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The Tribune

Volume:115 No.55, FEBRUARY 9TH, 2018

Established 1903

Weekend

A COMIC’S VIEW: PARLIAMENT BECOMES THE HOUSE OF HADES

Speaker stands firm on outburst Doggone it we’re back

...but Moultrie admits could be issues ahead

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net HOUSE Speaker Halson Moultrie, pictured, stopped short yesterday of offering an apology for the personal attacks he launched at Progressive Liberal Party members and former parliamentary clerk Maurice Tynes Wednesday, but admitted he now regrets how his words may “affect the operations of the institution” moving forward.

His comment came as former Free National Movement parliamentarians have

criticised his conduct, arguing his rush to suspend opposition members and his personal attacks from the chair were without precedent in the modern history of the Bahamian Parliament.

One by one, sitting elected FNM MPs lavished praise on him Wednesday and justified his actions, but former FNM officials, including some who spoke to The Tribune anonymously, described Wednesday’s House sitting as a departure from tradition in several lamentable ways.

SEE PAGE SIX

‘ZERO TOLERANCE ON DOMESTIC ABUSE’

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

AS HE denounced MICAL MP Miriam Emmanuel’s “ill-advised” comments yesterday, Attorney General Carl Bethel said no form of domestic violence is tolerated by Bahamian law, adding the country is beyond the days

of patrimonial control of the family.

Speaking in the Senate, Mr Bethel said domestic violence is not to be joked about as was the case in Parliament on Wednesday.

“As the leader of government business in this place and the attorney general for this great country,” Mr Bethel said.

SEE PAGE SIX

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

SHOT DEAD OUTSIDE HIS OWN HOME

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

A MAN died in hospital after he was found outside a home with gunshot wounds Wednesday night.

The shooting happened at Munnings Drive in South West Ridge and marks the 11th murder for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.

According to police, shortly after 10pm, officers received a report of gunshots in the area. When officers responded to the scene, they discovered a man lying in front of a residence with injuries to the body.

The Tribune understands the victim is Keno Strachan.

SEE PAGE FIVE

PARENTS PANIC AT TB REPORT

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE BAHA Men performing on Live With Kelly and Ryan at Atlantis this week - see today’s Weekend section to find out about the band’s new single - and why they think it will be a global hit.

EVENTS TEAM DEMANDS: WHERE’S OUR MONEY?

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

SOME 150 members of an organising committee established to manage national events on behalf of the government are reportedly demanding payment, stating they were fired but never given termination letters or severance.

The group, which was said to comprise 150 workers and called Local Organisation Committee or LOC Bahamas, sent an open letter to the government on Wednesday, a copy of which was obtained by The Tribune.

ACTION from the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas - but members of an organising committee are claiming they were not paid.

Director of Labour Robert Farquharson yesterday confirmed complaints had been registered at the department, but did not

wish to comment further on the matter or provide details concerning the claims.

SEE PAGE FIVE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

HEALTH and education officials were called in at Garvin Tynes Primary School after an errant social media post suggested the school was concealing a tuberculosis outbreak, leading to mass panic among parents who showed up in droves to collect their children yesterday.

The fears prompted Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands to hold a press conference to dispel misinformation about the spread of TB. SEE PAGE THREE

$280K FRAUD: FIVE FACE CHARGES

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A WOMAN supervisor of a local accounting and business firm was arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday over allegations she made false entries into the records of her workplace to show that five people were collectively entitled to over $280,000 in payments.

Shukuanya Thompson, a corporate services supervisor at HLB Galanis & Co, stood before Deputy Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain charged with 18 counts of falsification of accounts stemming from various incidents that allegedly occurred between May and December 2016.

SEE PAGE THREE

PAGE 2, Friday, February 9, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

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AT Buckingham Palace yesterday, The Queen received His Excellency Ellison Greenslade on his appointment as High Commissioner for the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Mrs Greenslade was also received by Her Majesty.

Photo: Buckingham Palace

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THE TRIBUNE

Friday, February 9, 2018, PAGE 3

Parents panic at TB report

from page one Dr Sands said preliminary results of recent screening at Garvin Tynes indicate that 38 students have tested negative; 46 teachers have been tested with two positive, 40 negative and two results not yet read; 12 parents tested with one positive, 10 negative and one not yet read; and 22 in administration and support staff tested with three positive.

“I assure the public that the staff from the Ministry of Health will complete the screening exercise at Garvin Tynes Primary School and those students, teachers, administrators and support staff who test positive will be given additional tests as needed to determine whether they have the disease,” Dr Sands said yesterday. “It is therefore critical for students to participate in the screening programme.”

Over the course of four hours at the school, parents and various members of staff could be seen arguing near the entrance of the school’s compound.

DR DUANE SANDS, Minister of Health.

Those engaged by reporters claimed they were made aware of the issue by hearsay reports, and when they showed up to the school, heard varying claims from administrators.

Several parents said they were told a second-grade student was being treated in hospital for TB. They said they heard as a result of that reported case, students enrolled in the same class, all teachers and all support staff were subsequently tested for TB. The parents said the circumstances were not made public immediately, and that some children were

tested without the consent of their parents.

Ultimately, police, health officials, Dr Sands and Minister of Education Jeff Lloyd were called in to help de-escalate tensions.

Most parents were restricted from removing their children from the school, but were invited to sit through a meeting with school and government officials.

Following that meeting, Dr Sands addressed reporters outside of the school, where he dismissed the social media reports as “fake news” and clarified the specifics of the issue.

According to Dr Sands, public health officials have commenced screenings of people at the school after a possible case was identified.

The Elizabeth MP insisted that no one at the school, child or adult, has, to date, tested positive for TB. “For the record, there is no outbreak of TB at Garvin Tynes Primary,” he said, calling the “hysteria” that ensued yesterday, unwarranted.

Dr Sands said: “As occurred at R M Bailey and other places, there is a possible case of a student at Garvin Tynes and what we are doing is a routine public health screening of children and teachers and staff to determine whether or not anybody has been exposed to tuberculosis.”

He added: “So it was R M Bailey, it was the detention centre, Eleuthera; you had the issues in Exuma (and) I expect next week, next month, we will have other places.”

There has been much public concern regarding TB in recent months as accounts have surfaced of hundreds of individuals being exposed to the disease. However, Dr Sands has been steadfast that these reports are no cause for alarm.

Addressing the recent uptick in screenings and confirmed exposure yesterday, Dr Sands maintained that the Bahamas, when compared to many of its regional counterparts, has managed to keep its rates of TB extremely low.

He said: “In most places

across the world you could have instances as high as 30, 40, 50 per cent; the Bahamas is way down as one per cent. We want to keep it that way. But in order to keep it that way, we have to do aggressive public health screenings.

“So if we identify a test case or a suspicious case, our nurses are in the street; they are going into your church, they are coming into your school, they are coming in to your home to interview people, to examine them, to make sure that the public is safe.

“These are quiet warriors, they are out there doing what they have to do and this is what was happening here.

“Unfortunately, somebody is sending out the fake news that, oh, there is an outbreak of TB, which there isn’t.”

Dr Sands also noted that in cases similar to the one seen at Garvin Tynes, public health officials are permitted to test a minor without the permission from their parents. He said in circumstances like the one seen, by law, overall

public health supersedes the need for a request and subsequent authorisation of a parent.

