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VOLUME:114 No.53, FEBRUARY 7th, 2017

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E WO MAN WOMAN WHO TRAVELLED FOR JOB INTERVIEW DIES IN ACCIDENT

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

A 32-YEAR-OLD North Andros woman became the country’s latest traffic fatality after she was killed in a deadly head-on collision early yesterday morning.

The accident happened shortly after midnight on Charles Saunders Highway.

Officer-in-charge of the Traffic Division, Assistant Superintendent SEE PAGE SEVEN

Call for recusal rejected in Nygard case

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net A JUDGE yesterday dismissed Prime Minister Perry Christie’s “no merit” recusal application which argued that she, while awaiting an approval of her application to extend her tenure as a Supreme Court judge, cannot be perceived to be impartial in hearing an ongoing judicial review into allegations that Lyford Cay resident Peter Nygard illegally increased the size of his property.

Attorneys for the Prime Minister filed a motion in the Supreme Court on January 26 asking that Justice Rhonda Bain recuse herself from the judicial review - or any other cases in which he is a party - on the basis that

she is set to attain the legal age for retirement in April.

She has an application for extension that would have to be authorised by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister in consultation with the leader of the Official Opposition.

The motion was filed by Mr Christie’s lawyers in his capacity as minister responsible for Crown land and was argued last Monday.

In a 40-page ruling handed down yesterday, Justice Bain reminded the Prime Minister of the independence of the judiciary from the executive, stressing that cases are distributed by the Chief Justice - a role that cannot be “usurped by the Prime Minister”.

SEE PAGE SIX

LLOYD AIMS TO INTRODUCE SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLS PILOT

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IF ELECTED to office, the Free National Movement plans to “immediately” implement a pilot programme to separate the education of boys and girls

in classes and schools.

In an interview with The Tribune, FNM candidate for South Beach Jeffery Lloyd said he believes “boys and girls learn differently” and studies have shown that young adults SEE PAGE NINE

PRIME Minister Perry Christie arriving yesterday as University of The Bahamas students presented their designs for the Bahamas Pavilion at the Dubai 2020 Expo at the Harry C Moore Library. See page 12 for the full story. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

FNM WILL SEEK TO PRIVATISE BPL

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Free National Movement says it will privatise the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, now called Bahamas Power and Light, if it is elected to office this year and will ensure that the utility provider is owned

by Bahamians through majority shareholding.

The party made the statement in its election platform, Manifesto 2017.

Although in seeking energy reform, the Christie

administration had considered selling BEC, the government ultimately selected American company PowerSecure to manage the company instead.

Now rebranded BPL, the government owned entity still faces criticism over reliability, an issue PowerSecure was contracted to address.

The FNM has long discussed its desire to privatise BEC. When he was Minister of State for the Environment Phenton Neymour said in 2008: “We recognise that there are a number of ini-

tiatives that are necessary at BEC, and we feel that it may be best for The Bahamas that we look at BEC, look at what is demanded of it, look at what the Bahamian people require, and see how best we can deliver that. It would, in our opinion, require private sector involvement.”

In its manifesto, the FNM also said it would provide incentives and tax concessions to “local private companies for the production and supply of SEE PAGE NINE

MINISTERS GUILTY OF GIVING BOY LIQUOR TO APPEAL

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

TWO ministers who were found guilty by a magistrate of giving a 15-year-old boy liquor to get him drunk will contest their conviction at the Court of Appeal, The

Tribune has learned.

Arsenio Butler, 30, and Devin Sears, 28, were convicted by Magistrate Andrew Forbes on January 20 concerning allegations that they gave a teenage boy alcohol “in a manner likely to cause injury to his health” between January 31, 2014

and February 1, 2014.

A week later, they were handed a 12-month prison sentence at the Department of Correctional Services and informed that they could appeal the conviction and/or sentence within seven days.

SEE PAGE SEVEN

‘LOW MORALE’ AT OCEAN CLUB AHEAD OF REOPENING

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A WEEK before the One&Only Ocean Club reopens to guests, employees at the Paradise Island hotel reportedly have “low morale” because of certain “changes” taking place at the resort, The Tribune understands.

Ocean Club employees told The Tribune that they had “mixed feelings” over the changes being made regarding the day-to-day running of the luxury hotel, which reportedly includes a change in shift rostering as well as changes and additions to the employees’ responsibilities.

SEE PAGE SIX

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PAGE 2, Tuesday, February 7, 2017

THE MUSIC Project held its first “Battle of the Senior High School Bands” on Saturday at the Botanical Gardens. Taking the victory was St John’s College.

THE TRIBUNE

Battle of the Bands

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, February 7, 2017, PAGE 3

Robinson focuses on jobs in 2017 election challenge

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

FLAGGING unemployment as Bain and Grant Town’s biggest challenge, the Free National Movement’s youngest candidate yesterday released his fivepoint plan for the area, highlighting community programmes as a “youthful solution providing solutions for all.”

Travis Robinson, 21, told The Tribune that all of his proposed initiatives are designed to target unemployment in hopes to counter the widespread stereotype that residents of the area are only interested in handouts.

He shared the plan in a post on Facebook, adding that the initiatives came after months of research and canvassing in the constituency.

“One of the things I’ve come to appreciate,” Mr Robinson said, “is that on the outside it is said that people [in Bain and Grants Town] are just looking for handouts and you have to have a lot of money. But from me canvassing, I’ve come to realise everyday, that’s not true. People are actually willing to work.

They want jobs, they want opportunities, the reality is those opportunities are simply not there.”

While the plan echoes several initiatives that have been touted by the party for much of the past year, there are some similarities to the scope of the government’s Urban Renewal 2.0 programme.

However, Mr Robinson underscored that the proposed programmes will focus specifically on the Bain and Grants Town constituency, providing community-specific relief.

The plan provides “so-

TRAVIS ROBINSON, candidate for Bain and Grants Town, at the Torchbearers convention last week. lutions” across five categories: education, crime, infrastructure housing development, entrepreneurship, and poverty and health, but does not provide details on the scale of proposed projects.

At the centre of Mr Robinson’s plan is the establishment of a multi-faceted community centre, a sprawling complex that he envisions will be constructed at the site of the derelict former City Market food store that faces CR Walker High School. The centre, he said, will be the base of operations for the rollout of all his proposed initiatives.

Education initiatives

include: a full time afterschool and mentorship programme and a year-round community scholarship fund for tertiary level education.

Mr Robinson’s crime solution for the constituency is the introduction of a “Community Cadet Corp,” a training programme that will induct high school dropouts, at-risk youth, and young criminal offenders.

“The programme provides personal development and technical skills training. It acts as a certified crime watchers initiative to prevent criminal activities,” the plan said.

Mr Robinson explained that the cadet programme

will mirror the structure of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Rangers programme, with voluntary enrolment and a stipend for participants.

He foreshadowed a 14week training programme with focus on community crime watch, giving inductees an opportunity to be a part of the law enforcement system working alongside community police in the area.

Under Infrastructure Housing Development, Mr Robinson proposes the launch of a “Rebuild Programme” focused on “rebuilding and or renovating homes for the elderly, financially challenged families

and single parent homes.”

He told The Tribune that the plan differs from the UR’s Small Homes Repairs plan in its scope, and eligibility requirements. The program me will be funded through public-private partnership, said Mr Robinson, who pointed out that three area contractors have already expressed support.

Operation Beautiful BGT is featured under the heading Poverty and Health, which outlines three tenets of “cleanliness, teamwork, and compassion.” The initiative will be focused primarily on landscape maintenance and cleanliness of the area.

In a bid to increase op-

portunities for entrepreneurship, he pledged to establish start-up grants for hopefuls and current business owners experiencing financial hardships.

Under the sub-header “Expanding our Community,” other initiatives in the entrepreneurship category, include a tax free zone, and small business sustainability workshops “aimed at providing BGT small business owners with the marketing ideas, concepts and tools to empower themselves and diversify their product.”

Bain and Grants Town is represented by Minister of National Security Dr Bernard Nottage.

MORE 94 SAYS BODIE SUSPENDED, BUT NOT TERMINATED

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IN the wake of reports from controversial talk show host Ortland Bodie Jr that he had been “terminated” by officials at More 94.9 FM, the radio station’s management yesterday denied the company fired him, saying he “was suspended from his usual duties as host” until internal matters could be resolved.

However, Mr Bodie told The Tribune he believes he was “fired” because the company gave him “no date to return to work”. In fact, Mr Bodie claimed he was given no reason for his “suspension or termination”

and was only told about the move in an email on Friday evening.

Mr Bodie hosted a daily talk show called ‘Real Talk Live’ on More 94. Yesterday, The Tribune revealed that Mr Bodie had been taken off air.

In a series of emails sent to The Tribune by 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”.

In a brief statement yesterday, management at the radio station said Mr Bodie’s accusations were “inaccurate and malicious”.

