03052019 NEWS

TUESDAY i’m lovin’ it!

The Tribune Established 1903

24/7 BREAKING NEWS ON TRIBUNE242.COM

HIGH 84ºF LOW 71ºF

Biggest And Best!

VOLUME:116 No.49, MARCH 5TH, 2019

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

WOMAN: YOUR SAY ON THE GREAT KARDASHIAN BETRAYAL

One last summer of BPL’s torment ...Then cheaper bills and power that stays on

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

WHEN Finnish group Wärtsilä completes installation of a new electricity plant at Clifton Pier, Bahamas Power and Light Company Ltd would have ended the expensive practice of rental generators and “drastically” decreased the fuel surcharge on consumer’s monthly bills.

As BPL CEO Whitney Heastie made these revelations yesterday, he added Bahamians could also look forward to power

generation reliability in New Providence where, for years, customers have been plagued by blackouts and load shedding, especially in the hot summer months.

He spoke during a press conference yesterday at BPL’s headquarters where he announced the company was contracted to install the $95m, 132-megawatt plant, powered by seven high efficiency engines. They plan to finish installation by the end of this summer.

However, Mr Heastie was not able to clearly paint an

HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands confirmed yesterday that there has been a second case of measles in the country — this time in a 10-year-old tourist.

Dr Sands added this tourist has been “quarantined” and poses “no threat” to anyone else.

This child is the elder brother of the four-yearold who was also confirmed to have measles in late

SEE PAGE SEVEN

2019 CHEVROLET SPARK®

HE’S STILL OUT THERE

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are still searching for the man who abducted and allegedly sexually assaulted an eight-year-old girl.

The Tribune was told by police sources that investigators are awaiting a full medical report before they can confirm the occurrence of a sexual assault.

However, the child’s

STARTING AT

$18,067 84

mother insists her daughter was violated.

The eight-year-old girl was taken from her home in Culmerville sometime after 1am on Sunday, and later found in the area of Woodlawn Gardens, Soldier Road sometime after 3am. During that time, the man allegedly took the young girl to a home where he violated her and threatened to kill her, her mother told this newspaper.

Small wonder Small? Check. Connected? Obviously. Stylish? Always.

The new 2019 Spark is here to help you stay safe, plugged in and turning heads on your next adventure.

Shirley Street 302-0130 www.chevroletbahamas.com

MINISTER of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar yesterday pledged to put US crime warnings on “a continued downward trend of severity” that will lead to The Bahamas being rated among the world’s safest nations.

Mr D’Aguilar, who admitted he was concerned about the widespread media coverage the travel advisory has received in the US, said he would “work harder” with the US Embassy and ensure this nation is upgraded to “level one”, the safest designation the State Department awards foreign countries.

THE VICTIM at home yesterday. Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/ Tribune Staff

“I feel like I’m not me anymore,” the mother said yesterday. “I feel nasty, my baby get (sexually assaulted), eight years old.

“Cheaper it’s me, I’m 39,” she continued, “cheaper it’s me, I live little life, she don’t live a little quarter. This hurt me, I don’t sleep just thinking last night, I walking around everywhere, looking in the window, thinking I see the car.

SEE PAGE THREE

VAT INCLUDED IN PRICE

On-the-spot financing & insurance.Three-year/100,000 km factory warranty, plus Chevrolet’s advanced design and engineering mean you CAN’T GO WRONG!

A COUNCIL is being established to address the issue of problem gambling in The Bahamas, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands announced yesterday.

The council is anticipated to have a budget of $1m, Bahamas Gaming Operators Association CEO Gershan Major added.

Yesterday, a gambling addiction seminar was held at the Public Hospitals Authority. Both Dr Sands and Mr Major spoke at the event.

Dr Sands described the problem of gambling as an “emerging public health challenge”, adding the American Psychiatric Association has recently classified this issue as an official disorder.

SEE PAGE TWO

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

SEE PAGE FIVE

February. The four-year-old marked the first confirmed case of measles in The Bahamas in over 20 years.

When asked whether there have been any new cases of measles or chikungunya, Dr Sands said: “Yes. We now can confirm that the brother of the first patient developed signs and symptoms of measles.

“But that child was quarantined and has posed no threat to any additional person,” he continued.

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

‘WE’LL SORT US TRAVEL ADVISORY’

MEASLES VICTIM’S BROTHER HAS VIRUS

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

GAMBLING ADDICTION ‘JUST LIKE COCAINE’

Where Standards are Higher

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

FACE-TO-FACE WALKING IN THE STEPS OF THE KING SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Tuesday, March 5, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

SANDS: GAMBLING ADDICTION ‘JUST LIKE COCAINE’ from page one

He noted the APA suggests that problem gambling shares similar hallucinogenic characteristics with substance disorders such as cocaine and heroin abuse.

He added his ministry is creating a model of care that works in the local context.

“In charting a course for treatment and recovery of problem gambling in the Bahamas, one such evidence-based practice worthy of examination by all stakeholders is the establishment of a jurisdictional council on problem gaming or gambling for The Bahamas,” he said.

He noted international councils or comparable organisations already exist world-over, and have “strategic responsibility for problem gambling awareness, prevention, treatment and recovery, research, along with policy development, designed to impact persons and their families affected by problem gambling.”

“It is abundantly clear that this forum is the right approach to chart a sustainable course with meaningful resources, inclusive of a functional administrative and clinical team,” Dr Sands continued.

“It is not lost on me that this will require (a)

substantial perpetual budget if we are truly going to address the issue of problem gambling and those affected by this phenomenon.”

Dr Sands provided reporters with more details on this council and its budget following these remarks, noting the “proliferation of gaming institutions” throughout the country.

“But what we have seen has also been a small percentage of individuals that have a serious problem controlling their gaming,” he continued. “So they spend their mortgage, they spend their children’s school fees, grocery money, et cetera,

on gambling. It is a serious mental illness and it is impacting the quality of lives not only of people, but also their families, their kids.

“So we have had to modify our approach to incorporate the management of this new ailment into our mental health programmes.

“Now, in terms of the budget, the gaming houses are supposed to set aside a certain amount of money every year for this problem. And I want to find out exactly how much they’ve set aside, I’ve heard the figure $1m, and we now need to know how that money is being spent. Certainly from the Ministry of Health, it’s all

Tech centre to tap into creative skills of the young

By RIEL MAJOR THE Fort Charlotte MakerSpace, Technology and Innovation Centre was officially opened on Sunday for residents of the area.

Mark Humes, Fort Charlotte MP, said he wanted to create a space where residents can feel comfortable and be inspired to be great innovators.

Mr Humes said when contacted yesterday: “It’s an educational centre and all-purpose multi-function centre. Our aim is to see how we can impart knowledge to this generation of young people in areas that are typically not tapped into. Hopefully giving them the kinds of training that at the end of the day will help them create careers and not just jobs.

“I don’t think we tap into creative innovative skills of our young people. It’s no knock against our educational system, but I think when you look at the interest of our young people today they’re all driven by technology. I think we still continue to use a 1970s, late ‘80s and ‘90s model for a 21st century generation. I think that’s why we lose so many of our young people in the school system because the things that we are trying to get them engaged in they’re not engaged.”

Mr Humes wants the residents of Fort Charlotte to know that all classes are free of charge.

“Each course is 12 weeks long, whether Monday, Wednesday and Friday or Tuesday and Thursday or Thursday and Saturday.

(The classes) are designed to be like a full semester of courses. The only thing right now this year are the classes are not accredited but as we move on in the development, we hope to have the classes accredited so that they can be transferable whether to BTVI or the University of The Bahamas.

“The centre will be outfitted with a variety of maker equipment, including scanners, 3D printers, and laser cutting machines and will be open to youth, young adults, and adults from the immediate Fort Charlotte community. It will engage dynamic tech and creative art professionals to create and deliver an engaging curriculum that will introduce young participants to computer hardware design, computer operating systems, robotics, computer programming, python programming, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. It will also cater to young creative artists interested in 2D and 3D animation, graphic and gaming design, filmmaking, and photography.

“We have course application forms at the constituency office on Providence Avenue. Again, this is primarily for the residents of Fort Charlotte. They can pick up a class registration

FORT Charlotte MP Mark Humes, main picture, speaks at the event, along with Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, above.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff form at the office and turn it in there. We’ll evaluate the students’ ability in the respective areas and invite them to participate in the course.”

In addition to the educational centre opening, Mr Humes highlighted the opening of an ice-cream store.

He said: “The ice cream portion of it is just an

additional revenue generator for the centre and for other projects that will go on in the community also giving an individual the opportunity of a small business startup opportunity for individuals as well. This is something that I’d like to look at how do we sort of create avenues for small business startups in the area.”

a part of our PHA budget,” Dr Sands said.

When he spoke to reporters, Mr Major said the Bahamas Gaming Operators Association had allocated about $1m for a responsible gaming initiative.

“Due to the challenging discussions around the tax matters that related to our industry we had to refocus somewhat those allocations,” he said. “Now that that matter is settled, we are now back to 2019 with the new budget being currently revisited. So I won’t be able to give you the specific number, but it’s going to be somewhere (around) that or a bit more.