Dr Sands said: “In general, we will get permission from the parent to test, but the laws allow testing without consent. Okay, so, for informational purposes and educational purposes so that everyone is on the same page, yes, we would in general ask permission.”

He added: “…. But the law permits, for maintaining the public’s health, that you can do what is necessary to ensure the public’s safety. And that means testing for infectious diseases.”

Nonetheless, Dr Sands did issue an apology to any parent whose child may have been tested without permission.

Last month health officials screened more than 3,000 residents in Eleuthera for TB. Of the lot, approximately 100 persons were confirmed to have been exposed to TB. Further to that, of the 100, only four were categorised as active cases, meaning at risk to transmit the disease.

FIVE people appeared before the Magistrate Court yesterday on charges related to a $280,000 fraud. Pictured is (front) Shukuanya Thompson; (middle left) Randolph Smith and (middle right) Kareem Murphy; (back left) Jeramie Stuart and (back right) Anderson Johnson.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

$280K FRAUD: FIVE FACE CHARGES from page one

It is alleged between those dates, Thompson made false entries into the records of Galanis & Co, that she was required to maintain, to show that Jeramie Stuart, Anderson Johnson, Randolph Smith, Anva Butler and Jamaal Bain were entitled to a collective $283,264.31 in payments.

Thompson was also charged with

defrauding FirstCaribbean International Bank (FCIB) of $714.31 on November 17, 2016, as well as uttering and consequently possessing false FCIB cheques in that amount on that same day.

Thompson was also charged along with Randolph Smith, Jeramie Stuart and Anderson Johnson with conspiring to commit fraud by false pretenses between May 4, 2016 and December 15, 2016.

Johnson was charged

by himself for defrauding FCIB of $194,864.5 between May 17 and December 1, 2016. He was also accused of uttering and consequently possessing false FCIB cheques totaling that amount between the same timeframe.

Jeramie Stuart, of South Beach, was also charged with defrauding FCIB of $14,522.5 between December 13 and December 15, 2016, as well as uttering and consequently possessing false FCIB cheques in that

amount.

Randolph Smith, of Cable Beach, was also charged with defrauding FCIB of $21,079.50 in cash on December 1, 2016, as well as uttering and consequently possessing a false FCIB cheque in that same amount.

All four pleaded not guilty to all of the charges they were faced with.

They were denied bail and remanded, and the matter was adjourned to February 14 for

re-arraignment and fixture.

Another man was arraigned before the chief magistrate over allegations he defrauded two construction/dredging companies in Abaco of over $15,000 over three months last year.

Kareem Adrian Murphy stood before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt facing six charges of fraud stemming from fraudulently obtaining of $15,600 from Blue Water Dredging and Newbold Construction in Dundas Town.

It is alleged that between August 28 and November 21, 2017, while at New Providence, Murphy defrauded Blue Waters dredging in Dundas Town, Abaco of $9,600.

It was also alleged that between September 29 and November 13, 2017, Murphy defrauded Newbold Construction of $6,000.

Murphy pleaded not guilty to all of the charges and the matter was adjourned to February 12.

THREE DETAINEES FREED AFTER BEING HELD UNLAWFULLY

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A SUPREME Court judge yesterday ordered the unconditional release of three detainees from the Carmichael Road Detention Centre after ruling they were all “unlawfully detained” by immigration officials between October 2017 and January of this year.

Justice Gregory Hilton, in three separate judgments, ruled that Emmanuel Simeon, Mirlene Corvil and Fanel Gassant were all detained by immigration officials “contrary to the provisions of the law” and that their continued detention would be unlawful.

Justice Hilton said the Department of

Immigration did not utilise the procedures outlined in the Immigration Act “for reasons best known to themselves” concerning the three detainees, and that there was no other basis on which they could be held and detained.

Justice Hilton also ruled that undetermined costs are to be granted to those three individuals, to be taxed if not agreed.

Regarding another detainee, Ricardo Johnson, who has a spousal permit, Justice Hilton ruled that his arrest and detention from November 2017 to December 8, 2017 was unlawful, however, he dismissed Mr Johnson’s writ of habeas corpus application as he was released from custody

prior to the issuance of the writ on December 8.

Regarding William Oneil, who was born in The Bahamas, Justice Hilton ruled that while his original arrest by immigration officials on January 8, 2018, was lawful, he could not have been detained for any more than 48 hours, thus making his continued detention up to January 23, 2018, unlawful.

Justice Hilton granted costs to Mr Oneil to be taxed if not agreed.

Regarding Mr Simeon, Ms Corvil and Mr Gassant, they would have all been arrested and subsequently detained at the CRDC at various times between October 26 and December 19, 2017, when they were released on bail pending

the determination of their respective matters before Justice Hilton.

According to their respective rulings, none of those individuals were charged with any offences under the Immigration Act or any other criminal statute and never taken before any court. Neither were any of them served with a deportation order or a detention order. The same applied to both Mr Johnson and Mr Oneil.

Yesterday, attorney Fred Smith, QC, heralded Justice Hilton’s rulings and said they note “exactly the same thing as judgments that have been set by the Supreme Court since the 1980s” when he started habeas corpus cases.

“Justice Hilton is merely repeating for the benefit

of the government again that The Bahamas is governed by the rule of law, and there is an Immigration Act, there is a Criminal Procedure Code and there is a Constitution, which says everybody is presumed innocent and you cannot simply hold people indefinitely, either at Fox Hill or

the detention centre, without charging them with an offence,” he said.

Meanwhile, the hearing over the emergency stay of Justice Hilton’s landmark ruling concerning Bahamas-born deportee Jean Rony Jean-Charles was adjourned to today at 2pm for a mention hearing.

PAGE 4, Friday, February 9, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

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What were they thinking?

THERE is no excuse for the undignified, low-brow exchange that took place in and outside of the House of Assembly this week.

We elect Members of Parliament with great deliberation. We expect a certain standard of behaviour, if not some attempt at greatness, from them.

At the least, we have a right to expect them to exercise restraint under stress and exhibit a sense of decency and dignity. They are the leaders charged with making critical decisions which govern our future; they hold what happens to us in their hands and when they behave like schoolchildren who need to be punished, we lose faith in their judgment and what they say in the days and months that follow. Their behaviour affects our trust.

Leadership is a tall responsibility, not for the timid, thin-skinned or those whose feelings bruise easily and whose responses are like those of an angry child who does not know better. The House of Assembly should be a hall of dignity, of ideas, decision, legislation, budget management and innovation to move a nation forward. Instead, what unfolded on Wednesday left the nation speechless. Several of those members we chose so carefully behaved like a bunch of hot-tempered longshoremen in a verbal barroom brawl. The only difference between what we witnessed in the House and what we would expect to see in that bar room after a few too many beers is that our representatives were sober and highly articulate, but the mean-spiritedness of what they said made the blasphemy just as raw, cruel, hurtful and slanderous.

We could dissect what happened moment by moment, insult by insult, but the conclusion would be the same.

Both sides acted poorly and both were at fault.

The behaviour was so egregious and embarrassing that if children had behaved that way, we would have sent them to their bed until they came to their senses and apologised. One apology did come of it. MICAL MP Miriam Emmanuel apologised for words that no one could believe she uttered when she seemed to endorse violence against women. Her words were shocking and might have actually momentarily united the two warring sides if they had been decent enough to look each other in the eye and profess disgust together.