NAMES OF MURDERED MEN RELEASED BY POLICE

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama police have officially released the names of the two men murdered last week in Freeport as 27-year-old Joseph Bain, of Weddell Avenue, Freeport and 25-year-old Stephon LaFrance of Hunters, Grand Bahama.

The men were shot outside Game Time Bar on Logwood Road around shortly before 1am on Wednesday February 1.

One of the men died on the scene and the other was

taken to hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Their deaths were the island’s first and second homicides for 2017.

One man was taken into custody to assist police with their investigation.

Police are also searching for three Bimini men for questioning in connection with the incident.

Anyone with information on the double homicide is asked to call police at the Central Detective Unit, 502-9991, 352-9774 in Grand Bahama or the Crime Stoppers hotline at 328-TIPS.

“It has come to the attention of More 94 and its management that inaccurate, malicious and defamatory communications have been circulating regarding the termination Mr Ortland Bodie as host of Real Talk Live. Those communications and rumours relating this could not be further from the truth,” the statement said.

“Further to this, we note that the very same malicious communications and rumours have been pub-

lished in the press without proper basis adding insult to injury. Mr Bodie was suspended from his usual duties as host until internal matters could be resolved. Real Talk Live will continue to air every morning from 10am Monday to Friday,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Mr Bodie said he has no “ill feelings” toward the management at the radio station and “just wants his money” so he can move on “to bigger and bet-

ter things.”. He said he has no idea why he was suspended but at this point he “doesn’t care”.

“I do not know why they suspended me or fired me or whatever they want to call it,” Mr Bodie told The Tribune.

“The email they sent to me on Friday said suspended pending the handling of some financial business. I haven’t done nothing, they haven’t given me nothing, no reason why they suspended me. I just want to

be paid at this point. They have not accused me of any impropriety but tell me this, is it suspension if they don’t ever tell you when you supposed to come back to work?

“It doesn’t matter though, I just want to go. It was nice but I want to go. I do not want to sue anyone and I do not want to air anyone’s dirty laundry, I just want to go.”

According to sources, Mr Bodie has taken a job with Island Luck Television.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, February 7, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

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Let the Dames Games begin FORMER Deputy Commissioner of Police Marvin Dames, now a Free National Movement candidate for the Mount Moriah constituency, released a detailed plan over the weekend to “save the country” from the scourge of crime that has Bahamians looking over their shoulders, living behind burglar bars or gated communities and wondering every day if this will be the day their luck runs out.

Some of what Dames detailed in his presentation to young FNMs at their Torchbearers Convention on Friday is the stuff of pipedreams. But the overall tone is worth paying close attention to because it reflects a serious examination of the multiple and complex causes of crime and sets out a blueprint for dealing with the one issue that more than any other is defining our quality of life.

Those who say that Dames ‘musse jokin’ about metal detectors on school grounds have a point. In New Providence especially, many of the schools are open campuses on vast properties. Look at Doris Johnson High on Prince Charles Drive or C I Gibson, where the track field is so large that it serves as a substitute stadium-setting practice ground, or R M Bailey, where students routinely wander across to the Mall at Marathon. The government would have to erect 10-foot concrete walls around school perimeters and - unlike the American president who believes he can build a wall and have another country pay for it one way or another - Bahamian authorities already stretched for resources know that building a wall around every school is unrealistic.

If instead of metal detectors at entry points you equipped campus officers with them and let them stop students for random beep checks, parents would scream that officers were targeting their angelic child. Not only could random checks open officers up to charges of racial profiling and human rights violations, but they would build distrust instead of building bridges between police and young people.

We spent considerable time dissecting that part of Dames’ plan to demonstrate the diligence with which we reviewed the entire offering.

Moving past metal detectors, the Dames plan is impressive for two reasons.

First, it acknowledges how serious the crime problem is. It is a brutally honest recognition of what he calls “a mess” and prepares to attack it head-on.

Secondly, it makes every attempt to tackle it from every possible angle. But to do that effectively requires key legislative initiatives. The pending Freedom of Information Act set for continuing debate tomorrow must be changed to incorporate a non-partisan, fully independent Information Commissioner. No matter how many flowers the current Minister of Education tries to decorate the present appointment process with, the bill as it stands still creates a political appointee whose hands will be tied when there is an issue of political sensitivity.

Dames also calls for term limits for the Police Commissioner and we fully agree.

A lifetime appointment can breed independence given certain legislative buttressing which does not exist in the Bahamas today and it can lead to complacency.

Criminals remain fresh, constantly on the lookout for a better way to beat the law.

The Commissioner and the officers who serve on the force must do the same.

Dames, to the best of our knowledge, did not address the ‘o-word’ - obesity.

But we suspect that were he Minister of National Security, officers would be required to get fit and stay fit. That could mean opening a police gym and introducing nutrition and life wellness coaching or taking whatever measures are necessary to ensure that when a criminal is running from the scene, the person chasing him is in shape to do so. Just as importantly, a fit person is likely to be more alert mentally.

There are other measures of the Dames blueprint for tackling crime that we endorse, including neighbourhood crime watches and a sexual offenders’ registry, but the one we like most is zero tolerance. Only when we stop tolerating crime will crime decline.

As long as we tolerate the high level of violent crime and accept the morning’s headlines or the Facebook post of another young man’s murder as just another ho-hum moment, we will get the crime we deserve. When it comes to crime we have to take a lesson from history, slam our fist on the table, demand changes, say we are not going to take it anymore, throw the Mace out the window, or do what it takes to shake up the current static routine.

This is not a criticism of all the officers who put their lives on the line daily or even the intent of the Commissioner, who we believe is just overwhelmed. But this is a small island and someone knows where a criminal is hiding. Whether ridding the Royal Bahamas Police Force of corruption, clamping down on graft at every level or using CCTV and e-mailed or whatsapp photos accompanied by choice of fines or court date, we can do this if we really mean to. The time for turning a blind eye to the harsh light of crime is over.

Dames is not alone in demanding a serious grasp of what is facing us. Years ago, Branville McCartney as Chairman of the Crime Committee of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce warned Bahamians to sweat the small stuff. The motorcyclist who routinely runs red lights, the gangs on ATVs doing wheelies near school grounds where little children are crossing the street, the brazen, brash and disillusioned teen who is carrying a gun because it makes him feel big, will only be stopped when Bahamians finally say enough. We are not going to take it any more.

Whatever that takes, the time for talk is over. The time for action is now. Maybe Mr Dames’ report is the wake-up call that the nation needed.

NHI impact study EDITOR, The Tribune Open letter to Mr Simon Townend and Dr Mark Britnell re NHI Impact Study I HAVE read your National Health Insurance (NHI) Impact Study and also your defence of same recently published in The Tribune.

I have no doubt that you exercised your full professional expertise in writing the study, and I reject any suggestion that you were influenced by any conflict of interest arising from your role as consultants to Government.

However, it cannot be denied that your conclusions are no better than longterm projections, no matter how carefully and independently drafted, and projections are subject to myriad unpredictable uncertainties - a point that you as audi-

tors always emphasise in qualifying corporate projections of earnings.

To ordinary Bahamians, the greatest uncertainty is the questionable ability of our health authorities to execute the precise and far-reaching plans embodied in NHI. Our scepticism is based on evidence before our eyes or reliably reported to us. How many accounts have we read, or heard from actual witnesses, about the deficiencies of the grandiose Critical Care Block at Princess Margaret Hospital? - lack of air conditioning, operating rooms unavailable for use, unacceptable delays in patient treatment, continuing cost over-runs. Perhaps they are overstated, but the Public Hospitals Authority has never taken the trouble to refute them point-by-point.

I myself have for over two years observed the substantial Exuma Clinic sitting

virtually unused because the essential staff have never been found to run it. The contractor informed me that he was paid some $14m of public funds to construct the handsome building, to date a wasted expenditure. I have been reliably told that a similar clinic has been built in Abaco and also sits unutilised.

Bahamians put more credence in present-day reality than in long-term possibilities. While your Impact Study is valuable as a guideline for objectives, you could do better service to citizens by producing a detailed forensic analysis of the foregoing health-care issues. Open and frank recognition of existing problems would eventually lead to wider acceptance of NHI by a still dubious public.

RICHARD COULSON Nassau February 5, 2017

Symonette the man to be leader EDITOR, The Tribune.

Re: Your editorial of Feb 2, 2017: “It’s Time For The Opposition To Get Its Act Together”, and in which you reference and quote the thrust of an excellent editorial letter by Luther McDonald published on January 24th.

I am in hearty agreement with everything that Mr McDonald espouses, as the attributes of a Bahamian leader like Brent Symonette, except perhaps, his conclusion that most people would have, that the Bahamian people would never support him because he is white.

