Finally a very special thanks to the doctors, interns and nurses at Doctors Hospital who did an amazing job during his numerous hospital visits. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to The Dundas Centre For The Performing Arts, P.O. Box N-8808 or to St. Anne’s Anglican Church, P.O. Box N-1569, in Memory of Mr. Jefferson William “Bill” Pinder.
PAGE 14, Monday, February 6, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
How to recognise gang involvement - a parental guide R
AIDERS, Boarder Boys, One Order and Gun Dogs are just a few of the gangs that exist in the Bahamas. These groups often attract adolescents as young as nine. Research suggests that these individuals join gangs for many different reasons, such as seeking excitement, looking for prestige, wanting protection, seeing it as a chance to make money, or finding a sense of belonging. This said, is your child at risk of participating in gangs due to the fact that it is a far more likely scenario today than it was just a few years ago? The Royal Bahamas Police Force National Crime Prevention Office advises
Police advice
By CORPORAL MAKELLE PINDER
parents to watch carefully and be very observant of realistic and noticeable changes in their child’s behaviour, some of which include: • Experimenting with drugs. • Patches of braided or puffy hair (mainly at the back of the head) • Tattoos or special skin branding • A significant drop in school grades
• Cutting classes regularly or just not going to school at all • Avoiding family gatherings • Changing friends, especially if their new friends don’t hang around your home • Rebelling at school and home • Poor family bonding • Violating set curfews • Having large sums of money or new expensive
items of which you are unaware • Changes in their verbal and body language These are all important indicators that cannot be ignored. Therefore, if after observing some or all of these changes in behaviour and you suspect gang involvement, there are some important steps to take. Talk to the child or teenager and discuss the consequences of being in a gang. Remember that: • Gang activity is a downward spiral and has major legal and long-term consequences. • It is important to note that a criminal record can affect a youth’s choices in the future as it pertains to jobs, education and more. • Gang involvement can
also put the gang member’s family at significant personal risk for violence and being victims of crime. • Talk to school officials and counsellors. • Look for community youth programmes. • Groups like the Boys Brigade, Girls Brigade, and after-school programmes, as well as athletic and sports programmes, can often help youth find ways to avoid feelings of isolation upon which gangs prey. • Talk with your religious leaders. • Churches will generally have youth programmes that can provide a more positive bonding experience with other youth. • Take immediate action on graffiti. If you find graffiti on your property
or in your neighbourhood, report it right away to the police. More importantly, do not ignore the warning signs. The risks of gang involvement for you, your family and your neighbourhood are just too great. Get help and then take action. Should you need more information on gangs or if you have information pertaining to any crime, please contact the police at ‘919’ or Crime Stoppers at 328-tips (New Providence), 1-300-8476 (Family Islands). Or if you know of individuals who may be in need of counselling and emotional support please contact the Crisis Centre Hotline at 328-0922 or the Department of Social Services hotline 322-2763.
FRESH WATER ACCESS MOVE IN PINEWOOD IN keeping with its commitment to providing a reliable and safe water supply to all communities around the country, the Water & Sewerage Corporation recently teamed up with nurses within the public healthcare system to promote the health benefits of city water usage, particularly within close knit communities like Pinewood Gardens. For the past two years, WSC has embarked on a house-to-house initiative in the residential area of Pinewood Gardens to encourage well users in the area to make the switch
to city water. Across the world, water borne illnesses remain a major concern particularly in the event of possible fresh water contamination, which can be caused by natural disasters like hurricanes or man-made hazards that leak into the water table, according to a Water & Sewerage (WSC) press release. “Being on personal wells does not guarantee that their water supply is safe,” explained WSC Public Affairs Manager Visna Armbrister. “WSC trained staff monitor our water 24/7 to
ensure that our water supply meets the World Health Organization Standards.” Of the 650 homes in the affected area, many residents have agreed to sign on to city water. The corporation is currently in the process of completing major water mains installations in the Pinewood area and once completed, the new infrastructure will provide piped water to scores of homes for the first time in history. As an additional bonus the works are being carried out at no cost to residents. “Right now sign up for WSC Pinewood is free,” said Ms Armbrister. “Should residents choose to sign up after the work is
WATER and Sewerage workers during a walkabout in Pinewood. done, the cost of a new connection is more than $700,
including VAT.” The corporation encour-
Funeral Service For
Dolores Patronella Treco Wells, 92
of Hanna Road and Treco Lane, Fox Hill, will be held on Wednesday, February 8th, 2017, 10:30 a.m. at St. Anselm’s Catholic Church, Bernard Road. Officiating will be Fr. Noel Clarke, Deacons Rev. Raymond Forbes and Rev. Ricardo Demeritte. Interment will follow in Catholic Cemetery, Infant View Road.