“If you as a woman want to come up in your husband face and behave like you are a man, my father said that you will get manhandled,” the MP from MICAL said. Just a few hours later she

apologised. “On Wednesday, February 7, I made certain statements in the House of Assembly in support of respect for authority which were taken totally out of context and misunderstood…I want the record to reflect that I, Miriam Reckly Emmanuel, MP for MICAL, do not condone domestic violence or any type of violence in any way, shape or form.”

Even the apology drew criticism.

Critics called it stiff, prepared and not delivered with the depth of emotional honesty as her earlier “manhandle” comments in the House: “If there ever comes a time when you have to come back to this house and say to me as your father that your husband shook or give you a slap or punch you in your mouth, I will analyze the consequences that would have caused your husband to probably shake you, slap you or punch you in your mouth.”

Do we need to remind the MP for MICAL that no one ever deserves violence as a response to an action? There is always an opportunity to walk away.

Ironically, her contribution intended to show support for the Speaker of the House who some felt was being too tough on MP for Englerston Glenys Hanna-Martin backfired.

HannaMartin, you will recall, was suspended from the House the week before by the Speaker and claimed she was being “targeted”.

As for the Speaker’s bizarre diatribe hurling insults left, right and centre – sparking similarly offensive responses – it is no exaggeration to say we have never seen such behaviour from a man holding this office.

As respected politicians have said in today’s Tribune, the Speaker must stand above the cut and thrust of the political engagements in the House. He is the referee, the umpire who every side must see as a fair player.

The Speaker seems to have recognised – to a degree – he has undermined his position which could have been avoided with a fulsome apology. Alas, as so often in life, sorry seems to be the hardest word.

There was a touch of irony to this week’s events. Despite the total lack of dignity and obtuse behaviour, some manners are so ingrained that as the furious PLP MPs stormed out of the House, they stopped and bowed to the Speaker out of respect for his office.

If only such courtesy had extended in the debates from all involved then the House of Assembly would not have become a laughing stock for all to mock.

Moncur and marijuana EDITOR, The Tribune.

WHILE I do not agree with Rodney Moncur on many things, I am in total agreement with his stand on marijuana. Being a baby boomer I know too well the effect that grass can have on a person. I started smoking in my late teens and continued for several years.

At that time if you lived in East Street and other inner city communities you had to be strong not to fall prey to becoming a product of the environment. Peer pressure was endemic. Especially if your parents were not financially stable. That is not to say all of the kids from impoverished families got tangled in the Fowler’s snare. Because the majority of the respected men and women in society today came from the ghetto.

Coming from a family with limited resources I was challenged to make the

best of my circumstances. I left school at an early age and worked in the hospitality industry for fifty years starting as a busboy and retired as a food and beverage general manager.

During my youthful years I experienced marijuana and cocaine in all of its forms. I can truthfully say speaking from my experience with grass, besides sidetracking you from your goals it is a downer. It makes you lethargic giving you an elusive feeling of euphoria – a high that you keep chasing.

So what next? The gateway opens for the white lady.

The Big C – a more powerful high, but just as elusive, more expensive, and more deadly.

In 1979 the acclaimed year of the child, Mrs Beryl Hanna was instrumental in bringing Bob Marley and the wailers to Nassau. At the time reverend Simeon Hall vehemently opposed

this move. He said that bringing Bob Marley would expose the youth to dreadlocks and Rastafarian faith/ culture. Today he is in support of weed for medicinal use. I read in one of the dailies a person in support of marijuana said so what if some one wants to get a little high. What is a little high? Bob Marley came in 1979. In 1980 cocaine started to flood the country and lasted well into the nineties almost wiping out an entire generation leaving many families broken and scarred for the rest of their lives. A lot of my friends died during this period. I was lucky. Saved by grace.

But will the next young boy or girl that is introduced to the spliff will he be as fortunate? Are we willing to take that chance?

ANTHONY PRATT Nassau, February 2, 2018.

The lowest day of the low EDITOR, The Tribune.

YESTERDAY was a difficult day. There have been quite a number of “low” days in the House of Assembly in recent times when the behaviour of Members on both sides, failed to meet even the most basic of standards of conduct expected of parliamentarians in our tradition.

Yesterday may have sadly topped all previous ‘low’ days. First the Speaker of the House debased his office reading a churlish and juvenile statement seeking to justify his suspension of a Member.

The written statement included veiled and blatant insults aimed at Members of Parliament who are members of the Official Opposition.

Whether one agreed with and supported the Speaker’s ruling on the suspension in question or not, no one ought to support the disgraceful language used by the Speaker nor should we be expected to accept his horrible bias against foreign-born citizens of The Bahamas and homosexuals.

Naturalized citizens are entitled to and hold all of the rights and privileges

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net accorded to citizens born in The Bahamas. We are all Bahamians!

The Bahamas was among the earliest of Commonwealth Caribbean countries to decriminalize homosexuality in 1990.

It is unconscionable that a Speaker of the House of Assembly would seek to insult a citizen on the basis of his or her sexual preference.

The Speaker owes an apology to the Bahamian people and to those he insulted from the Chair.

The offensiveness of the Speaker’s written premeditated remarks was aggravated by the hapless defence of his action by virtually all members of the Government present in the House of Assembly.

Perhaps the most offensive however was that of the Member of Parliament for MICAL who sought to justify the suspension from Parliament of the Member from Englerston not because she had broken some parliamentary rule but because she was

“behaving like a man” and hence getting manhandled.

She then chose to justify the “manhandling” of the Member by the Speaker with the violent analogy of a man who might be justified in physically abusing his wife.

To say that the Member for MICAL statements distresses me does not adequately explain my disillusionment and disappointment. I am now aware that the MP has issued an apology and claims that her thoughts were poorly expressed and taken out of context, for which she apologizes.

She must do more than issue an apology. The MP for MICAL needs to understand and accept that physical abuse of another person is never acceptable, never justified and never excused.

The MICAL MP must demonstrate in her words, conduct and work as an MP that violence in the home, whether against a spouse or a child, is similarly never acceptable, never justified and never excusable.

DISSATISFIED AND SADDENED FNM Nassau, February 8, 2018.

Tree pruning EDITOR, The Tribune.

WEST Bay section immediately after the last round-about at Baha Mar heading west towards residence of Perry Christie and One Cable Beach Condos what can only be described as the massacre of the Casuarina trees ...

Yes prune them but....... who is carrying out this work? How far along West Bay are they going? My bet is as far as the next roundabout and then stop ...... this exercise is for and exclusively One Cable Beach.

They better be paying for it?

Traffic lights - why can’t

we have synchronized system? Wasn’t it back under the FNM, Tommy ‘T’ millions were spent and we were told as usual all our problems will be resolved hmmm look today on most junctions where there are lights 50% of the system are no longer there having been knocked down and certainly no set work In sequence ... surely if the first light on Shirley St. is GREEN then the rest to past Central Bank should be allowing for good traffic flow .... Is that impossible?

Locating Ambulances - why are ALL Ambulances stationed off Collins Avenue?

Why does the Fire Truck at Cable Beach go to Police Headquarters every day around 10.30-11am leaving Cable Beach and the west unguarded? Surely not for inspection?