“And the purpose of the budget is to educate the public, create awareness, find opportunities to build capacity with our partners at Sandilands Rehabilitation, the (PHA), the Grand Bahama Health Services, as well as create an area for treatment, counselling, and support for persons who are most at risk or who find themselves and their family members challenged.”

Mr Major also noted in his remarks that five addiction specialists at Sandilands have been chosen to become internationally certified in gambling disorders — a rarity in the Caribbean region.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, March 5, 2019, PAGE 3

from page one

Man who abducted girl, 8, still at large

“I always thinking every minute, my son say ‘mommy the man ain’t coming right now you know.’ I say, ‘you never know, he let her go, you don’t know why he let her go.’”

When The Tribune visited the home yesterday, the girl’s mother was visibly stressed over her inability to pay for medical scans for her daughter. The scans were requested by doctors at Princess Margaret Hospital, and vital to her case.

She is expected to be seen by a gynaecologist at PMH today.

The scans ordered by PMH cost around $197, and the mother was able to pay for it from a private donation yesterday afternoon.

The girl’s mother said the child has refused to eat following the traumatic ordeal, adding she was still personally struggling to come to grips with the incident as a single parent.

Yesterday, the girl’s mother lamented the state of their home, acknowledging it was unsafe and that their landlord refused to take action.

She has seven children, and four of them are minors.

“I lived here for six years, (landlord) never fixed the house. The door ain’t good,” the mother said, “in one kick anybody inside. This hurt me a lot because I’m the mother and the father. Her daddy don’t even know because since I don’t want to be with him anymore, the (four) children are dead to him.”

Reflecting on the incident, the girl’s mother yesterday explained her children were up at the late hour listening and dancing to music with her. She said her one regret was that she allowed them to answer the door.

“I like to keep them up with me on Fridays and Saturdays because it’s only me and them,” she said, “when they go sleep I feel lonely so I play music and

they like to dance with me.

They kept me up all night, and when 1am came I said it’s time to go to sleep guys, I have to mop.”

The mother continued: “I run them in the living room…I hear the door knocking, I say ‘who is this,’ I ain’t hear nobody and I say ‘girls wait on me, wait on me,’ by the time…I reach by the door the man already gone with my baby.

“It feel like my whole world just crash down on me. I wake up with all kind of pain on me.”

Police had someone in custody on Sunday, but in an update yesterday said the man had been released.

The family claims the man who abducted the girl had asked for her older sister, who was not at home, before kidnapping the child.

“I don’t have nobody knocking on my door for me,” the girl’s mother said.

“The one thing is wrong, I do very wrong, to let them children answer the door and the man damage my baby for life.”

Some area residents say the car that took the little girl was a champagne-coloured Jaguar, while others reported a white Nissan Skyline.

The girl’s cousin said a man that matched the description given by the abducted child, had come to the yard on Saturday morning. The cousin said it was the first time she had seen the man, and that when she greeted him, he

did not speak, but grunted in response.

The girl’s older sister said yesterday: “I really want this man to come off the road because this might not be the first or the last child he did this to. I just really want that man off the road. All my life I grow up around here – I’m 20 now and nothing like this ever happen to children like this.

This had to have been an outsider what come around here and do this.”

The Tribune also spoke to Social Services Director Lillian Quant-Forbes who explained the current process required for those seeking assistance at the department in situations like this, such as bringing in their doctor referral letter and a quote for the medical service.

She told The Tribune the ministry was looking at strengthening its public service announcements to increase public awareness of the services provided by the department.

Acknowledging the PSA’s may not cover all available services, Mrs Quant-Forbes advised the public to visit the ministry’s website for more information.

The girl’s abduction follows an incident in February when a three-year-old boy was taken from his yard and then left frightened and alone outside a Fox Hill washhouse several hours later.

The incident sparked a manhunt for two women believed to be the assailants. Yesterday, National Security Minister Marvin Dames said the two matters did not appear to be connected based on police investigations.

THE GIRL who was abducted early on Sunday morning with her mother yesterday. Inset, left, the mother talking to the media. Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

BISHOP URGES MARCO SYSTEM TO BE FAST-TRACKED

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

BISHOP Simeon Hall yesterday accused the government of stalling the full implementation of Marco’s Law, including the alert system for missing children.

The outspoken clergyman called on National Security Minister Marvin Dames to fast-track its implementation and underscored the failings of both the former and current administration regarding the matter.

“Indeed,” Bishop Hall said, “to better equip the Bahamian public to assist the police in the protection of children should rank high on our national priorities. Persons convicted of harming children do not belong in civilised society.”

“Bahamians most times are too passive and we sometimes allow the problems of crime to make us indifferent to crime.”

Last week, Mr Dames said the Cabinet paper for a proposed sex offender registry is completed and will be submitted soon.

He also said testing for the Mandatory Action Rescuing Children Operation (MARCO) Alert was done but adjustments still had to be made before it could be fully implemented.

At a press conference yesterday, Mr Dames defended the implementation track, telling the media it will take more than the MARCO Alert to address crime and related social issues.

“We all would like to see

thing happen immediately but there is a process,” Mr Dames said, “and we have been working to achieve that.”

“It’s going to take more than just the MARCO Alert to address the issues that we are facing. Often times we get caught up in this business that it requires a police response.

“We are taking a multifaceted approach to these issues and we have been introducing other initiatives to work hand in hand to address the issue of crime, to address the social issues that are impacting this country in a very negative way.”

Renewed calls for the swift implementation of the alert system and sex offender register were brought to the fore after an eight-year-old girl was abducted from her home early Sunday morning and sexually assaulted.

The child was found a short time later by a passerby, who took her to a nearby police station.

Her abduction follows an incident in February when a three-year-old boy was taken from his yard and then left frightened and alone outside a Fox Hill washhouse several hours later. The incident sparked a manhunt for two women believed to be the assailants.

For his part, Bishop Hall said: “Both governments slow with Marco’s Law, the implementation of the proposed Marco’s Law is taking far too long to be enacted.

“I call on the minister of national security to do all

in his power to fast forward this promise, and give right thinking members of the Bahamian public the ammunition to aid children who might be traumatized on any level and in any way.”

The Minnis administration’s version of the MARCO Alert was announced last July. This came after the Christie administration launched the alert in 2016, however the system never appeared to have been used in the case of missing or abducted children.

BISHOP Simeon Hall Unlike the original alert, which was almost exclusively tied to traditional forms of media, the new

alert system will operate via a web-based platform which allows for broad dissemination across any phone, pagers, emails, internet pop ups, fax, loud speakers, RSS feeds and secure encrypted messages through mobile applications and radio, officials have said.

Yesterday, Mr Dames added: “I’m certain at the end of the day what you can expect is an initiative that will be very easy to use, easy to apply and easy to execute.”

The plan for a sex

offender registry was introduced in 2013 with an amendment to the Sexual Offences Act after the murder of 11-year-old Marco Archer by convicted child killer Kofhe Goodman.

However, it was never created by the previous administration.

Marco’s murder also sparked amendments to the Child Protection Act, which established the MARCO Alert system for missing children.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, March 5, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

jamaaltheartist@gmail.com

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

Published daily Monday to Friday

Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES

News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax

(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348

WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com

@tribune242

tribune news network

Is there really light at the end of the tunnel?

AT long last, the so-called temporary measure of renting generators to supplement the power output at Bahamas Power and Light may be coming to an end.

Rental units have long been in use – dating back eight years to 2011 – and it wasn’t a one-off decision to use them then. Three years ago, then Deputy Prime Minister – now Leader of the Opposition – Phillip “Brave” Davis announced the arrival of a series of new generators to add 80MW of power supply, with the first set arriving in August 2016.

At the time, the arrival of the generators was hailed as meaning an end to load shedding. We know how that ended.

Yesterday, current BPL CEO Whitney Heastie was banging the same drum, promising reliability of the power supply. Given the frequency the power has had interruptions in the past couple of weeks alone, we’ll believe that one when we see it.

Mr Heastie has, however, signaled a change – with an end to the usage of the previous rental generators and the start of a little more long-term thinking with the installation of a $95m electricity plant at Clifton Pier.

We welcome this move – with a caveat or two, which we shall come to shortly – and sincerely hope that for the sake of residents and businesses alike we can reach a day where a power outage is greeted with surprise rather than with a roll of the eyes and a sigh of “Again?”

Because of how used we are to power interruptions, we perhaps underestimate how much of a drag such unreliability has on the economy. Meetings are missed, production interrupted, new investors count it as a strike against

choosing The Bahamas as a location for their projects, residents spend on generators and oil instead of investing their money in more advantageous ways… could we perhaps be on the way to an end to such hindrances?

It is also particularly encouraging to see the beginning of a more long-term approach at BPL rather than the shortterm, high-cost approach of renting generators.

Those caveats, though, are large enough to prevent an unreserved welcome for the move.

First of all, Mr Heastie could be more forthcoming about how BPL is paying for the new plant – instead of brushing aside such questions by not wanting to get into details. Why not? Is the money coming from the public purse? Or customers’ pockets? Either way, why not be up front with those whose money will ultimately pay for the scheme.

Secondly, the details of the fires which affected BPL still remain vague – a full breakdown of the causes of the fires, the cost to the company and how it might affect the need for new equipment would not go amiss. It does feel, if you’ll pardon the expression, as if BPL is deliberately keeping us in the dark on the matter.