Our Dad On His Birthday
Pre-deceased by: daughter: Donna Forsythe; sons: Ricky, George and Robert Wells; grand-children: Joy, Morgan, Timmy and Tami; son-in-law: David Randall; brothers: Curtland, Clyde and Cyril Treco; sisters: Lowie, Winifred Treco. Left to cherish her memory are her daughters: Sonja Darville, Stella Randall, Debra (Steve) Care, Cheryl and Theresa Wells; sons: Hugo “Chucky” and John (Jadine) Wells; daughter-in-law: Elaine Wells; grandchildren: Catherine Lorandos, Patricia, (Stephen) Daleman, Tara (Mark) Starzomski, Tony “David” (Edel) Randall, Johnathan Randall, Terrence (Lillian) Forsythe,Todd [Heather] Forsythe, Craig (Andrea) Forsythe, Charlotte (Sean) Andrews, Amanda Wells, Nicole (Marlon) Harding, Lorna (Todd) Kemp, Tanya Carey and Greg Walker, Marlene (Ricky) Fox, Elgatha “Apple” Moncur, Lawrence (Carina), Dorsett, George (Sheena) Cartwright, Johnell Wells, Zandria, Richard and Terry Wells; great grandchildren: Jennifer and Devon Lorandos, Samantha Smith, Francheska (Peter) Maillis Sasha, Isaac, Austin and Samuel Daleman, Thomas and Eli Starzomski Liam Randall Jadalyn Forsythe, Vanessa, Luke and Reid Forsythe, Isabella and Ethan Andrews, Jordon and Lian and Kaitlyn Harding, Gabriel and Spencer Kemp, Connor and Jackson Carey, Ashley and Megan Fox, Terenique (Lexi), Victoria, Brooke and Bella Dorsett, George Jr. and Arielle Cartwright; great great grandchildren: Ethan Storr and Phoebe and Ruth Maillis; nieces and nephews: Dennis, Lisa and Leslie Treco; Linda, Buddy, Jason and Alan Treco; Carroll, Guiseppe and Eugene Treco; Lara, Sel, Jessica and Mya Mullins; other relatives and friends including: Thomas and Kathy Treco and Family; Ron and Joyce Della Chiesa; Brendan Swaby, Lulamae Greaves; Joseph and Mavis Treco; Alice Burrows and family; Doris Barry and family; Gus Treco and family; Walter and Betty Wells and family; Hazel Johnson; Deanna Roberts and family; Gretel Forde and family; Kenny Cartwright and family; Doris Treco Dean and family; Karen Turnquest, Rosie Thompson, Nicodemas Johnson; Ms Conliff; Donna Treco; Maria Smith and family; Barbara Dewhurst; Kathy McEachern other family including the children of the late Carroll and Georgianna Treco, and many others too numerous to mention. Special Thanks to: Dr. Frederick Smith, her caregivers and The Doctors and Nurses and Staff of the Princess Margaret Hospital. Friends may pay their last respects at Butlers’ Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Ernest and York Streets, on Tuesday February 7, 2017 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and at the church on Wednesday February 8, 2017 from 9:30 a.m. until service time
Sir. Clifford Darling
February 6th, 1922 - December 27, 2011
ages all interested households to make the switch now to avoid incurring any costs. “We’re working everyday to make sure we give people clean, safe, reliable water supply that’s what we want people to know about,” MS Armbrister noted. “We have also integrated online bill payment, e-billing and more to make our services so much easier than private water supply.” Pinewood residents should contact the Customer Service Department at 242-302-5599 if they missed the sign-up visits or reach out to WSC on its Facebook page or the corporation’s website at www.wsc.com/ bs. For those not in Pinewood Gardens, the corporation is currently offering 50 per cent off sign up services to any customer.
MINNIS TO ADDRESS PRESS CLUB TOMORROW
FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis will address The Bahamas Press Club monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 7, at the British Colonial Hilton at 7pm in the Sir Harry Oakes Boardroom. The Press Club is facilitating a number of such presentations “aimed at strengthening the democratic process, thus encouraging eligible Bahamians to register to vote,” said Press Club President Anthony A Newbold.
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PAGE 16, Monday, February 6, 2017
GENESIS HELPS THE COMMUNITY
THE GENESIS Junkanoo Group held a community breakfast over the weekend for the Kemp Road area. Photos: Terrel W. Carey/ Tribune Staff
THE TRIBUNE