LPIA - shocked that NAD, a Government Corporation is planning to build an Airport Hotel in the old section ...... build commercial office space, sir, not an hotel and develop properly a real General Aviation FBO location in the place. Now that makes economic sense.

W THOMPSON Nassau, February 7, 2018.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, February 9, 2018, PAGE 5

SHAUNAE Miller-Uibo in action during last year’s World Relays, one of the events LOC Bahamas worked on.

Events team demands: Where’s our money? from page one LOC Bahamas was reportedly set up by the Ministry of Finance to coordinate major conferences and sporting events like the 2016 Inter-American Development Bank Conference and the 2017 World Relays.

“Members of LOC Bahamas worked tirelessly and exceedingly long hours to ensure that these events were successful and of a calibre the Bahamian people would all be proud of,” the letter read.

“Please bear in mind that all of these events required working overtime through the week and/or on Saturdays and Sundays for this level of success. It is unfair that after all of the hard work that has been put in, for country, that no one has come forward to offer an explanation of why persons were terminated.”

The group alleges workers were sent home with no termination letters,

severance pay, or explanation. It further claimed that several workers were also owed overtime pay for working extended hours and weekends required to execute the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, held from April 27 to May 7 last year. Others have allegedly not been paid for working the 2017 IAAF World Relay or the Commonwealth Youth Games, held July 18 to 23, 2017.

“Since its establishment,” the letter read, “LOC Bahamas worked with several government agencies and private organisations to coordinate and manage participants’ arrival and departure, accommodations, registration and accreditations, transportation, security and pageantry.

In addition, LOC Bahamas assisted the National Sports Authority to raise to worldclass level the quality of presentation at a number of events.”

It continued: “The members of LOC Bahamas

range from groundsmen and janitors to management, many of whom are skilled in their respective professions. Using this range of skilled persons, in addition to the coordination of events, LOC Bahamas has contributed to the recent upgrades made to the facilities, namely the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium, the Betty Kelly Kenning Aquatic Centre where they assisted with gym flooring, new office design and construction, painting, installation of bleacher seating, landscaping and signage.

“In addition, they assisted with the restoration of the beams at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, monitored the NSA Facebook page, prepared meals and decorated for various meetings held at the stadium, worked at the NSA’s Nutri-Sport Café, outfitted the Department of Road Traffic at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, just to name a few.”

SHOT DEAD OUTSIDE HIS OWN HOME from page one

Paramedics transported the man to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

Police have not released the victim’s identity, however persons on social media have identified him as Keno Strachan, a hotel employee.

This comes after 45-yearold Okel Soloman, of Laird Street, was killed Saturday, February 3 after a wouldbe carjacker opened fire on him.

According to police, shortly after 11pm on Saturday, a man went into the Southern Police Station

suffering from a gunshot wound to his body.

He said he was in his vehicle at the junction of East Street and Brougham Street when he was approached by two men with firearms who demanded he give them his car.

Mr Soloman said after he declined and was driving off, one of the men fired a shot at him. Paramedics assisted him to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

On January 25, 19-yearold Breanna Mackey was stabbed to death the day after celebrating her birthday.

Mackey, of Palm Beach Street, was walking on

Key West Street when a silver coloured Honda stopped next to her and some women got out of the vehicle, according to initial police reports.

Mackey was stabbed about the body before her assailants left the scene. She died in hospital.

A day earlier, a man identified by police as Chamico Pheron Mackey, 35, was fatally shot while on the porch of his own home in the Plantol Street area.

Police are appealing for information on the latest homicide or any crime; anyone with information is asked to call 919, 502-9991 or the Crime Stoppers hotline at 328-TIPS.

According to the letter, LOC workers were sent home shortly after the Commonwealth Youth Games in July last year.

It claims that some members met with Minister of Youth Sports and Culture Michael Pintard after their dismissal, whom they claim assured the group no jobs would be terminated. Mr Pintard declined comment when contacted yesterday, instead directing the newspaper to the Ministry of Finance.

“We have since met with Department of Labour representatives and we have also sought legal advice to assist us in this matter,” the letter continued.

“Though this appears to be a small group of workers, they have worked events that have made

this country proud. What is interesting to note, many of these workers come from the Bain and Grants Town community and their lives were visibly impacted during the year they earned a salary and they saw the fruit of their labour on the television

screen and received letters of commendation from international and local agencies.

“And now,” the letter continued, “the converse is true, as persons have lost their personal vehicles, mortgages and other bills are unpaid.”

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

NOTICE Beaufort Road Improvement Works Thursday, February 8th, 2018 The Water and Sewerage Corporation advises its customers

and the residents of Beaufort Road that the Corporation will

commence improvement work on February 8, 2018 for a

period of twelve days.

During this period there maybe an interruption in the water supply and usual flow of traffic around the work area.

The Corporation apologies for any inconvenience this may cause as we work to improve our level of service.

Tel: (242) 302-5600 or Toll Free (242)300-0150 Find out more on

or our website www.wsc.com.bs

PAGE 6, Friday, February 9, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Speaker stands firm on outburst from page one

SPEAKER of the House Halson Moultrie.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

While it is not unusual for parliamentarians to engage in disagreeable behaviour from their chairs or when they take the floor, House speakers have often sought to gain respect by remaining above the fray, observers said.

Asked if he regretted his statements, Mr Moultrie said: “Only to the point of how it may affect operations of the institution in terms of us moving forward.

If we don’t put it behind us, naturally it would be difficult to proceed in an environment that is so adversarial.”

After Mr Moultrie took a swipe at the foreign-born status of his wife, PLP Leader Philip “Brave” Davis called him a “bullying buffoon” and described him as “unprincipled and disgraceful” during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

PLP Senator Fred Mitchell said he was unbothered by derogatory references to him, but was happy to meet Mr Moultrie “in the street”.

Asked if he can maintain a working relationship with the opposition in view of the personal nature of the back-and-forth attacks, Mr Moultrie said: “I have broad shoulders. I am prepared to absorb whatever

is thrown at me in the spirit of the occasion. I was always of the view that we should find ways to agree and disagree and move on as professionals who have been elected to advance the interests of the country.”

Nonetheless, Mr Moultrie declined to directly address his veiled references to Mr Davis’ wife, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago, and to Mr Mitchell after accusing the PLP leader of relying on the advice of “reprobates” and “perverts”.

“I won’t make any further comments on this matter in the press,” Mr Moultrie said. “I’m focused on the proceedings in Parliament. I don’t see how pursuing this matter will be beneficial to the country.”

Former Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson, however, told The Tribune he couldn’t remember “something like (those personal attacks) ever happening” in Parliament from a speaker.

“He has to maintain neutrality while carrying out his duties,” Mr Watson, a member of the FNM, said.

“He can’t become personal. It was sad to see the situation sink to that level. I don’t think we need that in our politics.”

Mr Moultrie also declined to discuss his

decision to suspend Mr Davis, Exuma and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper and South Andros MP Picewell Forbes after they left the chamber despite his demand that they not do so.

He said: “I won’t comment on those matters further. I’m waiting to see how the opposition will behave as a consequence and hopefully both sides can come to an amicable resolution.”

Former FNM officials, however, said the Speaker’s suspension of the opposition was an impulsive decision for an institution with a traditional standard of suspending members only as a matter of last resort.