Finally, there is one other item of concern in Mr Heastie’s announcement – when he notes that BPL has no employees who can understand the type of engine being brought in or who is skilled in electro-mechanical engineering.

So… who fixes it if it has a problem?

As well as investing in new equipment, it sounds like BPL needs to invest in new skills too. Now. We’re pretty sure union bosses will be asking the same question.

Good luck privatising a company losing $2m READERS have been posting their views on the stories making the news on tribune242.com.

After PLP chairman Fred Mitchell confirmed that all Opposition parliamentarians had filed their public disclosures, Sheeprunner12 said: “We are still waiting for the Speaker to update The People on those three members who did not disclose last year (2017-18).

Maybe he thinks we forgot that . . . SMT. This system is so wutless and has NO independent teeth . . . the PDC cannot do a damn thing, the power is still in the hands of the beguiling, secretive party bosses (Minnis & Davis).”

Minister of Tourism and Aviation Dionisio D’Aguilar revealed the payroll costs of a key privatisation target, Nassau Flight Services, now equal 99 percent of revenues.

Clamshell posted this comment: “c on $8 million in revenues. I mean, really ... who’d buy that?”

Economist said: “Good move. When one considers the inefficiencies of government run organisations versus the private sector.

I am aware of one service where it is done by the private sector in one area of the country and the government in another. The Government cost is 300% higher. So a $2 million loss could mean that, if run by the private sector, it will make money.”

To which Clamshell responded with: “You are correct in theory. But as we have seen before, if a private firm comes in and tries

to get it running efficiently, the unions and workers will scream bloody murder, initiate strikes and slowdowns, and we’ll hear tears of woe on how ‘Dey robbin’ da poor workin’ folk’ by forcing them to actually ... work efficiently.”

The news that Bahamas Power & Light was set to unveil a $95m deal for a major upgrade of its New Providence generation capacity to take effect by summer’s end prompted this comment from John: “Many businesses have plans in the pipeline to solarise at least a large part of their power needs and unless BPL moves swiftly to sure up the power and reduce the cost, they will lose these customers for a good length of time. Only because the government has been dragging its feet giving approvals that a number of these companies are still on the grid fully.”

Economist said: “It will be interesting to see if this time they can make a difference. New Providence has been suffering power cuts for as long as I can remember (mid 1950s). They are always buying new equipment that will solve the outages. So far all I can say it proves that some are never able to learn from their mistakes.”

Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest said the government will “scale

back” spending for the 2018-2019 fiscal year if revenue further underperforms, amid a $21.7m year-overyear fall in trade taxes.

DDK had this to say: “Government continues to lose untold amounts in revenue from its inability to deal with head tax on Airbnb and the like on house (largely owned by non-Bahamians) rentals to tourists. Hotels, big business and NUMBERS HOUSES always get exemptions and reductions while the shortfall is made up by hitting the man on the street with higher taxes such as $300.00 for scanning low cost Japanese import vehicles even thought they are scanned for radiation before export. New cars and hybrids enjoy a lower level of customs duty, 25%, I believe, while the struggling working class has to pay 65% for a second-hand economy car. The rich just keep on getting richer . . .”

And Birdiestrachan offered this comment: “The FNM Government is killing poor people with VAT. We had to cut back, do without, just to survive.”

ThisIsOurs said: “I’m lost with this analysis. What were the Lego block financial models that they spoke about for? Didn’t the DPM and the FS make the rounds on talk shows to tell us how they’d checked with each other and checked the models to examine the effects of allowing additional concessions to Lyford Cay and the realtors? They Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.

Are we getting the security we deserve? No...

EDITOR, The Tribune

LETTERS

The issues at National Security - are we getting the service and the security we should be receiving bearing in mind the enormous percentage of the National Budge expended?

percent reliance on the public for reporting a criminal act.

RBDF: Interdiction - passing grade Paperwork, indicting/ charging the alleged criminals – failing grade Visibility in the community - well, sort of acceptable level, but in certain areas residents have almost no idea what a patrol car looks like – almost 100

RBDF: We forget - and the current Minister alludes constantly that the blame here is on the PLP. But, Editor, it was the FNM/ Tommy ‘T” as Minister who chose the new patrol craft, Project Sandy Bottom was rather obvious: the build-finance was a good idea but the project has been completed for months

letters@tribunemedia.net

and as yet it seems RBDF has not transferred command to Inagua. Unless our fishing fleet and the private yachts advise the RBDF dem folks blind as a bat.

Haitian sloops after Haitian sloops sail right past and no one seems to be awake.

Failing grade.

I really have to wonder what the RBDF do all day.

Yesterday Minister was spinning again - why do we need more expensive patrol cars? Address, sir, why are you are required to resign please.

T Humes Nassau, March 3, 2019.

Press the button on chronic radio callers Editor, The Tribune TODAY on one of the radio stations around noon the listening public had to endure one chronic caller and an ex-politician in full flight talking total gibberish.

The chronic caller as usual was promoting the craziest concepts as if he’d won the Noble Prize in Economics while the ex-politician criticised his party and decisions made by the cabinet in

which he served, taking no responsibility.

Producers of these talk shows need to be considerably more liberal in the use of the button which would cut these folks off.

It is unfair on the listening public to hear such rubbish - totally unfounded and lacking any sane economics.

The chronic caller never stops day-today calling in with his rubbish theories.

While talking about talk

shows, there is one on TV starting at 4pm - surely URCA must object to the ‘n’ word constantly being used. If they don’t then something is wrong. If a Bahamian caucasian was to go on air constantly using that ‘n’ word he would be off the air in half a second, so why is this permitted? Does URCA ever listen?

T RAHMING Nassau March 3, 2019

We have to plan if we want equal pay EDITOR, The Tribune IS ARTICLE 26 of The Constitution concerning discrimination constantly being abused?

It says - no discrimination.

I perceive, if taken to the fullest correct legal interpretation, Associations – unions, groups – that allow only one gender are Constitutionally illegal and need to be disestablished immediately. Editor, this also covers churches and lodges.

Women’s desks in ministries have to go as men and women are 100 percent equal under the Constitution.

Time, we stopped this shame and play.

There should be no Woman of the Year Awards, Top Businesswoman of the Year, etc, etc.

Do we ever have Men’s Week? Are there Men’s Desks in ministries?

Yes, equal wages need to happen, but not in an instant. We have to plan in five to eight years for equality in pay to happen. That’s the law, The Constitution.

J BURROWS Nassau March 2, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, March 5, 2019, PAGE 5

Cheaper bills on the way after one last summer of torment

from page one

exact picture of what bill reduction may look like, only explaining the additional mega wattage is about 50 percent of the total peak load experienced in the capital.

He added fuel consumption today is about 80 percent diesel and 20 percent heavy fuel, but the new plant will allow BPL to quickly shift from this model to more reliance on the lesser-used fuel.

Mr Heastie was vague when he was asked how BPL planned to foot the cost of the new plant. As fires which plagued the entity last September happened early on in BPL’s new fiscal year, he said much of the money came from the power provider’s ability to push aside many of its planned capital works projects.

Asked what percentage of the cost was attributed to this decision, Mr Heastie said: “We won’t get into those details.”

He said: “Bahamas Power and Light is pleased to announce that we have a signed a contract with Finnish technology group Wärtsilä to instal a 132-megawatt engine plant at the Clifton site.

“The total cost of the plant is approximately $95m and will be located in

the existing station A building at Clifton Pier which has recently been stripped of the four 1980s vintage two stroke engines and auxiliary equipment that have been out of service since 2016.

Currently civil engineering works and upgrades are being completed so that station A can accommodate the new seven high efficiency Wärtsilä engines.

“The new plant will be tri-fuel capable of burning heavy fuel oil, diesel oil or liquefied natural gas when it becomes locally available.

This operational flexibility of the new plant is an important step to ensuring energy and price security for The Bahamas.

“When this project is completed, customers will see a substantial improvement in the power generation reliability in New Providence and lower fuel surcharge on their monthly billing. The lower fuel charge will result from both the use of more efficient generation along with the ability to burn lower price fuel.

“Additionally, BPL will now own sufficient generating assets to finally close the chapter on rental generation in New Providence which began in 2011.

The installation will be completed by the end of summer 2019.”

The new plant will not

BPL CEO Whitney Heastie, left, and Edmund Phillips from Wärtsilä Energy Solutions. Inset, chief operations officer Christina Alston.

Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff affect ongoing Shell North America negotiations for a deal to create a new multi-fuel power plant, but instead fortifies it, Mr Heastie said.

“Shell was integrally involved with the selection process. They actually went out and did the tendering for us and they were the ones who recommended Wärtsilä as the entity that should come forth and resolve this power situation for us,” he said.

“So the 132 megawatts are a complement of the 220 megawatts that’s committed by Shell so there is still another 90 megawatts that has to be built and so the 90 megawatts will be added at Clifton Pier to complete the 220 megawatts that Shell has committed to build as a part of the memorandum of understanding,” Mr Heastie also said.