I have it on very good authority that Mr Symonette’s birth certificate states that his race is MIXED. Certainly the Symonette name originated in Europe and very likely is of French origin. And somewhere between the first Symonette landing in Eleuthera and Sir Roland being born, there was an inter-racial relationship between a pure European Symonette and a pure African spouse or partner. But the question that begs asking is why would a mixed race Symonette, and a clearly mixed race Christie, be any different politically? Wikipedia provides a couple of origins of “Clan Christie” one of which being: “Christie is a shortened form of Christian and possibly also of Christopher, which is established

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net in Fife and Stirlingshire[1] (Scotland) According to Scots Kith and Kin, Clan Christie was in the area of Fife in the 15th Century.

Said to be a sept of the Clan Farquharson. So, that being said, one of the Scottish Christie’s must have had an inter-racial relationship, with a pure or mixed race African.

So, if our acceptable Parliamentarians, and or Prime Ministers, can only be based on the degree of BLACKNESS then we are really in trouble in this country. Philip Davis is probably the only qualified MP. Just look at the Parliamentarians of today, including senators, and decide if any of these are black enough to meet this test. Perry Christie himself, speaking of pure white Spanish Wells Ryan Pinder, expressed the belief that he was a Bahamian who “could” be the Prime Minister of a Black Majority Country.

So, what is the real criteria here. Is it only some mixed race people that are acceptable to the Bahamian people? I don’t think so!

And, if the current state of our nation, and its finances, and the state of almost every other Ministry of Government being in shambles, does not tell us that the colour of a Bahamian’s skin is not a sensible

bar to preventing someone who can engender and reestablish international respect for this country, then we are really and truly a people beyond all hope.

So, yes, I think that Brent Symonette is the one person who could lead a Unified Opposition against the PLP and by so doing bring the FNM, DNA, XYZ, and ABC, parties together under one banner to defeat the PLP and form a Government, to be run on sound financial and business principles. Such an alliance would require that all groups withdraw their constituency nominees, so that a selection of the best and most likely successful candidates can be re-nominated. It also supposes that the three or four contenders for Alt Prime Minister stand back, and take a secondary position. I have been told this could work, and it would be the cornerstone of any such venture.

Urban Dictionary defines a Come to Jesus Moment as: An epiphany in which one realises the truth of a matter; a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something; coming ..

I think that now is your “Come to Jesus Moment Gentlemen and Lady” . .

BRUCE G. RAINE Nassau, February 6, 2017.

Baha Mar opening EDITOR, The Tribune.

LAST week it was Where did the VAT money but far more importantly this week it seems to be the statement by the new GM of Baha Mar, Graeme Davis at a walk-about as part of Caribbean Marketplace when incredibly he stated and I quote: ... ‘we would open the project even before we close’.

So all the talk from the Prime Minister - AG - Minister of Education and others that the sale was done could be a total mistruth?

How can the Prime Minister be encouraging people to apply for jobs, some 10,000 have on the hope, and really there is no legal employer?

If one goes to the fullest extent - no sales contract signed off then the property belongs to EXIM or their Agent Company they formed in Hong Kong, not the new Company of Cheng-Fook.

A person in the first sixmonths of law school knows what is proposed what is going to happen is totally outside of the laws of The

Bahamas.

The statement suggests that the potential new owner might be sending a message to the political Gods by disclosing they would open before the ownership transfer please slow down. Government is pushing to encourage the breach of the Law asking our young people to sign-up for a job at a place which is not legally compliant.

Boy, they want that open before May 10th or the 19th.

TRICIA SMITH Nassau, February 2, 2017.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, February 7, 2017, PAGE 5

Mitchell: Group barred from Detention Centre visit because of Louis Bacon link

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net FOREIGN Affairs and Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell yesterday defended his ministry’s decision to bar an international human rights agency from the Carmichael Road Detention Centre, insisting that the move was due in large part to the organisation’s connection to local groups alleged to be orchestrating plans to “destabilise” the government.

In remarks made to further clarify his ministry’s position, Mr Mitchell, speaking on the sidelines of the Dubai Expo 2020 student presentation at the University of The Bahamas on Monday, said his office acted within its rights as the group posed a threat to democratic fibre of The Bahamas.

The Fox Hill MP didn’t mince words on the issue yesterday as he firmly stated: “They are not going to be allowed into the Detention Centre so long as they are tied to that kind of situation.”

In a January 19 article published on the Huffington Post’s website, Kerry Kennedy, who is the daughter of the late US Attorney General Robert F Kennedy, painted the Detention Centre as a “nightmare” for im-

migrants detained there.

Ms Kennedy also wrote an “open letter” to Mr Mitchell that was recently published on a Caribbean affairs website, inviting the government to address, with Robert F Kenney Human Rights, a number of allegations concerning abuses and mistreatment of migrants at the 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.

The letter added that “facts” established at the centre suggested that it was in a serious and urgent situation that placed “lives and physical integrity at risk”.

In response, Mitchell told reporters Monday: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement as I recall it, in response to a open letter written by Kerry Kennedy who is connected to some foundation or other in the United States; who has been trying to get into the Detention Centre.

“The problem with the foundation is, all the evidence suggests that they are connected to one of these permanent residents in The Bahamas who is fighting

FRED Mitchell pictured yesterday at the Dubai Expo 2020 student presentation at the University of The Bahamas.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff for, or has a fight with his view of anything that they neighbour,” he said, refer- are judging at the moment ring to Lyford Cay billion- and so the ministry’s reaire Louis Bacon. sponse was made in light of “But the allegations that.” (were made) in Parliament Mr Mitchell said his minthat this individual has been istry has adopted working funding millions of dollars regulations on who could to try and destabilise the get access to the centre government. with reasonable notice, in “That therefore begs the official capacities, with the question whether this foun- aim of the regulations bedation has an independent coming permanent in the

near future.

“One of them is the international Red Cross and the Red Cross of the Bahamas; another is the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), another is the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; any member of Parliament, including the leader of opposition and their designated spokesperson for the opposition and the Department of Social Services,” said Mr Mitchell.

“Until the rules are put in place, and they are still being designed by the Attorney General’s Office, until the rules are put in place that is what we said about those agencies (being able to) access the Detention Centre.

“And of course, if you are representing a citizen who is in the Detention Centre.

For example, if you are the government of the United States, one of your citizens are in there, or you are the Haitian government, one of your citizens is in there; you can also access those persons in the centre.”

In response to the ministry’s earlier statement on Ms Kennedy, the Grand Bahama Human Rights Association (GBHRA) called on Prime Minister Perry Christie to “rein in” the “reckless, unbalanced” behaviour of the Fox Hill MP.

“Prime Minister Perry Christie must find the courage to rein in his reckless, unbalanced minister before The Bahamas’ reputation has been downgraded to ‘junk’ status and we become a laughingstock in the international community,” the group said in a statement.

“In his latest unhinged attack on universally respected American human rights activist Kerry Kennedy, Mitchell has again displayed some extremely concerning authoritarian tendencies that have increasingly become his trademark. All Bahamians should be concerned about the future of the country with such an individual anywhere near a position of power.

“In (Mr) Mitchell’s world, any individual or entity that might be critical of the minister or his government has ‘no credibility’ and works according to shady ulterior motives. Meanwhile every opportunity is taken to attack the messenger in an effort to distract from the message itself.”

GBHRA added: “His deranged ranting may play well to certain xenophobic elements within The Bahamas, but to the outside world, Mitchell is making us look like a silly, insecure banana republic run by delusional tin-pot dictators.”

‘CHANGE FOI ACT TO MAKE NATION A WORLD LEADER’ PICTURED at Love 97.5 studios on the ‘Voice of the Bays, The Environment Speaks’ (from left) are Matt Aubry, Organization for Responsible Governance; Diane Phillips, FOIA liaison, Save the Bays; Sam Duncombe, re-Earth; and Joe Darville, Chairman, Save The Bays.

REPRESENTATIVES of civic groups that have been calling for strong freedom of information legislation have applauded the government for bringing an Freedom of Information Act to debate, declaring that with a few changes in the draft bill, the Bahamas could become a “world leader” in transparency.

Matt Aubry, executive director of Organization for Responsible Governance (ORG), Joe Darville, Chairman of Save The Bays, Diane Phillips, FOIA liaison for Save The Bays, and Sam Duncombe, founder of re-Earth, appeared on the radio show “Voice of the Bays, The Environment Speaks’ on Love 97.5 last week as the long-awaited bill was being debated in the House of Assembly.

“I want to applaud and to thank the government of The Bahamas for taking this important step that the people of this great nation have long waited for,” said Mr Darville, who hosts the weekly show. “We know that the Freedom of Information Bill as presented is not perfect but all the experts who have looked at it and compared it with others that are considered strong and true Freedom of Information Acts have said that with a few basic changes in the act, the Bahamas could become a world leader in transparency.”

According to Mr Aubry, the Bahamas is in a position to benefit from true freedom of information legislation that is enjoyed in many other countries, citing Bangladesh, New Zealand and the Cayman Islands as examples. “In study-

ing the various versions of the proposed bills we have gotten tremendous insight and support from experts like Lemarque Campbell, of Transparency International, and Lisa Benjamin, at The University of The Bahamas, who sat on the commission advising government on the legislation,” he said. “Representatives from many of the civil society and private industry groups pored through the proposed 2015 draft of the bill, studying it line by line against the 2016 version. Of the 31 recommendations made in the review of the 2015 Act, 17 were adopted in the current act that the members of Parliament are debating today.