One former FNM official, speaking anonymously to The Tribune, said: “In an unprecedented move, he suspended all members of the Official Opposition on what appears to have been a whim. A first in our parliamentary democracy which dates back to 1729, which has progressed through the establishment of political parties beginning in the 1950s and further experienced four changes in governing parties since 1992.”

Meanwhile, Mr Watson said: “You can’t suspend a member for leaving the chambers. They have a right to leave when they

want to. It’s unfortunate that he would suspend them for that. It’s a bad decision.

Hopefully calmer heads will prevail.”

Mr Watson chalked the Speaker’s actions up to inexperience, though he questioned why senior officials did not intervene.

“It’s a little bit of getting to know what you ought to do and a lack of experience showing,” Mr Watson said.

“But perhaps senior people in there who know more than he does should’ve intervened.”

Former State Minister for Finance Zhivargo Laing also criticised the Speaker, calling his attacks “inappropriate”.

On his 96.9 FM talk show yesterday, he said: “That a Speaker of the House of Assembly feels in kind to say some of the things he said about a member’s wife and the innuendos about another person, it just hasn’t happened before.”

Mr Laing said not only was Mr Moultrie at fault, but also Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. He said Dr Minnis should have intervened in the matter last week before Mrs Hanna Martin was suspended to resolve that controversy; he also criticised PLP members of Parliament, including both Mr Davis and Mrs Hanna Martin, for not doing the same.

from page one

that apology and let us now move on to a higher level of civil discourse in our society.”

In the House on Wednesday, Mrs Emmanuel spoke during a moment where members of Parliament were giving words of support to Speaker Halson Moultrie over the disciplinary action he decided to take against Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin.

“I am the seventh of ten daughters and I recall as we began to mature and take on marriage and family, one of the things that my father often say to us as his daughters, if you want to remain a lady, if you want to remain treated as a lady, then you must behave like a lady,” the first time MP said at the time.

“And he said if there ever comes a time when you have to come back to this house and say to me as your father that your husband shook you, or give you a slap or punch you in your mouth, I will analyse while I listen to you. I will analyse the consequences that would have caused your husband to probably shake you, slap you or punch you in your mouth.”

Mrs Emmanuel continued: “And I said simply what my father was saying that we are to respect each other, have respect for your priest, your provider and your protector. So in this honourable House it’s no exception from a marriage relationship if you as a woman want to come up in your husband’s face and behave like you are a man, my father said then you will get manhandled.”

These comments drew condemnation on Wednesday with one women’s rights advocate, Donna Nicolls, director of the Bahamas Crisis Centre calling for her resignation.

Hours later, Mrs Emmanuel “sincerely apologised” for the comments. She said her remarks were taken out of context and misunderstood, adding she did not condone domestic violence of any kind.

This situation has again highlighted that there are no women in Parliament who recognise the need to adopt domestic and gender

based violence as their portfolio, attorney and United Nations expert Marion Bethel told The Tribune yesterday.

She said many women in Parliament do not understand they are “token” representatives who tow the party line blindly and happily with the power they are given by male counterparts.

Ms Bethel said it was “outrageous” that Mrs Emmanuel as the leader of a church did not understand before she opened her mouth the severity of the comments leading the attorney to question the message the MP was promoting from the pulpit.

“The point I want to make is the apology is a start that says the person understands they’ve made a big mistake. But what needs to happen is that a really serious gender sensitive awareness and education and the person has to want this to happen.

“My further understanding is Mrs Emmanuel heads a church and this is really just outrageous that the leader of a church has this kind of a position and that she is a woman. So I can only imagine what women are getting from the pulpit: stay in your place and tolerate violence.

“So an apology is a beginning. It needs to go much further than that.

Mrs Emmanuel needs to be stepping up to the plate right now to be asking for a real informed position and understanding of gender based violence and really try to understand what she was promoting perhaps unwittingly and that could be more dangerous,” Ms Bethel said.

Former Social Services Minister Melanie Griffin added that women in this country have no strong voice to represent them in the lower house outside of opposition Mrs Hanna Martin, who was suspended from the House last week. The PLP has said Mrs Hanna Martin has been the target of disciplinary action in the House of Assembly because she has advocated for the rights of two women who were fired from their jobs at airports in Eleuthera.

‘ZERO TOLERANCE ON DOMESTIC ABUSE’ “I have taken note of certain ill-advised comments that were made by a member of the other place yesterday (Wednesday) pertaining to an illusion or an equivocation of the Speaker exercising authority in the House and unfortunate domestic situations that often or may arise in the country.

“The speaker of those comments immediately and to her credit gave a full and unreserved apology for that. I do, however, feel the obligation as attorney general to state for the record that no form of domestic violence can be tolerated under our law or in any way in this Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” Mr Bethel said.

“We are beyond those days of what they would call in the old days the patrimonial control of the family. That is over. The modern world would recognise the partnership and consensual based nature of marriage and would also affirm the absolute equality of women and men and the absolute integrity that must be given and accorded to every human being, which is a sacred thing not to be violated whether in the bonds of marriage or not to be joked about as occurred in the last Parliament.”

He continued: “So I simply say on behalf of the government that we affirm our full commitment to the full equality and the full integrity of every human being male or female and under no circumstances can we condone or make light of domestic violence. That being said, the speaker who erred in that way has made a full and absolute apology and I do believe as a society we should accept

THE TRIBUNE

Sailor survived wild hogs, tree fall and near starvation

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net SAMUEL Leroy Moss Jr, 23, was stranded at sea for 16 days, surviving on nothing but cookies, chips and sheer determination.

His experience included fleeing wild hogs in Andros, being guided by dolphins in the Atlantic, and starving after his food supplies ran out.

In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Mr Moss described his ordeal and offered advice to other sailors.

On January 13, Mr Moss drove his new boat, a 20.4foot angler, from Miami to Bimini. There he spent the night.

Mr Moss said: “On Sunday, January 14, I fuelled up the boat and I was making my way around South Bimini to come home (to Nassau).”

After making a social media video, Mr Moss noticed his gas gauge and GPS had stopped working.

“I (drove) and ended up coming off course and ended up in the back of Andros. That’s where I later went on shore…and (decided to) hike.

“But after hiking for maybe the first three miles, I heard wild hogs making noise in the bush.”

Mr Moss hiked for approximately three more miles before deciding to scale a tree and attempt to catch a cell phone signal. Unfortunately, he fell.

After spending the night at the base of the tree, Mr Moss returned to his boat the next morning, January 17.

When asked why he decided to leave Andros, Mr Moss said: “I was in the swamp part of Andros.

There were no people around so it didn’t make sense staying there. No service on your phone, nothing.”

Mr Moss tried to navigate his boat through the channels of Andros, but changed his course to avoid drifting too close to Cuba.

Although he spied who conditions on the water he assumed to be foreign worsened. fishermen “in the back of “The whole of Friday was Andros”, they fled when just... big waves,” he said.

Mr Moss released one of his “Before the waves come flare guns.

I had a canvas and I had “They probably took me some rope that I wrapped for the defence force or myself up in. And I just police or something,” Mr used it to keep me warm.

Moss added.