Wärtsilä was hired on a fast track and as its Business Development Manager

Edmund Phillips explained the company plans to finish this project in about nine months. Despite this, he said the end of summer timeline was hard and fast.

He said: “The engines will be shipped from Italy the end of March. They’ll take about two months to arrive on the island. Once on the island, about four months to instal so providing there is no unforeseen event then yes, we will stick to that.

“So typically a project like this will take about 13 to 15 months depending on the level of civil works that’s involved. In this case we will be building this plant in about nine months because we certainly understand the need for improvement on the island.

“So one thing to bear in mind, even though we are going as fast as we can, safety is of paramount importance for us and we will be as safe as we can during the installation,” he also said.

Mr Phillips further stressed that their intent is to use local skills where possible. He said many local engineering companies were interviewed and selected for civil works.

However, Mr Heastie insisted yesterday there was no one at BPL today who could understand a Wärtsilä engine or is skilled in electro-mechanical engineering.

ACTIVISTS CLAIM FERREIRA MISLED THEM OVER OIL

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

ENVIRONMENT activists are angry at Environment Minister Romauld Ferreira, who they say told them last year there was no chance the Minnis administration would move forward with offshore oil drilling.

The promise, given during a closed-door meeting with advocates last May, has attracted new attention in the wake of the government’s recent decision to approve several new exploration licences for Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC).

For his part, Mr Ferreira yesterday said his comments last year were in line with the government’s decision not to issue any additional exploration licences.

He told The Tribune all current arrangements with BPC are in line with legacy agreements made between the petroleum company and the former Christie administration.

“What I said was said in relation to new licences to ventures unrelated to (BPC),” he said.

Several environmentalists are now calling on Mr Ferreira to address why he misled them.

According to the activists, Mr Ferreira told them the Minnis administration was not prepared to move forward with offshore oil drilling at all and that Cabinet had agreed it was not a position the government would move forward with.

ReEarth President Sam Duncombe said she was shocked to learn of the government’s shift, insisting the “silence” by Mr Ferreira over the role he played in conveying a false position speaks volumes about the Minnis administration.

“Absolutely,” she said when asked if the meeting had taken place. “Yes, it did. So many of us were there,” she added.

“There (were) at least 15 to 20 people in the room. When I asked him directly about the pending leases, he said he was not at

liberty to discuss the leases.

I asked what is the point of this announcement if those leases are still on the table? He regurgitated the mantra about he’s not able to discuss.”

She continued: “The other thing that I found odd was that no press was there — no public announcement — one would think given all their screw-ups (at that time) they’d want a positive story.”

Mrs Duncombe questioned if Mr Ferreira was used as a ploy to pacify environmentalists while the government orchestrated something else behind the scenes.

She insisted that answers needed to be given and done so publicly. “Oil exploration carries huge environmental costs. Seismic testing can injure and kill whales, dolphins, turtles, fish and corals. Drilling dumps drilling mud and other harmful chemicals into the ocean and can smother reefs,” Mrs Duncombe contended.

“This level of

hypocrisy seems to be the mainstay of this government,” she added, referring to Mr Ferreira’s work in Marathon before the 2017 general election.

Before being elected to Parliament, Mr Ferreira gained attention as a voice for Marathon residents who had been adversely affected by the 2015 Rubis gas leak. “…This is such a gross departure of the things he said before he got sucked into this party line mess,” Mrs Duncombe asserted.

Last week, in response to criticism over the government’s decision to issue new licences to BPC, Mr Ferreira said the government was compelled to act in a legally responsible way.

Responding directly to that comment, Save the Bays Chairman Joe Darville in an interview with The Tribune accused Mr Ferreira of not being “truthful.”

“It’s a crying shame that we’ve come to this. The same man that sat in front of us and said this thing would not come to be,

he’s now out here presenting the government’s legal responsibility?

“Why speak to us at all?

Why go that route to sell us the idea that something good could come out of this, just to come back and run this down our throats?”

Mr Darville asked.

Recalling the meeting from last year, he added: “It was a tremendous amount of joy and celebration because we thought finally, a win for this country. We were asked our thoughts and everyone went into detail on why they had issues.

“Mr Ferreira opened his mouth and told us… he ended our worries.”

“Now, the same man?

Him? He didn’t even come back to us you know.

We heard the news from the petroleum company.

That’s who announced that the Bahamas…an entire independent nation was going about oil exploration, a company that we thought we had heard the last from,” Mr Darville said.

“A crying shame if there has ever been one.”

According to the information received by The Tribune, the meeting between Mr Ferreira and the group of environmentalists took place on Thursday, May 17, 2018 at 2pm at the Ministry of Housing and Environment’s Charlotte Street office.

Environmentalists were not told of the meeting’s purpose.

They were only told of its time and location, and given three business days to confirm their attendance.

A third environmentalist laughed when contacted

by The Tribune for comment, calling the situation “evidence this government has no idea what they are doing.”

Asking not to be named, the environmentalist said The Bahamas was in need of “a better class of politician.”

“This is just the latest in a line of matters where these politicians say one thing and do the complete opposite,” the activist said.

PAGE 6, Tuesday, March 5, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

SANDS STAYS SILENT AS PLP CONTACTS CARICOM

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands yesterday appeared unconcerned over reports the Official Opposition has written to CARICOM regarding the controversy surrounding the trial of former PLP Senator Frank Smith.

Dr Sands was asked about the matter yesterday outside a gambling addiction seminar.

“My approach to this is I have very little to say,” said Dr Sands.

“I think that the Opposition has

chosen the path that they like to play in terms of its political impact. I have nothing more to say about it.”

On February 13, Progressive Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis announced the opposition was boycotting the House of Assembly in protest of “tyrannical attitudes” in a government determined to use prosecutorial powers of the Crown to target PLPs. Last week, South Andros MP Picewell Forbes announced in a statement the Opposition was ending its boycott, noting Mr

Davis had written a letter to both the secretaries general of the Commonwealth and Caribbean Community (CARICOM), “formally bringing this egregious issue to the attention” of the international community.

In his statement, Mr Forbes also said the PLP is satisfied that its point regarding the boycott has been “sufficiently made” regarding the conduct of the government, in particular Dr Sands, National Security Minister Marvin Dames, and Attorney General Carl Bethel in connection with the Frank Smith trial.

Dr Sands and Mr Dames were criticised by Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt as she gave her reasons for acquitting Mr Smith of bribery and extortion charges.

She criticised the ministers for the “egregious” way in which they interacted with complainant Barbara Hanna prior to a police investigation into her claims, charging their conduct gave the appearance of a “political flavour to a curious bystander”.

Dr Sands also declined yesterday to speak on the tension

between Mr Dames and Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine.

On February 27, a verbal altercation erupted on the interior stairway of the House of Assembly between Mr Dames and Mr McAlpine.

The dispute, both visible and audible to all those near the chamber when the proceedings suspended, seemed to centre around Mr McAlpine urging Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to address the calls for Mr Dames and Dr Sands to resign in light of the judge’s comments.

Commissioner to be revealed this month - Dames

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames expects to announce the new commissioner of the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services this month.

“We already know who it is,” he told reporters yesterday. “We just have to go through and finish up one or two administrative stuff and that should be announced very shortly.”

The government has searched locally and internationally for its new correctional commissioner. The person will succeed Patrick Wright who is on pre-retirement leave.

The new commissioner is expected to help the prison focus on correctional, rather than penal services.

Mr Dames could not say when a central plank of this transition, the introduction

of a parole system, will officially begin.

The introduction of a parole system began under the Christie administration, but it is not clear when the proposed Probation Bill will be tabled in Parliament.

“There is a lot of work to do,” Mr Dames said.

“Oftentimes people don’t see it but there is a lot of work that has to take place in the background. We could bring a bill, we could enact it as was the practice of the past, and then there may be nothing to support it. During the last year we had a conclave to actually review the bill with all the stakeholders to determine what it is we need to do to make sure we’re moving in the right direction on that.”

The Ministry of National Security recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Correctional Services Canada.

“Training for parole and programme officers

began in the fall of 2018,” Mr Dames said at an event formally announcing the partnership. “The Inter-American Development Bank through its Citizen Security and Justice Programme conducted a training seminar for representatives of all branches of law enforcement stakeholders. During the seminar, the parole legislation as expressed in the 2016 Conditional Release of Offenders Bill was analysed and recommendations for adjustment were made.”

The $20 million InterAmerican Development Bank’s Citizen Security and Justice Programme is helping to fund the proposed system.

Under the Christie administration, a Parole and Re-entry Steering Committee made recommendations that were approved by the Cabinet of the time but not disclosed to the public.

MARVIN Dames expects to announce the new commissioner later this month.

LAW ENFORCEMENT LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME GETS UNDERWAY

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

SIXTEEN law enforcement officers will participate in a three-month programme to earn certification in law enforcement leadership.

A ceremony marking the start of the programme was held yesterday at the University of the Bahamas (UB).

The participants include 10 senior police officers from around the country and six senior corrections officers.

The first part of the programme will take place at UB. The participants will also spend less than a month abroad in an internship through the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange at the George State University.

That internship’s director, Dr Robert Friedman, attended yesterday’s ceremony.

The participants were chosen randomly, according to programme coordinator Dr Chaswell Hanna, who said all senior officers will eventually participate in the programme.