“We are very grateful that the Commission considered and incorporated these recommendations. However, we still see some key areas that need to be addressed to ensure that the bill is strong and represents the right of the public to gain access to information.”

Among those, said Mrs Phillips, were the calls that went unanswered for an independent Information Commissioner to avoid the perception or the reality of a conflict of interest that would arise if the Commissioner is a political appointee. She also said those who studied the bills and compared them with adequate or strong legislation from other countries said the time for both a reply and for the provision of information needed to be shortened. “Under certain circumstances, it could take up to 104 days to get an answer as to whether information will be provided,” she noted. Recommendations

also call for 15 years instead of 30 years for sensitive information to be declassified.

But the aspect of the legislation that has drawn the most commentary, the radio guests said, was what the current act does not apply to - non-statutory bodies or public private partnerships.

“So we would not be able to find out how a contract was awarded for BPL or why the BEST Commission made a decision it did, or how our tax money or fees we are required to pay are being spent by NAD or who is benefitting from contracts at the port,” said Ms Duncombe. “Either we are going to have an end to these secret closed door deals or we are just kidding ourselves. But I am glad that we are moving in the right direction and that government is listening to the demands of the public that is getting better organised.”

“This is an historic time as we stand at the crossroads of a culture shift, moving from a society which prided itself on secrecy and confidentiality in banking and in business to a state of transparency, so that all citizens will have the right to information that impacts their lives and the lives of their children and grandchildren,” said Mrs Phillips. “I’ve said before that 2016 was the year that Bahamians found their voice and now 2017 will be the year that the voice grows louder. These groups uniting behind issues like freedom of information are more than 100,000 people strong and you cannot ignore those numbers, especially in an election year.”

PAGE 6, Tuesday, February 7, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Judge says no to PM legal bid from page one The judge also said the Prime Minister should have immediately filed a motion seeking her recusal if he had concerns, instead of choosing to “sit back and do nothing for upwards of seven months” while other Nygard matters were ongoing in court.

“The application for extension of tenure by Bain J (Justice Bain) was made on June 6, 2016. The application for recusal of Bain J by the first respondent (Mr Christie), by reason of Bain J’s application for extension, was not made until January 26, 2017, upwards of seven months after the application for extension was made,” the judge noted.

“The Prime Minister in his capacity as minister responsible for Crown lands through his counsel continued to participate in these proceedings after the application for extension was made in June 2016. Since the application for an extension was made the court continued hearing the matters and has delivered eight rulings,” the judge’s ruling added.

Justice Bain also said

that since applying for an extension of her tenure, “the court commenced the hearing of the Keod Smith and Derek Ryan contempt application on December 8, 2016” and Mr Nygard’s “first committal matter on October 3, 2016.”

Mr Nygard’s first committal matter is scheduled for continuation yesterday and today.

“Counsel for the applicant pointed out that the Prime Minister, through his counsel, has participated in every step of these proceedings. Counsel for the applicant submitted that the Prime Minister should have waived any objection to these matters being continued by Bain J after he received the application for extension by (Justice Bain).”

“The court is of the opinion that if the Prime Minister was of the opinion that a request for extension of tenure by Bain J would have been perceived by a fair minded and informed observer as being bias against or for the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister should have made the application for Bain J to recuse herself immediately on the receipt of the application from

Bain J for an extension of tenure,” Justice Bain’s ruling noted.

“The Prime Minister may not sit back and do nothing for upwards of seven months and during the hearing of the Nygard first committal application make application for Bain J to recuse herself from further proceedings in JR1, JR2, JR3, JR4 and the Neighbours action. The Prime Minister is deemed to be aware of the status of the two outstanding applications that are presently being heard by Bain J - the Keod Smith and Derek Ryan contempt application which is part heard and adjourned to March 1, 2, 3 and the Nygard first committal application which was adjourned to February 6 and 7 (2017).”

Given the above, Justice Bain said the Prime Minister - first respondent - may not now bring an application for her to recuse herself from further proceedings.

The judge added: “In this matter, I have carefully considered the application by the first respondent for me to recuse myself from further proceedings in these matters. A recusal by the court should not be taken

lightly and should not be made just because there has been criticism of the court.”

“No merit” Justice Bain, yesterday, ruled that the Prime Minister’s recusal application “has no merit.”

“The only reason given for the application for recusal is that the salary of a sitting judge is higher than the salary of a retired judge.

This is an undisputed fact and is not a valid reason for recusal. There is no evidence of real bias and the first respondent has failed to prove that there is apparent bias,” Justice Bain stressed.

The judge added that she would continue to receive benefits regardless of the outcome of the extension application and stressed that “these benefits are linked in no way to the disposition of the extant cases”.

“Counsel for the first respondent has not proved that taking all the circumstances into consideration, a fair-minded and informed observer would conclude that there is a real possibility or a real danger that Bain J would be biased in this matter and would not be able to decide the matters

on the merits after hearing all the issues involved in the case.

“Additionally, the court finds that the judiciary is independent of the executive. The Prime Minister may not request a judge to recuse herself from a matter for no valid reason. The distribution of cases is the responsibility of the Chief Justice and is not a power that may be usurped by the Prime Minister,” Justice Bain ruled.

Wayne Munroe, QC, Clinton Clarke and Tommel Roker appeared for the Prime Minister in the recusal application and the ruling that was returned yesterday.

Fred Smith, QC, Romauld Ferreira, Dawson Malone and Crispin Hall appeared for the Coalition to Protect Clifton Bay. John Minns and Roberts Adams are legal counsel for the Neighbours Action.

Elliot Lockhart, QC, Damian Gomez, QC, and Gia Moxey appeared for Mr Nygard as an interested party to the recusal application.

The Coalition to Protect Clifton Bay, now called Save the Bays, has waged a long running court battle

with Mr Nygard over the construction/development activities at his Lyford Cay home, which stem from allegations that the activities have led to substantial growth of the property.

The group claims that the Lyford Cay resident has almost doubled the size of his property, from 3.25 acres to 6.1 acres, since he acquired it in 1984, by allegedly reclaiming Crown land from the sea. The advocacy group has alleged that Mr Nygard achieved this without the necessary permits and approvals, claims that have been denied by the fashion designer.

In 2015, Justice Bain was asked to recuse herself from committal proceedings involving Mr Nygard through a notice of motion filed in the Supreme Court by his former lawyer, Keod Smith, on the grounds of bias. However, Justice Bain later ruled that Mr Nygard had not proved there was evidence of bias or apparent bias towards him and found the accusations to be “scandalous”.

The Court of Appeal had affirmed Justice Bain’s rejection of the application in an appeal of the decision by the Lyford Cay resident.

RENOVATIONS of the Dune restaurant last week ahead of the reopening of the One&Only Ocean Club.

‘LOW MORALE’ AT OCEAN CLUB AHEAD OF REOPENING from page one The same was confirmed

by Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Un-

ion (BHCAWU) Secretary General Darrin Woods, who said the “morale is low” amongst One&Only employees. He stressed that the union is still aggres-

Funeral Service

George James Mosko, O.B.E. It is with great sadness that we announce the passing on 4th February, 2017 of George James Mosko, O.B.E., of Nassau, and formerly of Kalymnos Greece.

He is predeceased by his loving wife Stella Mosko, and sister Evangeline Christopher. He is survived by his children James, Milton, John, Mary and Alexandra, daughters in law Patricia Mosko and Alexandra Mosko, and sons in law Dean Tseretopoulos, and Peter Attaloglou. He is also mourned by sisters Caliope Nicolaidis, Ioanna Stowfis and her husband John, his grandchildren and great grandchildren as well as numerous family members and friends.

For those wishing to pay their respects, there will be a viewing at The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, West Street, Nassau, on Friday, 10th February, 2017 at 5:30 P.M. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, 11th February, 2017 at 10:00 a.m., at The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, West Street, Nassau.

Father Irenaeus Cox will officiate and interment will follow in Ebenezer Methodist Cemetery, Easy Shirley Street, Nassau.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Salvation Army, P.O. N. 205 or The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, P.O. Box N. 823 in his memory.

Arrangements by Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited.

sively seeking to meet with hotel officials to resolve the issues.

One&Only is set to reopen on February 14, having temporarily closed in October to repair damage inflicted on the property by Hurricane Matthew.

During the temporary closure, however, One&Only controversially fired more than 60 employees, including management and line staff from the hotel, for “performance based” reasons.

At the time, Ashley McBain, spokesperson for Kerzner International, explained that the hotel was “reorganising our structure and redefining job descriptions across the resort,” which she said would “ensure a streamlining of the guest experience”.

When contacted yesterday, one employee, on condition of anonymity, suggested to The Tribune that workers were not entirely comfortable with any of the new changes. “It’s just basically whatever they say, you don’t have an option,” the employee said. “If you want to work, and keep your job, you just got to do what they say to do.