And the wave hit me and Over the next two days, that’s when I hit my side. he encountered two addi- I was laying on the floor tional boats and a cruise gasping for air. ship. Although he released “Then another wave hit three more me and that’s flares, no one ‘The wave hit me when I started came to his and that’s when I praying.” rescue.

By that Mr Moss hit my side. I was evening, spent the next laying on the floor the waves week driftknocked all ing, trying to gasping for air. his supplies get to Miami, Then another overboard.

Florida.

Mr Moss said: wave hit me and He saw “That’s when sharks and that’s when I I lost all of dolphins, started praying.’ my bag, my saying he passport, all encountered of my bank the latter at least three cards, cell phone, GPS, times. everything.”

“One would come to the This included the last front in the morning. And of his water. Mr Moss said then before nightfall one from then on, “I would just would come to the side and dip a shirt in the water and just be like swimming (next suck on the shirt.” to the boat).”

This was also the first Mr Moss felt like the dol- time he became fearful. phins were a sign from God, For the majority of his sent to comfort and guide ordeal, “I was really calm him. because I didn’t want to While at sea, Mr Moss panic and lose focus and rationed cookies, a family lose unnecessary energy,” pack of chips, and a case of Mr Moss said. bottled water. “(I didn’t panic until) “I put all of the (snacks) Friday with the big into one bag and crushed waves.” them and ate them like Fortunately, by the folthat.” lowing day he could see On the following the Miami port in the Wednesday, January 24, his distance. food supplies ran out. His However, sometime situation became worse early Sunday morning his the following day when the boat got stuck. Mr Moss ocean became extremely remained in that spot until calm.

Monday morning, when his Mr Moss said: “I was like salvation came in the form ‘whoa.’ Because the calm of a yacht. meant bad weather (was) He called to the boat coming.” and was later spotted by its As anticipated, owner, Chris, and the crew.

They threw him fruit and water and called the US Coast Guard.

After his rescue, Mr Moss was taken to a hospital in a West Palm Beach, Florida, where he was treated for starvation, dehydration, and cuts about his body.

He returned to Nassau on Sunday.

When asked what he learned from this ordeal, Mr Moss said: “Basically, double up on everything. Always carry extra (supplies).”

He said in the future, he would arrange to have someone meet him when sailing between various islands.

“Everything would be more partnered. (That way) just in case anything was to happen, I would have a backup boat there to help me out.”

This incident was not Mr Moss’ first experience being lost at sea. In February 2017, he was stranded for three days off Grand Bahama. Neither that tribulation nor this one has hampered his love of the sea.

When asked what he would tell aspiring sailors who are afraid of experiencing something like this, Mr Moss said this risk is a part of the profession.

He said: “That can happen to anybody. You can run aground at any time – your boat is manmade so that can give up on you at any time. “(If you are afraid) you need to find a different profession. Because it can happen to anyone at any time. You can find shift lines pop; oil lines pop, and your engine can give out on you.

“Be prepared for the unexpected.”

Friday, February 9, 2018, PAGE 7 SAMUEL Leroy Moss Jr, who survived being stranded at sea for 16 days, and, far left, some of the injuries he suffered during his ordeal.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/ Tribune Staff

PAGE 8, Friday, February 9, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Madness in the House of Hades W

HAT can we say about what happened in the House of Assembly this week that hasn’t already been said about conch slop?

It stinks to high Heaven.

By now, most Bahamians have heard, read, and commented on the fiasco of a sitting of the House on Wednesday past that left us stunned at the behaviour of so-called “honourable” members.

I would imagine that after getting bashed and lashed on the talk show airwaves and all of social media, most of the guilty parties recognise that their “frenzied” and “berserk” behaviour does not sit well with the average Bahamian.

What started as a contentious confrontation between the Speaker of the House, Halson Moultrie, and Member of Parliament for Englerston Glenys Hanna Martin devolved into an all-out WWE style verbal cage match.

There were insults, name-calling, suspensions, grand-standing... and all of that was before we got to figurative “slaps” and “punches in the mouth”.

I don’t have enough time (nor ink, honestly) to rehash all of it. But allow me to highlight (for posterity’s sake) the top 7 headlines from the House session from Hades.

Moultrie Banishes the Official Opposition.

Well, technically, all four Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) members of the Official Opposition are suspended for the next two sittings of the House. Hanna Martin was suspended last week. On Wednesday, when the remaining three Opposition members tried to voice their concerns to the Speaker – before being ignored and then storming out – Moultrie rolled up the welcome mat with these words: “Pursuant to rule 88 (3), the Speaker now orders that the three members withdraw from this Parliament and are not eligible to

Antique Auto Club of The Bahamas Antique

Auto

Club.

enter this Parliament again for the next two sittings.”

And with that, the voice of the super majority became the only voice in The People’s House. At least for a little while.

Lanesha and Pakeisha Tag Team to Trash Glenys.

Both Lanesha Rolle and Pakeisha Parker-Edgecombe, the Free National Movement (FNM) Members for Sea Breeze and West End, respectively, seemed anxious to throw their two cents into the melee. Only problem? They didn’t seem to be saying much. Parker-Edgecombe said something to the effect of Hanna Martin not speaking at the Progressive Liberal Party convention

Halson Moultrie, to some sort of street fight. Mitchell’s exact words were, “l could tell him all about his ma, about his wife, his children and all the rest of them… but I won’t go there, at least not now.”

He followed that up with “I will say whatever comes to my mouth if it is necessary for me to defend myself. So, Mr Speaker, if you want to meet me in the street, I am happy to do so.”

Now, let me say I am not one to endorse violence, but if ever Moultrie showed up to that duel (all 6 foot, 6 inches, 275 pounds of him) to take the diminutive Mitchell up on his offer, I just might show up with my camera and popcorn too.

PHILIP ‘Brave’ Davis MP, leading the group of PLPs out of the House of Assembly. so why worry about speakMoultrie Mocks ‘Soft, ing in Parliament (which, Powder Puff’ Mitchell truthfully, makes no sense) The reason Fred Mitchwhile Lanesha mumbled ell seemed to be angling on aimlessly before smiling for a “gunfight at the OK and taking her seat. I guess Corral” was because of the they were trying to make a way Moultrie appeared to point, but I still can’t figure reference him in the House out what the point was. of Assembly.

Mitchell Tells Moultrie: The Speaker derided ‘Meet Me Outside... How Opposition Leader Philip ‘bout dat?’

“Brave” Davis for taking Yes, PLP Chairman advice from “reprobates” and Senator Fred Mitch- and “perverts”. ell appeared to challenge From the chair, he stated, the Speaker of the House, “Notwithstanding, the - FOR the past 27 years, the Antique Auto Club of The Bahamas has been quietly conducting an annual programme to provide Christmas gifts and food

packages to about 80 needy children in two primary schools in Nassau.

In 2016, the programme was expanded to include

BEREAN BAPTIST CHURCH

CELEBRATES 20th ANNIVERSARY

member has allowed in my estimation reprobates and perverts with track records of denying and hating women to insert such a ludicrous assertion into his press release. My name might begin with ‘M’ but the first three letters are Mou and not Mit. Don’t mix me up. I am not a soft powder puff man. I am a real man.” And for once, even I am speechless.

Moultrie and ‘Indigenous’ Bahamian Wife Still Happily Married.

Where does this fit in?