National Security Minister Marvin Dames said the programme will focus on written and oral communication, finance, budgeting, human resources management and “critical global issues and trends facing law enforcement today.”

“The dynamics of crime and criminality has changed locally, regionally and internationally along with other social aspects,” he said. “The old modus operandi in which law enforcement officers operated in isolation away

from their colleagues and supervisors is no longer relevant or acceptable.

Professional development training is essential for good performance.

“Advanced training beyond initial recruitment ensures confidence in officers who are often called upon to make decisions which impact their lives, the lives of others, inclusive of taking the life of another, suspending an individual’s constitutional rights, making arrests and conducting searches under the prescribed law. Furthermore, he or she must have the inclination for continued learning. By providing such opportunities, each law enforcement agency will always have a constant cadre of competent professionals from which the next generation of leaders can be selected simultaneously. “

GUNMAN ROBS MAN OF CASH AND IPHONE POLICE are looking for the man responsible for an armed robbery that happened on Sunday.

According to police, shortly after 11pm a man was standing outside his home on Hamster Road when he was approached by a gunman. The man robbed him of cash and an iPhone before escaping in a Toyota Passo, licence plate number AD2032.

Police also said five men and a teenage girl were arrested for marijuana possession on Sunday. After 11pm, Mobile Division officers searched a building at Flex Terrace, Malcolm Road where they discovered the marijuana.

The six persons who were arrested are expected to be charged in court this week.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, March 5, 2019, PAGE 7

Just look around why’s the spotlight always on us?

DR Sands says the boy with measles has been quarantined and poses no threat.

Now brother of measles victim has virus - Sands from page one

Dr Sands confirmed the case of measles in the fouryear-old on February 21.

He noted the timeline of travel and illness onset strongly suggest the child’s exposure to measles occurred prior to his arrival in this country.

At the time, Dr Sands said: “The child continues to do well and is expected to recover fully. This is the first confirmed case of measles in The Bahamas since 1997 and is imported.

“The public health surveillance team is carrying out necessary activities to assess risk of exposure in potential contacts.”

Dr Sands also said at the time that the Ministry of Health is currently conducting a campaign targeting all children ten years and younger as well as front line workers such as police, customs and immigration officers, healthcare workers and hospitality industry workers.

The aim is to increase the national MMR coverage in children and people at

highest risk for exposure.

The number of children receiving the MMR1 vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella has also seen steady decline. As of 2016, only 89 percent of children received this vaccination.

It is also the lowest rate dating back to 2012.

Regarding chikungunya, Dr Sands said yesterday there have been no new cases. Last month, one case of the illness was confirmed in New Providence.

Dr Sands gave this information while speaking to reporters outside a Problem Gambling and Addiction Awareness Month Seminar at the Public Hospitals Authority yesterday.

He also discussed the recent assessment of clinics in Andros, saying decisions are being made regarding funding.

When asked if there have been any updates with the clinics, Dr Sands said: “We were just there last week and in North Andros two weeks prior to that. So the architect and the contractors are finalising the plans, we are verifying the presence of the mobilisation

funds that have already been spent and determining what additional funds we have to put to that for the scope of work outline, but we expect to make some headway.”

The health minister also said officials are still consulting on the implementation of a “sin tax,” noting no final policy has been made yet.

Regarding this initiative, Dr Sands said: “We have had ongoing discussions with our health partners, our local and regional health partners, we have had discussions in principle with the Ministry of Finance, but no final policy decisions have been made.

“Certainly, the Ministry of Health has been discussing the impact of a sin tax on the reduction in sugar consumption as a positive.

A tax perhaps to reduce alcohol and tobacco consumption also would be considered beneficial in terms of health outcomes.

But that does not translate into any specific policy or fiscal decisions that have been made.”

16 YEARS IN JAIL FOR MAN AFTER HE ADMITS TO MANSLAUGHTER

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A 21-YEAR-OLD man was sentenced to 16 years in prison for manslaughter in the death of Dwayne Jackson in November 2016 in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

Naki Roberts appeared in the Supreme Court last week for a plea hearing before Justice Estelle Gray Evans.

Roberts was initially charged with murder.

The Crown accepted his

guilty plea in exchange for the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Jackson, an employee of the Freeport Harbour, was found dead at his apartment at Maxim Court.

According to Roberts, he went to Jackson’s apartment and the deceased asked him for sexual favours. He claimed there was an argument and the two got into an altercation, which resulted in Jackson’s death.

Jackson died of injuries sustained from a

sharp object. Roberts was 19 at the time of the incident.

Jackson’s body was discovered sometime around 10.55am on November 22 of that year after he had failed to report to work and a colleague went to his apartment, made the discovery and called the police.

Justice Evans sentenced Roberts to 16 years and six months imprisonment, however, due to the two years already spent on remand, he will serve 14 years and six months.

DOCTOR’S ABSOLUTE DISCHARGE DECISION RULED ‘UNDULY LENIENT’

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE chief magistrate’s decision to absolutely discharge a doctor for causing harm to another man was too merciful a sentence, the director of public prosecutions has said.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, in a notice of appeal filed on February 26, says Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt’s decision to absolutely discharge Dr Adrian Rolle was “unduly lenient”.

The DPP’s office further asserted that Chief Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt’s decision was “such that a magistrate viewing the circumstances reasonably could not properly have so decided.”

The Tribune also understands Dr Rolle’s attorneys have been served with a notice for an application for an extension of time in which to appeal the decision.

According to the notice of appeal, Dr Rolle was given an absolute discharge by the chief magistrate on December 20, 2018 after pleading guilty to a single charge of causing harm.

IF OTHER countries can write about how careful to be when coming to The Bahamas, we should exercise the same right to both defend our country and to alert our citizens, and by extension the world, about the dangers of other destinations.

As a former editor of a local leading newspaper said to me recently, “It’s amazing what a little research will uncover”.

The Bahamas as of 2017 had a population of 395,361. That’s the number used to determine our per capita statistics. I have always felt that per capita is a little spurious when it comes to small populations.

Because at the end of the day the number is the number. That is the standardised method so we will stick with that.

Over the past week I got several calls that were concerned about one thing. “If I bring my daughter to The Bahamas or if I allow her to travel there how safe is she?” To answer that question we will take Miami, Orlando, Ft Lauderdale and the Cruise ships and compare them with the Bahamas based on 2017 statistics.

- Miami: Population 463,347. Rapes reported 106. (No visitor numbers THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS available) - Ft Lauderdale Population 180,072 Rapes reported 91. (No visitor numbers available) - Orlando: Population 280, 256 Rapes reported 190. (No visitor numbers available) - Cruise ships: passenger reported sexual assaults 59. Total reported sexual assaults 76. (The numbers were made up primarily of two shipping lines with one of those lines having the lion’s share of the incidents).

- Bahamas: 395,361. Rapes reported 49 (visitors 3) What do these numbers indicate? Quite simply we are one of safest destinations

By ED FIELDS Managing Director Downtown Nassau Partnership as it relates to serious crimes, specifically sexual assault. Why do we not pronounce that toA7INSIGHT world? Instead, we allow ourselves to be defined by others’ negative and inaccurate narratives, and worse, we copy and paste those narratives in our media.

We are no different from most places.

We have issues. Like those destinations 4, 2019 in Florida, those issues doMONDAY, not MARCH generally extend to visitor populations. All we ask is to be judged by the same standards others are. Yes, like most comparable destinations, visitors are impacted by crime but most often in extremely low numbers.

That does not make us an unsafe destination, just not perfect, but more perfect than most.

Check out this article on how dangerous is it to travel to the U.S. The writer’s conclusion is as sound for The Bahamas as it is for the US if not even more so for the Bahamas. https://www.nomadicmatt.com/ travel-blogs/united-states-travel-safety/ THE ADVISORY refers to an incident at The Sand Trap in 2016 and warns folks not to go to the area. THERE IS NO SUCH AREA. As these pictures show, the bar where the incident took place has been out of commission since 2016 and only remnants of the structure exists.

A QUICK Google search, above, reveals the amount of interest the US Advisory has generated.

0.00000717%

RIGHT: Ed Fields on why The Bahamas is a safe destination for tourists in his article in The Tribune yesterday.

That’s the chance of E a tourist being a victim of crime here

by Ed Fields Managing Director Downtown Nassau Partnership

VERY year we have a circular discussion about the Travel Advisory issued by the US. State Department. It usually comes out in January, but because of the shutdown, it was just released.

It is time we get off this hamster wheel once and for all.

It is important to state that as far as victims of crime are concerned one crime is too many and we should continue to be sensitive to that and to bring the numbers as close to zero as is possible.

Let’s dissect the most disturbing part of the opening paragraph contained in the Advisory.

“Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies and sexual assault, is common, even during the day and in tourist areas.

Although the Family Islands are not crime-free, the vast majority of crime occurs on New Providence and Grand Bahama islands.

US government personnel are not permitted to visit the Sand Trap area in Nassau due to crime.”

According to the crime statistics with respect to serious offences against US visitors, here are the numbers: * In 2018, there was one burglary/robbery.

There were four armed robberies, five sexual assaults, three in Nassau, one in Eleuthera and one in Grand Bahama.