“It’s a lot of mixed feelings. That’s Bahamians in general. It’s a lot of changes, and we’re going to make a lot of noise. But like I said, if you want your job, whatever they’re saying, you have to do what the say, you have to comply with it.”

Meanwhile, Mr Woods said that as a part of the hotel’s infrastructural “reorganising” mentioned by Ms McBain, the hotel is now seeking to “amalgamate shifts, ,which he suggested has proved to be an uncomfortable adjustment for some, if not all, of the employees.

“We’re understanding the morale is low, because with the new changes that are coming on, let’s say you have (someone) who has been with the company for 25 years and he worked predominantly mornings or only mornings,” Mr Woods said.

“He’s now being asked to work late nights and one instance in particular he is being asked to work overnight in terms of the overnight to late night shift, either 11 to 7 in the morning or 12 to 8 in the morning, which is an adjustment for (that person).”

Mr Woods also said that employees are sceptical over their job security, especially after the terminations in December, which involved around 15 per cent of the near 400 employees who worked at the hotel.

This scepticism, Mr Woods said, is prevalent despite sacked employees finally receiving financial assistance from the Bahamas Hotel Industry Management Pension Fund after months of agitating, as well as some employees returning to work prior to next week’s scheduled reopening for “training” purposes.

“I guess it will never probably be lifted to where it needs to be because I guess the flipside would be it took so long,” Mr Woods said of the employees’ morale. “But if it was us just dealing with it by ourselves, not having to get an agreement, it could have been executed pretty much quickly or quicker. But I would say that they would have gotten some assistance, but the thing is they would be looking long term. What is my future on my job, what is going to happen, am I going to be terminated in the same fashion that my colleagues would have been

terminated in?

“So the thing for us now is to try to reassure them that there is job security.

(But) how can we do that if we can’t sit down and have an open and frank discussion with the employer on one side and the union on the other side to come up with ways in which to achieve this same desired effect that the employer is looking for and the desired effect that the employee is looking for?”

The One&Only Ocean Club closed its doors temporarily to repair damage

by Hurricane Matthew in October. The resort lost a number of roof shingles from the Crescent Wing and the Villas during the category four storm and the Dune restaurant sustained serious damage.

The luxury hotel was initially expected to re-open at the beginning of December, but later confirmed that it had delayed its re-opening date to Valentine’s Day this year. At the time, management did not specify what would happen to the 350 staff members in the meantime, but said they and union officials had been informed of the extended period of closure.

BABY GIRL BORN TO DARVILLE FAMILY MR Kevin Darville, and his wife, have announced the birth of their daughter, Ava Mhay Darville, at 2:57 pm Monday, February 6, at Doctor’s Hospital. The baby weighed 7lbs 6 ounces and is 191/2 inches long.

Both mother and baby are doing well.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, February 7, 2017, PAGE 7

Attorney quizzed over legal representation of Nygard

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net AN attorney was probed at-length yesterday concerning her legal representation of Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard and correspondence or other documents relating to him that were prepared before December 2014 when alleged dredging activities were occurring on or around Nygard Cay. Melissa Hall returned before Justice Rhonda Bain to continue her testimony that began in December 2016 as part of committal proceedings for Mr Nygard concerning his alleged breach of an order during an ongoing judicial review to determine whether the fashion designer had illegally increased the size of his property.

The Lyford Cay resident was not present in the Ansbacher House courtroom during her testimony as he had been excused from the proceedings earlier in the day after his lawyer Elliot Lockhart, QC, successfully applied to Justice Bain for him to be excused from the scheduled proceedings until March 2.

Fred Smith, QC, and lead lawyer for Save The Bays, questioned Ms Hall about the contents of her affidavit - sworn on March 20, 2015 - concerning a meet-

PETER NYGARD ing with Director of Physi- Mr (Jerome) Fitzgerald and cal Planning Michael Major she’s with Higgs & Johnin relation to an excavation son,” the witness said. permit she had sought on Mr Smith asked the lawMr Nygard’s behalf. yer if she was familiar with A copy of the permit Nygard Holdings Ltd. Ms was shown to her with the Hall said she was not. court’s permission.

She was then asked if “Do you agree this is the she was aware that Zarina application you made on Fitzgerald was a shareholdbehalf of Mr Nygard for er of the aforementioned dredging in the marina?” company. She again, said Mr Smith asked. no.

“Yes,” the attorney said.

“You know who does the She was asked if the per- corporate work for Nygard mit, which was addressed to Holdings?”

Mr Smith her firm and Nygard Hold- asked. ings Ltd, was granted to her.

“No I don’t,” the witness The witness said she had answered. “applied for Mr Nygard “You were aware that an on the instructions of Eric injunction had been issued Gibson.” enjoining Mr Nygard from “Who is Zarina Fitzger- carrying out any works?” ald?” Mr Smith asked.

Mr Smith asked.

“I think she’s the wife of “I was not aware at the

MINISTERS GUILTY OF GIVING BOY LIQUOR TO APPEAL from page one The magistrate exercised his discretion to allow the pair to remain on bail pending an appeal by defence lawyer Romona Farquharson-Seymour or Crown prosecutor Cordell Frazier.

An appeal of the conviction was filed on their behalf last Thursday.

Butler, a pastor-elect, had been separately charged with indecent assault after it was alleged that he had put his hand down the teenager’s trousers. Both pleaded not guilty to the charges in their first Magistrate’s Court appearance in February 2014.

Magistrate Forbes, in October 2015, determined that a sufficient case had not been made by the Crown for Butler to answer to the charge of indecent assault when considering the second of two statements given to police by the complainant.

The alleged assault was only referred to in the second statement. During testimony, the complainant and police were at odds about where the statement was taken.

The magistrate discharged Butler of the assault charge.

However, the court ruled that Butler and Sears must answer to the remaining charge of “child cruelty” based on the evidence produced by the prosecution.

In a 12-page ruling handed down on the date of their conviction, Magistrate Forbes referred to an event that occurred following the decision, which he said had never occurred before.

“It is noted at this point that a remarkable event occurred which this court has

Craig Stubbs said firefighters had to use “the Jaws of Life” to extract the woman, who was a front seat passenger. He said police believe the accident occurred while one of the vehicles was attempting to “overtake” another travelling in the same direction.

The dead woman has been identified as Yosheakan Yolette Vivido, of North Andros. ASP Stubbs said Vivido had ar-

Holding’s project manager?” Mr Smith asked.

“I’m not certain of his professional title there. I’d refer to him as an agent of Mr Nygard. That’s who he instructed me to communicate with,” Ms Hall said.

Mr Smith asked the attorney if the permit granted her client permission to dredge more than 134,000 square feet of seabed adjacent to the boat basin of Nygard Cay. The witness said yes.

Mr Smith asked if there were 11 conditions attached to the permit. She said yes.

“Did you in any way seek to ensure any of the conditions were observed?”

She said she did not as she had passed the permit on to Mr Gibson with the expectation that he would ensure they were observed.

The Coalition to Protect Clifton Bay, now called Save the Bays, has waged a long running court battle with Mr Nygard over the construction/development activities at his Lyford Cay home, which stem from allegations that the activi-

ties have led to substantial growth of the property.

The group claims that the Lyford Cay resident has almost doubled the size of his property, from 3.25 acres to 6.1 acres, since he acquired it in 1984, by allegedly reclaiming Crown land from the sea. The advocacy group has alleged that Mr Nygard achieved this without the necessary permits and approvals, claims that have been denied by the fashion designer.

In 2015, Justice Bain was asked to recuse herself from committal proceedings involving Mr Nygard through a notice of motion filed in the Supreme Court by his former lawyer, Keod Smith, on the grounds of bias. However Justice Bain later ruled that Mr Nygard had not proved there was evidence of bias or apparent bias towards him and found the accusations to be “scandalous”.

The Court of Appeal has affirmed Justice Bain’s rejection of the application in an appeal of the decision by the Lyford Cay resident.

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.

ARSENIO Butler and Devin Sears, pictured at a previous hearing. never before witnessed; a letter was directed by the Crown to the court clerk inviting this court to reconsider its verbal ruling advising that it had discharged the defendant Butler of the indecent assault charge,” the magistrate’s ruling noted.

“This is clearly inappropriate as the avenue open to any aggrieved party is to file an appeal. Further, is this not an infringement of the separation of powers and why would the executive seek to direct the court to its findings given its rights of appeal? This court sincerely trusts that this is not a practice and will not become to be repeated in this or any other court,” said Magistrate Forbes.

Butler and Sears were nonetheless convicted of the child cruelty charge after the magistrate found that their evidence was not

convincing.

“If one accepts all they have said, two adult men elected to transport a minor out after 11pm,” Magistrate Forbes said. “It is clear they were irresponsible. And then suggest that the minor was somehow leading them in this foray. The evidence of the virtual complainant coupled with evidence of the virtual complainant’s mother and the opinion of the doctor suggests that he was plied with substances which caused the effects that were observed.