I have no idea, yet the Speaker made a point to say, “I am married to a beautiful and wonderfully made Bain and Grants Town woman for the past 38 years. And I want to emphasise to the member for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador, that my wife is an indigenous Bahamian woman and that I have had in over those 38 years no reason for a divorce.”

I do believe Mr Davis’ current wife is his second wife who was born in Trinidad and Tobago. I don’t know why that’s important but I do have two questions; what did the other divorced or non-indigenous Bahamian wife having MPs think of that. commentary (paging Duane and Renny) and what is an “indigenous Bahamian” wife anyway?

Brave Brands Speaker a ‘Bullying Baffoon’ Obviously, Opposition Leader Davis took offence to bringing wives into the fight and responded by saying, “I don’t think much of a man who attacks another’s wife... that man is a snivelling coward. From the chair, he shows his lack of intelligence; he shows he’s not fit for office that he occupies…talking about one’s wife is highly provocative which very often leads to a breach of the peace.”

Mr Davis also called Mr Moultrie a “bullying buffoon” and referred to him by that old Bahamian, tried and true insult...a “dergin”.

Emmanuel Regurgitates Gibberish.

In an attempt to show three schools and about 125 children.

Unfortunately, last December, one of the schools, Uriah McPhee, was unable to accommodate the club’s programme as the school had a serious plumbing problem and was in the midst of repairs. The club members promised the children they would be back as soon as the school was back in shape. True to their word, seven members of the club returned with two truckloads of gifts and groceries on January 17 for a “Christmas in January” party.

About 60 excited children put on a little show with Christmas songs as a thank you to the club members.

“It is such a heartwarming experience, especially when we get thank you letters from the children, many of them thanking us for the only Christmas gift they got that year and in some cases, the child would say that our bag of groceries provided their Christmas dinner.

Feedback like that makes it well worth the time we put into the project,” one club member said.

Don Aranha, organiser and originator of the event, added: “I want to sincerely thank the D’Albenas Agency for the continued support given us for

MEMEBER of Parliament for MICAL Miram Emmanuel.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff she had the Speaker’s back in his bust up with Glenys Hanna Martin, MICAL Member Miriam Emmanuel took the cake with a quote that will go down in the annals of history: “I am the seventh of ten daughters and I recall as we began to mature and take on marriage and family, one of the things that my father often say to us as his daughters, if you want to remain a lady, if you want to remain treated as a lady, then you must behave like a lady... and he said if there ever comes a time when you have to come back to this house and say to me as your father that your husband shook you, or give you a slap or punch you in your mouth, I will analyse while I listen to you. I will analyse the consequences that would have caused your husband to probably shake you, slap you or punch you in your mouth.”

Yes, she really said that.

Her apology, a few hours later when she no doubt realised she had stepped in it, didn’t do much to quiet

the severe backlash. Her name was trending on Facebook, with many saying she should resign. She wasn’t “lady-like” or gracious in her comments in the House.

And by her own stone-age logic, her “father” would probably say she deserves the “brow-beating” she is now getting from Bahamian men and women. Life is truly ironic.

Perhaps the biggest headline from Wednesday’s session in the House was that while all of this craziness was happening, not one single MP stood up and spoke out when the Speaker seemed to personally attack Mr Davis’ wife nor when Mrs Emmanuel had her bout of verbal diarrhea. The Prime Minister was present. The Deputy Prime Minister was present.

Most MPs were present.

They all remained silent or (worse) snickered.

To quote Dumbledore from Harry Potter fame, “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”

THE KIWANIS Club of Nassau AM grillout. this event over the years. Center For Boys to a afterWithout that support, our noon of basketball and a project would not have grill out. The afternoon was been as successful.” spent fellowshipping with The Antique Auto Club the young men and playof The Bahamas was formed ing scrimmage games of in 1987 by six men interested basketball. in the hobby of restoration and preservation of vintage automobiles. The club celebrated its 30th anniversary last year. The club now has OUR Clubs and Sociea membership of about 65 ties page is a chance for men and women.

JOIN THE CLUB

Kiwanis Club of Nassau AM Kiwanis Club of Nassau AM. - On Saturday, February 3, the men of the Kiwanis Club of Nassau AM treated the young men of The Simpson C Penn

you to share your group’s activities with our readers.

To feature on our Clubs and Societies page, submit your report to clubs@tribunemedia.net, with “Clubs Page” written in the subject line.

For more information about the page, contact Stephen Hunt on 502-2373 or 447-3565.

PASTOR GARY WATKINS Berean Baptist Church located on Carmichael Road, 1st corner East after Popeyes, celebrates its 20th Anniversary from February 7th to February 11th, 2018, under the theme "Celebrating God's Faithfulness".

Services on Wednesday 7th through Friday 9th will be held at 7pm nightly.

The service on Sunday, February 11th will begin at 11:00am. se

CHILDREN of Uriah McPhee Primary School posing with the “Christmas in January” gifts they received from members of the Antique Auto Club of The Bahamas, some of whom can be seen standing behind the children.

Photo: Freemen Deveaux

PAGE 10, Friday, February 9, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

THE AFTERMATH of the most recent fire at the dump site.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Seven companies in running for proposals to run landfill

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net ENVIRONMENT and Housing Minister Romauld Ferreira yesterday announced that his office has issued requests for proposals to seven companies for the remediation and management of the New Providence landfill.

Speaking at a press conference at the Ministry of Environment and Housing’s Charlotte Street’s office yesterday, Mr Ferreira said the selection committee compiled to carry out

the RFP process had settled on seven firms and was now awaiting proposals to deconstruct, remediate and operate the landfill.

The firms announced include Apapa International (Nassau) Ltd, Bahamas Waste, Bahamas WPT Ltd, Eastern Waste Systems Ltd, Marine Contractors Inc, Providence Advisors and Valoriza Sevicios Medioambientales, S A. According to Mr Ferreira, the firms shortlisted have until February 22 to submit any queries they may have, with government

Funeral Service For

Kevon Williams, 25 “Micheal Jackson” of Adelaide Village who died on January 20, 2018 will be held on Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. at St. James Anglican Church, Adelaide Village. Officiating will be Rev. Fr. Andrew Toppin assisted by the Clergy. Interment will follow in the Public Cemetery, Adelaide Village.