ZERO MURDERS. * In 2017, there was one burglary/robbery.

There were three armed robberies, two sexual assaults.

ZERO MURDERS. * In 2017 and 2018 we had approximately 6,000,000 visitors to these shores.

While it would be accurate to say these categories of crimes have an unacceptable degree of frequency as they relate to Bahamians, it would be entirely inaccurate to use the word common as it relates to visitors. In fact UNCOMMON as it relates to visitors would be extremely accurate and in fact, I would go so far as to say that with respect

to violent crimes, our visitors are extremely safe and, if normal precautions are taken, petty crimes can be avoided.

In total, there were 43 offences against visitors in 2018 or .00000717 percent.

Thirty or .000005 percent of those were against US citizens according to the statistics from the RBPF. Not quite what one would call common as it relates to visitors, but the way the Advisory is worded has the phones ringing off the hook and coverage ranging across 50 states.

It is not the obligation of the US State Department to provide this breakdown. Its job is to provide information to its citizens but in doing so, there must be some accountability for accuracy. For instance, an incident occurred at The Sand Trap in 2016. The advisory warns folks not to go to the area. THERE IS NO SUCH AREA. The bar where the incident took place has been out of commission since 2016 and only remnants of the structure exists. They can verify this by just looking over the wall of the US marine complex located next door. State Department - PLEASE DELETE THE REFERENCE TO THE SAND TRAP. However, while it is not the responsibility of the State Department to provide context, it is the duty and obligation of our leadership and our media to do so.

What is not expected is for the Bahamian media to simply regurgitate the Advisory without providing the proper context. Why did the local reports not allude to The Sand Trap faux pas or to the fact the alert for

the Fish Fry and Over-theHill areas was reduced from “avoid” to “exercise caution”? In other words, we IMPROVED. However, readers and TV viewers here and aboard saw no context.

Even more questionable is why so much press is given to the report in the first place? Most countries never publish this. Does the US publish our warning to our citizens in their media?

The US Embassy does not issue a press release on the Advisory. Our own media searches out this information but fails to take the time to analyse the content and offer appropriate background.

Like The Bahamas, the Netherlands, France and Britain are also under a Level Two Advisory on the US State Department list.

I do not see their newspapers splashing it across the

front page. This reporting is picked up by the international media and makes it seem as if you visit The Bahamas you are destined to be a victim of crime.

THAT IS NOT THE CASE, unless you consider .00000717 percent high risk.

So please, Mr and Mrs Reporter, when a travel advisory speaks to how the country’s murder rate is very high per capita, please

make sure the Advisory’s targeted audience knows that over the past five years The Bahamas has had approximately 30 million visitors, and not one of them was murdered. They may be interested to know that sort of detail.

So many people could do such a better job to get the true message out – just like anywhere a bit of commonsense and you’ll be as safe as anywhere.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, March 5, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Following in the footsteps of the King

THE LEGENDARY Bahamian musician King Eric

E

RIC GIBSON is a household name. The moment a Bahamian hears it, the title “King” precedes it in their mind.

King Eric & His Knights were a popular calypso band in The Bahamas since their inception in 1957, a time when music legend Harry Belafonte released his “Calypso” album which received much international acclaim.

King Eric & His Knights specialised in this modernised type of Calypso music. The band regularly performed at nightclubs and hotels, where their records were in high demand by both tourists and locals.

Between 1960 and 1978, King Eric led the band to ten albums, including: Calypso Encores (with Ronnie Butler), Paging King Eric & His Knights, Bahama Goombay Summer, and Island Boy. In 1966, he opened a recording studio to support other native Bahamian musicians.

By 1973 the year of Independence, King Eric formed the “King & Knights Club” - a venue that not only featured the band, but a variety show that included carnival-style entertainment such as fire juggling and limbo dancing.

King Eric & His Knights also enjoyed popularity outside of The Bahamas, touring in North America and Australia. Years after the popularity of calypso dwindled, King Eric’s name still rang out in Bahamian homes because he was considered a semi-official Bahamian “Ambassador of Goodwill” and was active in the regatta, maintaining a successful racing sloop. Although he died in 2013, he left an indelible mark on Bahamian culture.

Today his grandson, Eric III, is making a name for himself that may result in the name Eric Gibson being well-known in the country for other reasons. Eric Gibson III is a branding and advertising consultant who specialises in using online platforms and social media to significantly boost his clients’ business. He started his consulting agency, BRAND300, back in 2011 while living in Florida.

He says the culture of his business stems from three key ingredients – strategy, creativity and innovation. He helps small businesses and entrepreneurs effectively communicate with their niche target audience by leveraging intent-based branding and advertising techniques on social media. Bahamian businesses are still catching on to the growing social media trends. Eric wants them to know “there’s a service out there that exists that could actually help your business and “up your profits” and that “it’s affordable and you can strategise and be as effective as the biggest brand you can think of”.

His internet-based career path is a far cry from his expected career path in the legal profession. Initially, he wanted to be an attorney. He went to school and studied criminal justice.

“After years of working in the corporate America atmosphere, I found myself arriving at work early, just to sit in the parking lot and dread the next 8-10 hours of my life,” Eric said.

“I was less interested by the day.

To add to that, I quickly learned who the real attorney was in the lawyer/assistant team effort. The assistant pushes all the paper,

and attorney shows up and pretty much regurgitates all of the information learned by the assistant; they show up when it’s show time.

I always knew that I had more to offer, more substance than any corporate America job would ever allow me to put to use.”

Back then, Eric worked as a full-time legal assistant by day and a promoter at night. He and his best friend created a website called “nocturnaljungle.com”. It was a search engine and social community for nightlife. Promoters and club owners in Florida would pay them to promote events and venues on the website.

“The idea was great, it was way ahead of its time,” Eric said.

“This was my first attempt at entrepreneurship and using the internet for profit. Social media had recently become the next big thing. By the time we had made somewhat a name for ourselves in the nightlife industry as promoters and the guys with the ‘next big idea’, life began to slowly change for me. My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, became pregnant with our first child, Eric IV. I decided it was time to make some adjustments to business if I was going to be a good dad and husband.

“Nightlife was fun, we made some money while promoting and running the site, but it was a very fickle industry from a business standpoint. I needed to be doing business in an industry that was more consistently lucrative and conducive to a family-oriented lifestyle. At this point I was sold on the power of the internet and knew that I wanted to continue to utilise it to help others. I just needed to form a business with services that would be worth the cost, and from that thought, BRAND300 was created.”

When nocturnaljungle.com didn’t work out, it was a bittersweet moment for Eric. But had that first business idea not failed, Eric said he probably wouldn’t have been in the mindset to move away from strictly marketing

nightlife to rebrand himself “In retrospect I learned that things weren’t falling apart, they were actually falling into place,” he said.

Eric feels that others should consider the growing trends of the digital age when making career decisions.

Based on multiple case studies performed by designrush.com: * By 2021, mobile e-commerce will account for 54 percent of all online sales. * Consistent brand presentation across all platforms increases revenue by up to 23 percent. * Facebook Ad revenue in the US will surpass total print ad spending by 2019.

“Technology is rapidly advancing daily, so much to the point where the learning curve increases every time it actually advances,” he advised. “Someone has to do the work. Who will that be? In The Bahamas, with the cost of living being so high and shortages in job availability, I would strongly suggest to anyone who’s willing to learn the concepts and do the work to consider the growing trends of the digital age, no matter their industry. A lot of the information can be self-taught and because of the way that the digital industry works, there’s lots of room for high return on investment.”

Eric was born in Nassau to parents Eric Gibson Jr and Christine Gibson, and has an older brother, Gantt. Education, he said, was paramount to his parents and he and his twin sister, Rickeria, attended Nassau Christian Academy and then St Augustine’s College. While at SAC, Eric participated heavily in music.

“Being the grandson of the well-known entertainer, King Eric Gibson and having a father who was also heavily influenced by that same person definitely played a major role in me having an ear for music,” he said.

“I found myself playing piano, drums, guitar and even singing in front of the entire student

ERIC giving a presentation on the effectiveness of social media

body. A lot of people to this day still don’t know that I can ‘hold a note’. But it was around this same time that I felt a higher calling for my future.”

At 15, he left Nassau for Orlando to complete high school and pursue his passion for the sport of golf.

“School was very tough for me,” Eric admitted. “From junior high school through college, but specifically from 3rd through 8th grade, I was either failing a grade or on probation. Because of my

LEFT, Eric with his wife, Amy and son, Eric IV. Above and below: two album covers from King Eric & His Knights.

poor academic history, I got so used to hearing negative things about my future: ‘Eric need to try harder; Eric doesn’t apply himself.’ After I left for the US things got better for me academically.

From 9th through 12th grade I received nothing below a 3.0.

There were still some challenges, but it was the best my grades had ever been. If it weren’t for me making the sacrifice of moving to another country to further my education, I would have never overcome the difficulties I was having academically.

“I learned how to teach myself things that I had difficulties learning with teachers. I found that I actually learned things differently than others. From then, I knew that whatever I put my mind to, I could achieve it. Even if there was a roadblock, I could still achieve my goals. And that has been my mindset with everything I do.

Ultimately, overcoming my academic struggles taught me how to spot the upsides being ‘different’.