“This court accepts the evidence of the virtual complainant that he was given alcohol by these two individuals. The reasons are unclear, but this court accepts that he was provided the substance by Mr Butler and Mr Sears,” Magistrate Forbes ruled before convicting them of child cruelty.

WOMAN WHO TRAVELLED FOR JOB INTERVIEW DIES IN ACCIDENT from page one

time,” Ms Hall said.

“When did you meet with Mr Major?” Mr Smith asked.

“Between the period September 30 - October 2, 2014,” the witness said.

She was asked if her client, Mr Gibson or Thomas Evans, QC, had informed her about the injunction.

She said neither of them did.

“Mr Major told me there was a court order and that he would seek legal advise from the Attorney General’s Office. I got a call that the permit was ready a few days later,” Ms Hall said.

Mr Smith asked the lawyer if she had a conversation with Mr Gibson concerning the injunction.

“I was advised that the court order was not relative to what we were working on,” Ms Hall said, adding that this discussion centred on the marina.

“You’d made an application to dredge the marina before?” Mr Smith asked.

“This was the second time,” Ms Hall answered.

“Mr Gibson was Nygard

rived in New Providence on Sunday night for a job interview on Monday morning.

“EMS personnel were called to the scene, just east of Sadie Curtis Primary School, after police received reports of a traffic accident,” ASP Stubbs said.

“Information is that two vehicles, a 1999 Nissan Primera driven by an adult male with an adult female passenger and an adult male passenger collided with a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu driven by a male.

“One of the vehicles

was attempting to overtake when the collision occurred. Both vehicles received extensive frontend damage. EMS services responded and firefighters used the Jaws of Life to remove the female front seat passenger and the male driver of the Nissan. The female was pronounced dead on the scene.”

ASP Stubbs said the driver of the Chevrolet and the Nissan’s male passenger were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Investigations continue.

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.

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 8, Tuesday, February 7, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

FNM’s crime plan leaves too many questions unanswered

By NICOLE BURROWS

A

N ignorant and very idiotic person once referred to me as an Eastern-Road type. I was too down-to-earth, he insinuated, to be of Lyford Cay or Old Fort Bay ilk, or some other part of the island he had racially profiled to be the home of lighterskinned people.

I suppose that person, and others like him, would never believe I live in an early-stage-ghetto neighbourhood of Mount Moriah.

Marvin Dames is the Free National Movement (FNM) candidate for my constituency. And he has provided a crime ‘plan’ on behalf of the FNM. I don’t know how much of it originates in the mind of Dames himself, so maybe he should not bear the full weight of my criticism. But, amazingly - though not surprisingly - Hubert Minnis suggests it is a “strong plan”. It is not.

It is, in fact, not a plan. It is a list of intentions. Yes, a plan needs to start somewhere, but this list of ideas comprises the thoughts that go into creating the plan, not the plan itself. There are too many unanswered questions about the bulleted points contained in the ‘plan’, like: Why are you doing it?

What has your research shown to suggest this is a good idea?

How do you intend to achieve it?

When will you do it?

What will you do it with, as every item in the list has a cost attached?

The FNM’s ‘plan’ is, in essence, a wishlist. And unless they can attach a timeline of action, a clear method, and a cost to everything on the wishlist, it is not a plan and will not be effective.

Because almost everything on the list has a financial cost, additional source(s) of funding will be needed to achieve these things, assuming that if they/we know these things need to be done and have not been done to date, the reason must be a lack of adequate funding. That’s just one part of it.

Dames speaks of how there is a problem of enforcement and execution ... putting plans into effect, but he does not show that he knows how his wishlist, even if somewhat admirable in what it attempts, will be put into effect. He says we’re good at thinking of what needs to be done, but it’s the execution we’re not

good at. But the execution is missing from the FNM’s ‘plan’.

How does Dames or the FNM expect the public to be convinced that they can achieve the things on their wish list, without convincing statements about their study of these issues and on how these things on their list will be achieved?

As former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Dames has specific information we all need about why strategies used to date do not work, but he wouldn’t dare give it. That in itself is a part of the crime problem - people knowing exactly what’s going on and not having the fortitude to openly and fully address it.

Here is the FNM’s wishlist with a few general concerns, to emphasise how much is missing in content and thought.

MARVIN DAMES, FNM candidate for Mount Moriah.

Develop a modern, efEstablish a National ficient crime-fighting ma- dock, in a moving vehicle Watch chine properly manned, ... do you even know where Neighbourhood Consultative Council trained and equipped to criminality flourishes?

Enact legislation to es- to oversee and promote prevent crime where postablish the National Intel- neighbourhood watch prosible. grammes across the counA very broad and general ligence Agency (NIA).

Where’s the draft leg- try. statement. Modern how?

Too wordy. But apart Efficient how? Properly islation? Does it meet the manned with what/who? needs of the society? What from that, who will staff it?

Equipped with what? How part does the society play Will participation be manis any of this different from in the development of this datory or elective? What what has already been done legislation? Organised civil kind of schedule will you or is already in place? And society, individual citizens implement for it? What ..? How does your idea for data will you use to decide at what cost?

NIA legisla- that?

Detect Establish a public sector tion measure crime when ‘You’re fighting a against anti-corruption agency. it occurs and national corruption up You say this will change what is existbring those culture here. ent? Was there under an FNM governresponsible not talk that ment, but you neglect to say to account What is corrupt the NIA was how? before the is not seen as You’re fighting a national already acting courts. corruption by an without legis- corruption culture here.

Again, lation? How What is corrupt is not seen how?

With overwhelmingly do you intend as corruption by an overwhat tools? In large number to manage whelmingly large number what amount of citizens who that aspect of of citizens who regard it as of time? this proposal? a normal occurrence if you Work with regard it as a anything done, in the communitynormal occurrence Use state- want public or the private sector. of-the-art based partAre you implementing psytechnology ners to change if you want in our fight chological tools to change the culture anything done, in against crime this way of thinking that of violence in the public or the including gun- is so engrained in multiple our commushot detec- communities? Over what nities through private sector.’ tion devices, period of time do you exneighboursocial media pect it to have success? hood safety Conduct a comprehenexploitation technologies, programmes. sive review of police officHow will you change the drones, etc.

‘State-of-the-art’ any- ers’ compensation. culture of violence? Can To what end? Do you you do it without psycholo- thing costs lots and lots of gists/psychiatrists?

What money. Who’s funding it? want to see who is stealing is a neighbourhood safety What is a gunshot detection or are you trying to reward programme? Who is re- device? What is social media them more accurately or sponsible for it? When will exploitation technologies? regularly? Are some paid it be implemented? Will ci- How will you use drones, too much and others not vilians be on rotation? Will where, how often and for enough? Is the complaint they have a direct line to what purpose, and how about overtime legitimate?

Reinstitute term limits can you protect ordinary armed police?

Eliminate habitats where citizens’ privacy when us- for the Commissioner of ing them? The ‘etc’ is a bad Police, Commodore of the criminality flourish[es].

Where is this? Seems like sign. It says you are adding [Royal Bahamas] Defence everywhere and anywhere. anything else you can think Force and the CommisCould happen in someone’s of or you’re not sure what sioner of Corrections.

What are the limits? How living room, a school, on a you’re thinking of. do you determine them?

When will they be effective?

Reorganise the police reserves.

How are they presently organised and how does any change make a dif-

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Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff ference in fighting crime?

What factors will you consider to determine how best to organise them?

Strengthen Defence Force satellite base presence/operations in the northern, central, southern and southeastern Bahamas.

That sounds like the whole country and all islands. Why not just say that? And what are you strengthening them with?

Manpower? Technology?

Enforce Marco’s Law inclusive of a Sexual Offenders Register.

Wonderful. Then little Marco will finally have some justice served in his name.

But when? How? Especially when you have attorneys fighting for the murderer’s rights above Marco’s? Who will be on the register? How far back will it go - to include offenders from 30 years ago?

Who can report to it? Will those persons reporting be guaranteed protection under the law?

Implement aggressive measures to address the trafficking of narcotics, firearms, human trafficking, illegal immigration and poaching.

What measures exist now? How will you make them more aggressive, by picking aggressive people to implement them or by making the measures more extreme? Whose partnership do you have in this effort? Which countries are willing to assist and in what ways? Have any agreements been made? If not, when will they be made and with whom?

Establish a forensic crime lab with an independent director.

More money. Where will the funds come from?

Which budget, which year?

Who is qualified to be the director? A Bahamian? A person of foreign origin?

Increase efforts on financial and cyber investigations.

Very, very vague. What efforts? Increase how, to what amount from what amount?

Make the school environment safe for students, teachers, staff and guests by placing metal detectors at school entrances and use of CCTVs and professionally trained security officers for reinforcements.