Left to cherish his memories are his loving mother: Monica Williams; two brothers: Daniel and Dudley Thompson; three sisters: Angel Williams, Tyrece Thompson and Shavanta; three aunts: Kathlean Taylor, Louise Maria Demeritte and Estella Rosenfield; uncles: Arthur Smith, Cleophas Johnson, Walter Demeritte and Edward Morrison; grandaunts: Kathren Smith, Gladys Johnson, Hazel Deal, Stella Smith, Beatrice Smith, Michelle Birdie and Monique; granduncles: Phillip, Bernard Sr. and Reuben Smith; granduncle-in-law: David Deal Sr.; step-uncles: Livingstone Rolle and Gary Edgecombe; cousins: Sherdino, Trinity, Simeon, Scott, Amanda, Develin, Victor, Alex, Elizabeth, Isabella, Jada, Winnfred Ambrose, Arthur Johnson, Don, DJ, Lilly, Arthur Johnson, Larry, Allison, Christina, Ruthmae, Missy, Jennifer, Genora, Alisa Hardy, Dave, Dillon, Dave Jr., Gabrella, Liam, Luke, Victoria, Walter Morrison Jr., Alicia, Ernest, Zanita Archer, Tyrone, James, Kevin, Christoff, Christopher, Lorian Williams, Nicole Bodie, Crystal Deal, Ricardo, Tran, David Jr., Rebecca, Ernestina, Demetrius, Jamie, Tamier, Shawn Cooper, Neville Taylor, Tera Fernander, Vashti, Charmaine, Sheka, Asley, Royanna Smith and Adrian Smith; relatives and friends: Evelyn Knowles, Patrice Thompson, Barbara Morrison, David Deal, Ali Morrison, Adelaide Gardens Community, the Adelaide Community Clinic, the Staff of the Adelaide Primary School, Vera Deal, Marge Bullard, Ms. Rahming, Mr. Ferguson, Reuben, Biddy, Dereck, Joanna Smith, Trevor and Dr. Thomas, R. Smith, Mrs. Fisher, the entire Adelaide Community, Margaret Johnson, Liquinta Bethell, Ervin, Bernie, Samuel Kemp, Mr. G. Greenslade, DNA and Hon. Vaughn Miller, MP Golden Isles.

Viewing will be held in the Legacy Suite of Vaughn O. Jones Memorial Center, Mt. Royal Avenue and Talbot Street on Friday from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. and on Saturday at the Church from 12:00 noon to service time.

looking to conclude the entire process by June 25.

Mr Ferreira said the committee’s criteria centred on identifying firms that had the technical expertise to address many of the issues that have plagued the property and experience that is necessary to execute thoroughly and a clear access to capital.

The Marathon MP also confirmed that each of the firms shortlisted had a mix of Bahamian and foreign components.

Directly addressing the firms, Mr Ferreira said his ministry refused to tether the proposal process in

any way. He stressed that the government viewed the concept of “seeing what was out there” its greatest opportunity to “fix a longstanding problem.”

He told The Tribune: “Really and truly we want a long-term solution, the Minnis administration wants a long-term solution, and we don’t want a BandAid approach.”

Mr Ferreira added: “I know that the residents have endured a great deal, I know that they have, but we have been working on this.

I have put a lot of energy into it myself, in reading the

documentation and going over it to make sure that everything is right.

“We want to get the right person to deconstruct, and I can’t emphasise it enough, to deconstruct and open up to see what is there, to remediate and operate the landfill.”

Last fall the government issued an expression of interest (EOI) for the pre-qualification of a RFP to manage and operate the landfill.

The Minnis administration, upon taking office last May, cancelled the landfill tender process initiated by the former Christie

administration just weeks before it was voted out.

That RFP attracted two bids, one of which was from the 10-strong Bahamian consortium, Waste Resources Development Group (WRDG), and its financial partner, Providence Advisors.

Renew Bahamas, the last firm to manage the landfill, withdrew services in October 2016 amid several disagreements with the former government.

The Department of Environmental Health Services subsequently took over operations.

THE SIXTH GRADER WHO INSPIRED THE CREATION OF A NEW SCHOOL LIBRARY LOWE Sound Primary School students can enjoy a brand new, fully equipped library inspired by sixthgrader Zaria Stapleton.

Zaria is an avid reader.

Her parents Myriam and Brian Stapleton fostered her love of reading by providing her with ample books throughout her childhood.

Soon, the family would face a dilemma as her book collection grew exponentially.

Zaria embarked on a mission to donate her books to those in need.

As fate would have it, her mother travelled to Andros for work in the summer of 2017. She

asked the welcoming locals about schools in need of books. She was referred to Lowe Sound Primary School and instantly connected with the principal there, Tarah Neymour. It was discovered that the school operated out of a shop space, their building damaged after Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

When Zaria heard the news, she was bursting with enthusiasm about assisting the students. After some consideration, she suggested to her mother that she should help them get a library. What seemed like a farfetched idea became the

cornerstone of the Lowe Sound Library project.

After many delays in 2017 due to weather conditions and other unexpected circumstances but with the assistance of her parents and many other selfless volunteers, Zaria’s suggestion came into fruition in January 2018. Prior to the completion of the library, Zaria and her team worked tirelessly to co-ordinate book drives, solicit sponsors and organise supplies. Approaching construction, Zaria collected thousands of books to donate to not only the students of Lowe Sound

Primary, but students at schools across the island.

Zaria, along with volunteers from the Rotaract Club of the University of the Bahamas and the Japan Karate Association Bahamas, toiled to complete the project in one weekend.

Zaria spearheaded the project as creative director and motivator, creating a warm and child-friendly library with an exuberant colour scheme and intriguing décor. More importantly, the children at Lowe Sound Primary now have access to an abundance of books, reading materials and educational materials.

READERS RESPOND TO HOUSE DRAMA MONDAY’S scenes in the House of Assembly, which saw House Speaker Halson Moultrie launch personal attacks against members of the Progressive Liberal Party while defending his decision to suspend Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin prompted a lively reaction from readers on tribune242.com.

John said: “By attacking other members of the opposition on a personal level, the Speaker confirms his attacks, on Hanna Martin, are of a personal nature. Especially when he threatens to reveal more information of a personal nature about persons he already suspended – information he claims he got from a mutual friend.

Should commonsense now prevail and the Speaker take leave of the chair and allow the deputy speaker to take the chair and preside until the dust settles somewhat? In good faith the suspension should be reduced to ONE sitting to all suspended and everyone

buries the hatchet, not in the Speaker’s back, hopefully, and move forward, to the next round.”

DDK lamented: “. . . and all this utter nonsense while our poor country struggles to get a handle on itself.”

Well_mudda_take_sic had this to say: “Minnis wanted a puppet Speaker of the House, even if it meant appointing a dunce to the position. Just another shining example of Minnis’s very poor judgment in engineering the appointment of unqualified and incompetent individuals to key posts.”

ThisIsOurs said: “What is worse is the FNM is proposing to borrow 90 million and no one is there to ask them a thing about it. Everybody will bang on the desk and say yaaay . . .

Have they looked at all of the government’s needs? Is this the most pressing issue we have to deal with? Will this be the LAST request to borrow money before the next budget? How was the 185 million they just borrowed used? What happened to the two month surplus that the DPM announced last year? Now when the opposition asks them about this 90 million, they will say it was ‘debated’. Een nothing change in this country.”

Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands also made the news as he pledged to “stop poisoning our people” by totally changing the Government’s “breadbasket” food line-up in time for the 2018-2019 Budget year.

Economist responded with: “Finally, a Government who wants to really help make the life of Bahamians better.”

HarryWyckoff was of the same view: “Agreed.

This should have been done by the two previous governments - loooooong

overdue.”

Realitycheck242 said: “While the government efforts for a new bread basket list is exactly what is needed, the reality of the situation is that we have become a fast paced, fast food society. A large percentage of Bahamians rely on fast food sometimes three or more times a day.

Only education about healthy eating can change that, but as long as fast foods are around people will spend less time in the kitchen preparing healthy foods. Something should be done to test the contents of fast foods in this country and their health effects! The result would be shocking.”

And there was this from Birdiestrachan: “The PM promised to remove VAT from breadbasket items.

Now they will change what breadbasket items are.

Confusing the people – that is what it is about.”

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

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, February 9, 2018, PAGE 11