It did a lot for my self esteem, which gave me a new and rejuvenated look at my future.”

One of his main clients today, Avvy Bahamas, gives him the opportunity to combine his passion for music with his internet savvy, and Eric has no intention of slowing down. He sees a wide open market in The Bahamas to help local businesses more effectively reach their immediate customers and the world. To contact Eric, email: brand3hundred@gmail.com.

THE TRIBUNE

By KATHRYN CAMPBELL Bahamas Information Services THE Water and Sewerage Corporation has an ample supply of water available in Ragged Island for residents or anyone who wishes to construct a home or business in the southern island.

Adrian Gibson, WSC chairman and MP for Long Island, kicked off a busy day there last Thursday before moving on to two other southern islands.

At the first stop, Mr Gibson, along with other WSC officials, conducted assessments of the reverse osmosis (RO) plant in the Duncan Town settlement.

“You can mix cement or do whatever you need to do,” said the chairman.

“They are supplied. We have a 15,000-gallon capacity for storage in addition to what we produce every day.

The residents in Ragged Island are more than adequately sourced.”

Ragged Island is home to an estimated 32 Bahamians.

In 2017, Hurricane Irma devastated the sparsely populated, remote island leaving it without basic utilities, including water.

Mr Gibson emphasised the government’s obligation to provide water. He said there is anticipation for further construction and development, so the corporation has factored in the island’s growth by doubling the water capacity.

“We’re assessing our plant and works that we have to carry out in Ragged Island. During the storm we lost that plant down the road and we’ve replaced that with double the capacity.

“The previous plant, approximately 2,000 gallons, was blown away. This plant has the capacity for 5,000 gallons. We anticipate doing our part to restore Ragged Island,” he said.

Mr Gibson noted that the plant is now owned and operated by the corporation. “This plant is one of the first ones that we took back. It is fully owned, fully operated by the WSC which

Tuesday, March 5, 2019, PAGE 9

Gibson’s happy to see the water flow on Ragged Island

ADRIAN GIBSON, centre, WSC chairman and MP for Long Island, inspects the facilities on Ragged Island last week. cuts out the middleman and we’re able to save some $50,000 per year that we would have spent supplying the people of Ragged Island with water,” he added.

“Throughout the islands we have had various contracts that have been quite onerous on the corporation.

We’ve formed a RO unit since my appointment and that unit is responsible for overseeing and administering contracts – taking over plants and so on.

“We have special RO trained engineers that we’ve recruited. Once the contract expires we’ll be taking over.”

A standby generator, a solar power reverse

osmosis plant and electrical upgrades are among other initiatives on the drawing board for Ragged Island.

The delegation also travelled to Crooked Island and Acklins. While at Acklins, it was announced that improved water quality, the installation of generators and a new RO plant are among the new initiatives WSC has planned for the community.

Acklins’ residents are not currently charged a fee for water, but Mr Gibson noted that as the corporation transitions into a more “efficient” system the possibility exists that customers will be required to pay for the service.

“We’re conducting a lot of remedial work in respect to the water quality. We’re also installing a new reverse osmosis plant at Lovely Bay. That plant will be able to supply a community that has had issues with salinity and coloured water for some time,” said Mr Gibson.

“We’re also putting in place generators. One of the complaints we’ve had is that once the power goes off, water stops flowing. So we’re going to put generators at each of these plants.

“If your electricity goes off we have the back-up generator kick-in, but even if your electricity goes down we’re also exploring

the solar option which cuts down on the electricity bill, but also allows the plant to operate.”

In the event of a hurricane or other natural disaster, the corporation has improved the storage capacity of water in Acklins.

Mr Gibson said that with eight 5,000-gallon tanks, the island now has 40,000 gallons that could possibly last for one to two weeks.

Marvin Campbell, deputy chief councilor, is thankful for the improvements to the water supply in Acklins.

“A lot of residents are building new homes at this time and it would bring a relief for persons who

depend on wells. We appreciate it for the good people of Acklins,” he said.

Meanwhile, some 250 residents in Crooked Island can look forward to the installation of new water mains in several settlements.

Mr Gibson said the project includes the supply and installation of approximately 83 service connections and five miles of water mains in the settlements of Colonel Hill, Timothy Thompson and Church Grove.

“At present there is a tender out for the works here. We expect that to close on March 18 and after that we will do an assessment with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

A winning bidder will be selected and we will return to Crooked Island to sign that contract,” said Mr Gibson.

Plans are also afoot to install a new RO plant in Crooked Island that will produce approximately 12,000 gallons of water a day. The plant will be owned and operated by WSC. “The tanks will allow for resilience and storage during hurricanes or any kinds of natural disaster.

There will be enough tanks for people to have water in storage for two weeks.”

PAGE 10, Tuesday, March 5, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Right decision now L it’s all about delivery

AST October the Ministry of Tourism, noting that 3.5 million passengers annually were visiting Nassau via several cruise lines, issued a detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) for “an upgrade and revitalisation of the downtown Nassau tourism product”. Although we are statistically the largest Caribbean destination, it was common knowledge that we ranked low in guest satisfaction and tourist spending.

The government RFP demanded not simply physical improvement and expansion of the Prince George Wharf complex, but “upland redevelopment for improving the guest experience”. In other words, the winning bidder must land more passengers and also show how to entertain them. Three bids were submitted by the deadline of December 7, each meeting the RFP’s required capital commitment of at least $100 million, which it would operate for a concessionary period of 25 years.

Last month the Evaluation Committee headed by Director General of Tourism Joy Jibrilu made its recommendation to Cabinet, and now government has announced the winning bidder: the UK company Global Ports Holding (GPH), controlled by Turkish principals but publicly quoted on the London Stock Exchange GPH started business with tourist ports in Turkey and the Aegean and expanded to major European tourist travel hubs such as Barcelona, Lisbon and Venice. Its only Caribbean ports to date are the recently opened Havana and Antigua sites. It sees Nassau as its major entry into this hotly contested cruise market and has been studying our city for over a year, having made an unsolicited proposal well before the RFP was announced.

Since GPH is a public company issuing detailed annual reports, its financial picture and track record are transparent, as are details about more than a dozen ports it manages, extending as far as Singapore. It’s clearly the world’s largest enterprise specializing in the shoreside handling of cruise-line passengers. But it should not be forgotten that two other competent bidders entered the lists against this formidable competitor.

Port of Nassau Partnership was composed of two elements: the Bahamian company Cruise Ports International with a 60 percent stake and Cruise Lines Group, with 40 percent, a coalition of the four leading

HOW the new waterfront could look, according to plans submitted in the Global Ports Holding proposal. cruise lines serving Nassau, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney, and Norwegian.

The local ownership was led by well known retired insurance executive Gerard Strachan who for over ten years has been trying to launch his multi-party “Culture Village” concept . However, more public attention was focused on the possible conflicts of interest posed by the cruise lines’ major role, and Minister of tourism D’Aguilar emphasized this factor in

Government’s rejection of this bid.

The other rejected bid came from Nassau Port Partners, carefully

constructed by Kenwood Kerr, CEO of financial firm Providence Advisors, administrator of our largest public pension funds.

Although technically Bahamian owned and committed to opening a dedicated pier park, this entity had to rely on expertise from foreignowned contractors like Metro Cruise Services, a California company managing cruise ports on the US east and west coasts, a prize-winning venture but lacking the international scope of Global Ports Holding.

Neither of these two candidates could match the proven management

A misunderstanding of history THE ineffable Ms Sam Duncombe has proclaimed she is “more than irritated” by government’s decision to extend to year-end 2020 Bahamas Petroleum Company’s (BPC) licence to drill an exploratory well on its concessions southwest of Andros. The president of activist group Re-earth has often expressed her implacable “NO” to drilling in Bahamian waters.

Together with fellow environmental extremists, she cites an apocalyptic risk of oil-spills fouling our beaches and destroying our tourist-based economy.

This time, she simply accuses government of being “duplicitous”, since we had “been told that there would be absolutely no oil drilling”. In fact, no such promise was ever made or even implied. As far as ten years ago when licencees were first negotiated, government recognised they might someday lead to actual production, for the benefit of both BPC and the State.

Ms Duncombe is concerned that by granting this extension, government will be distracted from a higher

mission to develop renewable energy.

However dilatory the authorises may be in exploiting solar or wind power, they are not in any way hindered by a new fossil fuel licence to BPC. That company alone, with any farm-in partner, will be spending the time and money, not our Treasury or public ministries.

The lady’s long and respected efforts to protect our environment are undermined by her misunderstanding of history and the use of alternative resources.

expertise and financial resources of GPH. Its video presentation has been widely seen and has drawn comments from local retailers such as “They were far away the most ambitious of the revitalization project bidders—exactly what downtown has been needing for many years now”—including a dramatic open-air amphitheatre.

To assure substantial local ownership of the project, GPH is partnering with investment bank CFAL in creating a fund to offer participating shares for as little as $1,000, financing a up to 49 percent of the estimated $250 million capital cost.

Of course, nothing is proven until successful execution, but GPH has already dispatched its senior executive Colin Murphy to shuttle between Miami and Nassau, and Minister D’Aguilar is clearly keen to put a feather in his political cap by welcoming a Nassau renaissance long before the next election.