How have metal detectors been proven effective? How is CCTV effective? The police have used CCTV in some locations and it doesn’t seem to add much value for them, so how will CCTV help in schools? You want D-average people and police to be detail-oriented and pay attention to every frame of CCTV? Their attention span has not allowed them to become focused individuals, to the point where you yourself have said they need further training, having included their further training in your crime fighting wishlist. How will the professionally trained security officers help? Where are they coming from? Public or private sector? Are they full-time or part-time?

Permanent or temporary?

Provide proper training for law enforcement officers and to foster relationships between the community and churches.

What does this training entail to make it proper?

Have they not had proper training to date? Is that the problem? This bit about fostering relationships between communities and churches has been said a thousand times. How many such relationships have been established? How have they been shown to be effective?

There are more questions than answers in this FNM ‘plan’ to fight crime.

Comments and responses to nburrows@ tribunemedia.net

READERS REACT TO EVENTS IN THE FNM READERS on tribune242.com have been giving their views on the stories making the news this week.

After FNM Chairman Sidney Collie said Official Opposition Leader Loretta Butler-Turner will no longer be a member of the party if she nominates herself as an independent candidate, Publius said: “They are so obsessed with Butler Turner at this stage when they need to be focusing on the PLP. And no, my comments are not confined to Collie’s remarks here. Their minions are constantly focusing on one woman when they have an entire government to try to defeat.”

ThisIsOurs had this to say: “I’m going to bet she didn’t foresee that either.”

At the final night of the FNM Torchbearers convention, party leader Dr Hubert Minnis tied the recent arson attempt at the Mag-

istrate’s Court Complex to the performance of the PLP, prompting TalRussell to say: “The citizens, residents and tourists concerned with crime are not being addressed with the schoolyard finger-pointing blame game that keeps reoccurring between the political parties. Is there any wonder why fewer citizens are bothering to exercise their right to register to vote in the around the corner 2017 General? Some of the faces responsible for committing crimes can be better managed or placed under control - but not if this is all our political leaders are willing to bring to

the solution table.”

The FNM has said fiscal discipline is a key pillar of its “Economic Action Plan” to rescue the country’s economy. Birdiestrachan responded with “Fiscal discipline? Are they serious? They spent money like drunken sailors during their time in office.”

OMG said: “Whomever gets elected, there has to be some very unpleasant actions taken to stave off the ballooning national debt and strong possibility of a further downgrade. Unfortunately most governments in the democratic world plan their actions with reelections in mind – not what is best for the country. Any serious fiscal actions will hurt Bahamians whether it be unemployment, higher taxes or early retirement.”

• Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, February 7, 2017, PAGE 9

Students ‘denied access to clinical training’ at Rand Memorial Hospital

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

STUDENTS in the nursing programme at Terreve College in Grand Bahama claim that they are being denied access to clinical training at the Rand Memorial Hospital as a result of the delayed signing of a memorandum of understanding by the Public Hospitals Authority. The nursing classes at Terreve have been suspended now for an entire semester while students and college officials continue to await word from the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA).

“It is now the second month in a new semester and we are still not in classes and the MOU is still not signed,” the students said in a letter addressed to the Minister for Grand Bahama Dr Michael Darville.

At the beginning of their second year in the registered nurse programme, students were informed that classes could not progress

because the MOU was still not signed after months of waiting, and that classes had to be put on hold until it was signed by officials at the PHA’s legal department.

When contacted on Monday, Herbert Brown, PHA managing director, said that a request was in fact received from Terreve College for the PHA to enter into a MOU to allow their students to carry out internships at Rand Memorial Hospital (RMH).

He said that the PHA is under no obligation to accept students from Terreve College.

“This institution was advised verbally and in writing that in light of the (Department of) Public Service taking a particular position, and I am advised that a ruling was made to remove them from their list of recognized tertiary institutions. Obviously, as an arm of the government and if one agency had made the decision, we have to understand and await some ruling

as to the outcome of this matter.

“I understand that this matter was taken before the courts and there was a ruling, but the Public Service has not yet made a determination as far as I am aware.

Therefore, the PHA is not prepared until such time as we are in a position to understand the final outcome to accept any students at this time.”

Mr Brown stated that once the matter has been resolved at the DPS level, PHA will look at the request again and will make a determination.

“I made that abundantly clear to the principals of that college,” he said.

He stated that PHA provides internships to hundreds of students in Grand Bahama.

“It is not a matter of PHA not wanting them doing the internship, it is simply saying when the matter is cleared up we would be happy to consider their request, and I told this to the college verbally and in writ-

ing,” he reiterated.

Last year June, the Department of Public Service removed Terreve College from its list of recognised institutions after implementing policy changes.

Terreve College then brought a judicial review case against the Department of Public Service. In January, Supreme Court Justice Ian Winder ruled in favour of the college and ordered that the decision to revise the policy be quashed.

The nursing students at Terreve believe that they are not being treated fairly as students at other institutions.

The students’ letter said: “We work hard. We are required to pay for uniforms, medicals book, nursing kits and our school fees on our own, which we do. We do not receive any stipends or nursing grants from the government, so please, we would like to know, if we are only asking to be facilitated to do our practicals and training, why can’t we

be accommodated?

“When the programme was being announced we had all the praises and blessings of the minister responsible for Grand Bahama. The government was pleased that there would be more nurses to fill the shortage in nursing in the country. But now it seems as though we have been forgotten or pushed to the side.

The letter added: “Why are we the students being punished? We have seen and know of another foreign nursing school that came to the island of Grand Bahama and trained in our hospital and clinics in the past. Why are we Bahamian nursing students being treated this way?”

Terreve College, the students said, has received the necessary documentation from the Nursing Council, which has also approved its nursing programme.

The students said they are unable to advance to their next courses because they need certain perquisites, as well as clinical hours.

“The government says it is creating jobs in Grand Bahama. From our point of view this is hard to believe, and if they are, can an official from DPS, PHA or the minister for Grand Bahama explain to us why the students of Terreve College are being treated like second class citizens?”

“We are trying our best by sacrificing time from our families to prepare ourselves for the job market. Why is our programme being held up and why are we being told that our degrees are not as good as others when in fact they are?” the students’ letter asked.

“Why should our government continue to import foreign nurses when we have able bodies willing to do the task and give back to our community?

We want to know the real reason why we are being treated this way and we call on the minister of Grand Bahama to assist us in this matter.”

OUT with the old and in the new this week as Bahamas Power and Light replaced the old sign BEC’ to be rebranded as BPL - but the FNM has plans to privatise the venture in its manifesto.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

FNM WILL SEEK TO PRIVATISE BPL from page one

alternative fuel sources including waste-to-energy, bio-diesel, methane, LNG, wind and solar energy in New Providence and the Family Islands” and “publicly traded alternative energy companies (AECs) that provide services in areas of assembly, installation and maintenance of renewable energy sources.”

The FNM said it would create a “renewable energy economy by supporting and promoting a National Solarisation Programme.”

The party also plans to introduce a pre-paid “smart metering” option to electricity consumers and reduce the cost of energy by “modernising the electricity generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure.”

The FNM’s manifesto

also included a discussion of its immigration agenda.

The party said it would create legislation implementing stiffer penalties while enforcing laws against trafficking that would, among other things, affect “repeat illegal immigrant offenders and those who employ illegal labour.”

The FNM said it would expedite the process by which children born to Bahamian women that are

married to non-Bahamians are naturalised and will also expedite the process by which long-term residents and people born and raised in the Bahamas to non-Bahamian parents are regularised.

We will “set up an immigration council to deal with all the matters related to permanent residency, annual residency and work permits,” the manifesto promises.

LLOYD AIMS TO INTRODUCE SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLS PILOT from page one

thrive “better” in single gender classes.

FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis has referred to Mr Lloyd as a likely education minister if the FNM gains control of the government.

Mr Lloyd also told The Tribune that he is not a proponent of sex education for students but favours family life classes instead.

“Boys and girls learn differently, young men and young females learn differently and they advance at different paces,” Mr Lloyd said.

“Universally, same sex

schools are recognised for its benefits. So we propose to separate the genders, in some instances it may be done within classes at the schools and in certain contexts the separation can be done in schools between 6th and 7th grade. I had the benefit of going to an all boys school, I went to St Augustine’s College in the ‘60s and I also was the executive director of an all boys programme called YEAST for over 13 years and we have found it to be phenomenally successful,” Mr Lloyd said.

“In some instances, we would also provide boarding facilities so that parents

can choose whether they want their child to experience something that could not be (obtained) in the home environment.”

Mr Lloyd said there will be no additional fees attached to this proposed initiative because the “public already pays more than enough in taxes to defray the cost of education.”

He also said the educational system can only be fixed with public cooperation and the help of families.

Mr Lloyd also said: “I am not in favour of sex education in the classrooms but we will have family life

classes.

“So with that we can focus on what a family is and what it means to be a family and how the family is maintained. It will be holistic not just a single focus on sex but a holistic approach to family life.”

Mr Lloyd has previously called for the re-establishment of the Youth Empowerment and Skills Training Institute (YEAST) programme.

He founded the institute in the late 1990s to help at-risk young men. However, the programme was de-funded by the FNM in 2009, then led by former

EX-LEADER OF TURKS AND CAICOS WOUNDED IN ARMED ROBBERY PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands Associated Press A FORMER leader of the Turks and Caicos Islands was shot and wounded during an apparent robbery near a strip of tourist hotels, police in the British territory said Monday.

Galmo Williams, a prominent businessman and for-

mer premier in the islands southeast of the Bahamas, was walking late Sunday night near Grace Bay when he was approached by three masked men who demanded his wallet, said Constable Kevin Clarke, a spokesman for the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force.

The 57-year-old Mr Williams told police he turned

over his wallet but that one of the men shot him anyway. He was wounded in the left leg and hospitalised for treatment, Constable Clarke said. His condition was not immediately available and the former premier could not immediately be reached for comment.

Investigators were trying to determine if it was a random attack.

Mr Williams served for less than five months as premier in 2009 after Premier Michael Misick was forced to step down amid corruption allegations involving the misuse of public land and finances that prompted the British government to suspend the territory’s selfgovernment and appoint a governor. Mr Misick’s corruption trial is ongoing.

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, just after the glob-

al financial crisis that began in 2008.

PAGE 10, Tuesday, February 7, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Finding the right equation to encourage math students HUNDREDS of students representing schools all over New Providence gathered at the Melia Nasau Beach Resort on Friday to hear the ideas of well-known mathematician Po-Shen Loh for a website that he is designing to make mathematics more approachable for pupils at all levels.

With a background in mathematics as well as computer science, Mr Loh aims to demonstrate that there is more to maths than what is taught in the classroom, while adding a fun aspect to the subject. He believes that, with the help of others, he can create a system that would help in convincing students in this regard.

Mr Loh - Associate Professor of Mathematics Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsbugh, and founder of Expii.com - explained to the students, teachers and representatives from the Ministry of Education that his aim was to provide math education to the whole world, while fundamentally shifting the attitude towards mathematics.

“Think of this as a way to deliver textbooks to every corner of your country for

MATHEMATICIAN Po-Shen Loh addressing students at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort. free,” Mr Loh said. “We the situation where they are very hard for a computer to are trying to provide this trying to take a math class ever provide.” so that anyone in the world that was not offered in their Math students rangwith a smart phone can get school because they had ing from grades nine to 12 personalised education to gone beyond the last level, had a chance to speak and help them learn mathemat- this is a resource they can be photographed with the use.” ics.” math genius.

Mr Loh said the proWhile conducting a brief “The event today was an tutorial with the teachers gramme was not designed unusual experience because and subject co-ordinators, to replace teachers but to … I never thought that Mr Loh explained a benefit help them in their lesson math could be so extreme in of the Expii programme. “If delivery. “I think that the a beautiful way. He helped somebody was at home try- purpose of teachers is to me open my eyes to see that ing to figure out their home- provide this very unique ex- math is more than just hard work or if somebody was in perience that I think will be work and numbers, but it

actually can create something a little more advanced for our liking to help us better,” Tyeisha Collie, a student at Akhepran International Academy, said.

The event was sponsored

by Templeton World Charity Foundation, whose mission is to find the world’s best minds and promote open-minded, forwardlooking inquiry in a wide range of fields. The Foundation, founded by Sir John Templeton, is one of the main sponsors for Mr Po-Shen and the Expii programme and works with top academic institutions and leading experts from around the globe.

Tracey Farquharson, Executive Associate of the Foundation, said, “We want to share a lot of the work that our grantees are doing and we want to be able to share things that we think will benefit the community and the event was a great one to start with because it involves children and it promotes creativity. We want to see Expii grow and expand, we want to see some Bahamian students or teachers contribute to Expii.”

Many attendees left the math event feeling inspired

while wanting to take their math studies to the next level. Dyontalee Turnquest Rolle, grade level co-ordinator and first grade teacher at the Eva Hilton Primary School, said she liked the overall concept of Expii.

“I feel like we should have somewhere to go, similar to a reference point,” she said. “It gives us a start, it gives us exactly where to go to get credible information because what I get from it is that if something is found to be inappropriate it will be deleted. I like how Expii organizes everything and also the fact that the students wouldn’t have to actually interact with anybody, that will help the child because they can work freely.”

Po-Shen Loh received his undergraduate degree in mathematics from Caltech in 2004, graduating first in his class. He received a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Cambridge in 2005, and completed his Ph.D in mathematics at Princeton in 2009. He joined the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University in the same year.

He is the national coach of the US International Mathematical Olympiad team.

National Education Good Practice Awards GERALD Cash Primary School performing a rake ’n scrape selection at the National Education Good Practice Awards at The Melia Nassau Beach Resort.

THE PRE-School Unit receiving the best practice award for their Creative Hands On Inquiring Little Discoverers Programme (CHILD) at the National Education Good Practice Awards.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

THE CATHOLIC Board of Education receiving the best practice award for their Male Empowerment programme at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort last night.

AQUINAS College receiving second place overall for their Inte- THE FUTURE Teachers of The Bahamas receiving third place THE BAHAMAS National Trust receiving first place overall for grated Technical and Vocational programme. overall for their Teacher Cadet Student Enrichment programme. their Discovery Club Bahamas programe with a prize of $10,000.

AQUINAS College receiving the best practice award for their Integrated Technical and Vocational programme.

THE BAHAMAS National Trust receiving the best practice award for their Discovery Club Bahamas programme.

PAGE 12, Tuesday, February 7, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

UNIVERSITY of The Bahamas students present their designs for the Bahamas Pavilion at the Dubai 2020 Expo to the Prime Minister and Ambassador Tony Joudi yesterday at the Harry C Moore Library.

Students gave a Powerpoint presentation of their design along with a 3D display.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

STUDENTS GIVE THEIR VISION FOR BAHAMAS PAVILION AT EXPO 2020

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday sat through a series of presentations related to the Dubai Expo 2020, as student groups from the University of The Bahamas pitched design concepts for the country’s cultural pavilion set to go on display at the event.

Mr Christie later said he was “encouraged” by the calibre of work produced by the students, adding that the decision to entrust this historic opportunity to the nation’s youth has paid off.

Mr Christie said the country should move forward with the thought that it is, as like in the Olympics, in a position to again out perform countries considered bigger

and more advanced.

“We in The Bahamas at the professional level have won medals and certifications in the region in terms of the culinary arts,” Mr Christie said.

“So clearly, just as we have won gold medals in the Olympics, I would want to believe…. that we have the capacity to impress upon the host country that we should be given pre-eminence and I think one of the points that I would like to comment to them is that this is one where you are demonstrating that a small country can equal the big county and when you point out to them that when you take per capita we always win the Olympics.

“We are the perfect example of innovation, creativity and artistic genius,” he said.

In addition to this, Mr Christie urged the designers

to consider more elements that best describe the geographical make-up of the islands of The Bahamas.

The Centreville MP said that aspect of The Bahamas makes its story of success more unique than any other being told around the world.

The UB architecture programme was tasked with the effort to generate a design with the assistance of the Michael Diggins and Associates firm.

The first of the four designs presented, drafted

by Terrence Arnold, Walter Evans III and Whitney Sturrup, adapted the country’s tourism logo to show a site capable of hosting several cultural experiences simultaneously.

The design features six unique structures submerged in a shallow body of water. The site is proposed

to converge at a central location that will act as the hub of the pavilion.

The designers made known the intent to surround the project with native fruits trees, cultural highlights, vibes and sounds.

The second proposal, a boat inspired concept crafted by Toni Dorsett and Dylan Miles, opted for vibrant colour and natural elements.

While the structure features an array of components, all are housed under one roof.

The design duo said the concept will give the impression to those that have entered the structure that they have embarked on a journey through time in Bahamian history, with a main corridor that will act as a shuttle from one period to the other.

The two level structure will feature an aquarium, eating spaces and several unique cultural zones.

Design three, developed

by Kenaz Bethel and Matel McDonald, pitched the premise that it was now time for The Bahamas to culturally take flight.

The team morphed a star design to feature key elements of a bird, to deliver its multi-level cultural pavilion.

The last design, produced by the team of Royce Archer, Kacey Duncombe, Sheena Heastie and Alexis Lightbourne, took a deconstructed approach to the national bird.

Presenting a segmented idea of the flamingo, the group incorporated vegetation areas, cultural areas and several other components they said would give

the impression that The Bahamas relocated to Dubai.

In attendance at Monday’s presentations was the Bahamas’ Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and The States of Qatar, Tony S Joudi, who provided the country’s mandate for the event and overall plan on the project would advance in the coming years.

United Arab Emirates and The States of Qatar will cover the cost of construction for the pavilion as hosts of the event.

The expo is schedule to run from October 2020 to April 2021 and will give visitors to Dubai with the chance to “see spectacular architecture, merge with global cultures, examine thoughtful and thoughtprovoking exhibitions, and taste food from every corner of the globe.”

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