Boycott of web-shop deposits is intolerable A BREWING dispute between our web shops and our banks is upsetting the usually sedate world of finance. Disputatious words are being exchanged between Gowon Bowe, chairman of our Association of Clearing Banks, and Gershan Major, Director of BGOA (Bahamas Gaming Houses Association). The banks (all except Bank of the Bahamas) are refusing to accept large deposits of cash from the gaming houses.

This leaves Mr Bowe defending one sacred banking principle: the right of any bank to choose its own customers; while Mr Major defends an opposing principle: the right of any lawful business to deposit clean funds in a bank of its choice. The dispute breaks down further: Mr. Bowe claims these deposits may be tainted by funds from money launderers, and it costs too much for banks to exercise due diligence to exclude the bad stuff; while Mr Major claims the web shop customers are shown to be clean and the corporate deposits must be clean too.

To this observer, Mr Bowe’s position is harder to

GOWON BOWE, chairman of our Association of Clearing Banks. defend, since banks by now should have low-cost systems capable of detecting

money laundering. Also, he seems to throw the whole problem back to foreign

banks, particularly the three Canadians who are licenced here: their policies exclude web shop deposits and to maintain correspondent banking relationships we must follow their lead.

It occurred to me that since all wagering funds accepted by web shops must be in Bahamian dollars and not foreign currencies, no correspondent banking is needed. Could web shops simply do B-dollar business with our Central Bank, or set up a specialised credit union serving the web shop industry?

However, this would be a complex solution. Much better would be a faceto-face meeting between the clearing banks and the BGOA to thrash out the details of their differences, monitored by the Central Bank together with the Canadian banks. Although owned by Canadian parents, the local branches or subsidiaries must be governed by the laws and banking rules of the Bahamas, the country which licences them to operate.

The present boycott of webshop deposits is intolerable.

Why not also exclude our casinos?

THE TRIBUNE

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net SEVENTEEN migrants of mixed nationalities who were being smuggled illegally to the United States from Grand Bahama were intercepted at sea and turned over to Department of Immigration authorities this week.

According to reports, the immigrants were with six other people on board a vessel intercepted by the US Coast Guard some 11 miles east of Pompano, Florida. Those six were detained

by American authorities to face prosecution in the US. Immigration officer Napthali Cooper reported that two Chinese, one Colombian, and 14 Haitians, including two minors, were handed over to immigration officials at Freeport Harbour at 3pm on Sunday by officials of the USCG Cutter Bernard Webber.

Mr Cooper reported that while on routine patrol on Friday,

Tuesday, March 5, 2019, PAGE 11

Migrants aiming to get into US caught at sea and face charges February 28, the USCG Cutter Webber spotted an unlit 25ft cabin cruiser heading in a western course towards Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Mr Cooper noted that 23 persons were initially discovered on board the boat. He said the US Cutter Webber brought the 17 migrants back to Grand Bahama.

The immigrants were processed at Depart of Immigration headquarters. Some of the migrants are expected to be charged in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court sometime this week.

Meanwhile four immigrants were charged in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court for breach of the Immigration

Act with two of them additionally charged with possession of a forged landing stamp.

Cecilia De Jesus Carchi Morocho, 29; Juan Bautista Chillogalli, 29; Blanca Mariela Suarez Salazar, 33 - all from Ecuador - and Wuendy Del Carmen Araujo De Nery, 41, of Venezuela appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Debbye Ferguson on Friday. The immigrants were all charged with overstaying and pleaded guilty.

According to the particulars, police in High Rock received information on February 27 and went to an apartment complex in East Grand Bahama where they discovered four people who had overstayed their visitor’s status.

FOUR migrants charged in GB on Friday with immigration offences.

On further investigation, it was discovered two of the immigrants had also acquired fraudulent immigration stamps in their passports.

Morocho and Chillogalli were also charged with possession of a forged landing stamp, knowing the same to be obtained by fraudulent means with intent to deceive an immigration officer. The pair pleaded guilty to the charge.

On the charge of overstaying, the magistrate ordered the four immigrants to pay a fine of $300 each or four months imprisonment.

On the charge of possession of forged landing stamp, the pair was fined $2,500 each or ordered to serve 18 months in prison.

PAGE 12, Tuesday, March 5, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

HOUSE DEMOCRATS LAUNCH AGGRESSIVE NEW TRUMP PROBE

WASHINGTON Associated Press

DEMOCRATS launched a sweeping new probe of President Donald Trump yesterday, an aggressive investigation that threatens to shadow the president through the 2020 election season with potentially damaging inquiries into his White House, campaign and family businesses.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said his panel was beginning the probe into possible obstruction of

justice, corruption and abuse of power and is sending document requests to 81 people linked to the president and his associates.

The broad investigation could be setting the stage for an impeachment effort, although Democratic leaders have pledged to investigate all avenues and review special counsel Robert Mueller’s upcoming report before trying any drastic action. Nadler said the document requests, with responses to most due by March 18, are a way to “begin building the public record.”

“Over the last several years, President Trump has evaded accountability for his neardaily attacks on our basic legal, ethical, and constitutional rules and norms,” Nadler said.

“Investigating these threats to the rule of law is an obligation of Congress and a core function of the House Judiciary Committee.”

Trump dismissed the Nadler probe and others as futile efforts “in search of a crime.”

“Ridiculous!” he exclaimed on Twitter.

Separate congressional probes are already swirling around the president, including an effort announced by three other House Democratic chairmen to obtain information about private conversations between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a letter to the White House and State Department, the House intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Reform panels sent broad requests for details about Trump and Putin’s private meetings by phone and in person. In

addition to document requests, the committees are asking to interview interpreters who sat in on meetings, including a oneon-one session in Helsinki last summer.

The State Department pledged to “work cooperatively with the committees.”

Trump told reporters after Nadler’s probe was announced that “I cooperate all the time with everybody.”

He added: “You know, the beautiful thing? No collusion. It’s all a hoax.”

Guaido returns and calls for more street protests CARACAS, Venezuela Associated Press A DEFIANT Juan Guaido returned home to Venezuela yesterday despite concerns the opposition leader might be detained and urged supporters at a rally to intensify their campaign to topple the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

The 35-year-old leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly showed off his passport before climbing onto scaffolding and pumping his fist during the demonstration in Caracas, delighting euphoric followers whose efforts to oust Maduro have fallen short in a nation gripped by a humanitarian crisis.

There were few security forces nearby and no immediate comment from Maduro’s government, which has tried to divert the public’s attention to carnival festivities on Monday and Tuesday. While thousands of Venezuelans heeded Guaido’s call for protests coinciding with his return, many wonder whether he can maintain momentum against a government that, while under extreme pressure itself, has relentlessly cracked down on opponents in the past, jailing or driving into exile top opposition leaders.

“We know the risks that we face.

That’s never stopped us,” Guaido said after arriving at Venezuela’s

JUAN GUAIDO, who declared himself interim president, speaks to supporters at a rally demanding the resignation of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as his wife Fabiana Rosales stands next to him in Caracas yesterday. main airport and going through Spanish Ambassador Jesus Silva immigration checks. He was Fernandez.

The United States and some 50 greeted by top diplomats from the United States, Germany, Spain and other countries have recognised other countries who possibly hoped Guaido as the legitimate leader of to head off any move to detain Venezuela, arguing that Maduro’s Guaido by bearing witness to his re-election last year was invalid because popular opposition candireturn.

“We hope there won’t be any dates were barred from running.

At the rally, Guaido called for escalation and that parliamentary immunity is respected,” said massive protests on Saturday and

said he would meet today with public employee unions controlled by the government of Maduro, who retains the support of military generals despite the desertion of hundreds of lower-ranking military personnel. “The regime must understand, the dictatorship must understand... that we’re stronger than ever. We’ll continue protesting, we’ll continue mobilizing,” said Guaido, who had ignored an official ban on foreign travel to leave Venezuela last month.

Guaido visited Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Ecuador over the past week — all countries that support his claim to be Venezuela’s interim president and call on Maduro to resign so that the country can prepare for free and fair elections.

The United States, which has warned Maduro not to act against Guaido, congratulated the opposition leader on his return to Venezuela. “The international community must unite and push for the end of Maduro’s brutal regime and the peaceful restoration of democracy in Venezuela,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

Colombian President Ivan Duque tweeted that Guaido’s homecoming was part of the “irreversible path that Venezuela has taken toward democracy.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for dialogue by all parties to end the political impasse.

LUKE PERRY DIES AT 52 AFTER STROKE LOS ANGELES Associated Press LUKE PERRY, who gained instant heartthrob status as wealthy rebel Dylan McKay on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” died yesterday after suffering a massive stroke. He was 52.

Perry, pictured below, was surrounded by family and friends when he died, publicist Arnold Robinson said. The actor had been hospitalised since last Wednesday, after a 911 call summoned medical help to his home in the Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles. “The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning,” Robinson said in a statement.

Those at Perry’s bedside included his children, Jake and Sophie; fiancée Wendy Madison Bauer; former wife, Minnie Sharp, and mother Ann Bennett.

Although Perry was best-known for his role as McKay, he enjoyed a prolific film and TV career.