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Volume: 118 No.94, APRIL 12, 2021
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‘WE’RE HUMAN TOO’
Shanty town residents hit out at authorities on tactics employed in raid By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net RESIDENTS of The Farm shanty town in Abaco have hit out at what they claimed were heavy-handed tactics carried out during a raid on their community. Their claims - which the The Tribune has not been able to independently corroborate - cast a shadow over the government’s attempts to stop the spread of unauthorised developments. Several residents claimed that during the pre-dawn raid last Thursday officers at some point drew their sidearms. One witness, speaking anonymously to The
HUGE BLAZE AT POTTER’S CAY
Tribune, claimed this was in response to him trying to record the raid on his cell phone. This resident said he “ran for his life” after the officers threatening told him to put his phone away. Last week’s raid saw law enforcement agencies descending on the shanty town in a joint sting operation, confiscating generators, food supplies, personal items, illegal contraband and arresting several residents for various alleged infractions. The officers handed out notices of eviction and as the sun began to rise, a 40ft container, flatbed trucks and forklifts moved in. SEE PAGE THREE
COVID SPIKE FORCES PMH TO REOPEN UNIT PINDER EYES SEAT AS VOLCANO’S ASH CLOUD A MAJOR fire broke out at Potter’s Cay Dock at the foot of the Paradise Island Bridge late on Sunday night. Stalls and boats were ablaze with smoke billowing over the road – shortly after an electrical storm in the capital. Firefighters were at the scene at the time of going to press. There were no reports of any injuries.
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
PRINCESS Margaret Hospital has had to reopen its 28-bed Special Pathogens Unit to accommodate an increase of COVID-19 related admissions, which has gone hand in hand with the spike in virus numbers over the past few weeks. The unit was last used when the country was in the midst of its second coronavirus wave.
According to Dr Nikkiah Forbes, director of the National HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Programme at the Bahamas Ministry of Health yesterday, there are renewed concerns about the spread of the potentially deadly respiratory virus. Forty-one COVID-19 cases are in hospital: 39 are considered moderately ill, while two people are in the Intensive Care Unit. Since Thursday, the SEE PAGE FOUR
SHONEL WON’T STAND TURNS DAY INTO NIGHT By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
FOX Hill MP Shonel Ferguson has confirmed that she will not contest her seat in the upcoming general election meanwhile Director of Labour John Pinder is strongly considering seeking a nomination with the Free National Movement to represent the area. Mr Pinder told The Tribune yesterday he’s always
wanted a political career and more so an opportunity to represent the people of Fox Hill. “I’m presently working it out to make a determination, but I know once I nominate, I would have to resign from the government,” Mr Pinder told The Tribune on Sunday. “So, I’ll have to apply for my pension and all of that. So, once I do get all those things in order, I will make SEE PAGE THREE
By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT and DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporters
ACCORDING to Lisa Benton, a Bahamian living in Barbados, “day turned into night” when ashes from La Soufrière volcano eruption on St Vincent descended on Barbados. La Soufrière is an active volcano on St Vincent in St Vincent and the Grenadines. It is the highest peak on that island and
has had several recorded explosive eruptions since 1718. Three eruptions were recorded on Friday. Prior to this the last explosion was in 1979. The volcano is said to have shot up some eight kilometres (4.97 miles) of lava into the skies when it erupted on Friday. Ms Benton, who has lived in St James, Barbados for the past 15 years, said it was like a horror movie. SEE PAGE FIVE
MURPHY DENIES PRISON MALTREATMENT MALCOLM CORRECTIONS Commissioner Charles Murphy has denied that inmates at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services are treated unfairly and inhumanely. His statement on Friday came in response to allegations of mistreatment of inmates which spread on social media. This also comes after a 2020 human rights report
THE BAHAMAS Department of Correctional Services. by the United States State Department noted “overcrowding, poor nutrition, inadequate sanitation, poor
ventilation and inadequate medical care” at the Fox Hill site. “I categorically deny the claim that inmates are treated unfairly and inhumanely while incarcerated at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services,” Commissioner Murphy’s statement noted. “Additionally, I wish to advise the general public
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE FIVE
STRACHAN:
PLAY BY THE RULES
SEE PAGE 11
PAGE 2, Monday, April 12, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
HUGE BLAZE AT POTTER’S CAY
SCENES taken from video of the major fire that broke out last night at Potter’s Cay. Stalls and boats were in flames with smoke blowing across Paradise Island Bridge. • See tribune242.com for the video.
PM SAYS SUPPORTERS SOCIALLY DISTANCED DURING CANVASSING OF ST ANNE’S CONSTITUENCY PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and Free National Movement supporters canvassed St Anne’s on Saturday, days after Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan suggested political gatherings and large social events should not be happening amid the pandemic. Dr Minnis, FNM St Anne’s candidate Adrian White, and party supporters opened a constituency office in the area and then canvassed the community to speak with residents. Asked about the criticism about political events in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic, he said: “You would note that we were spaced out, quite a distance, and rather than bungle (together), we had a line of at least three, four hundred (feet). “So individuals were way ahead, some were way behind and you would note that when we visited any homes, there would not have been more than two, three at max and we had been spaced out again, wearing our masks, etc. The most important thing is keeping adequate social
distancing,” he told Our News on Saturday. Asked about recent political gatherings last week, Dr McMillan said: “The Ministry of Health continues to make the recommendations that are based on the science and certainly our recommendations remain the same, there should not be gatherings that are above and beyond what is agreed upon in the Emergency Orders, as well as you need to wear your mask, you need to sanitise. “Those types of gathering should not be occurring and certainly individuals have a responsibility to protect themselves and others by not availing themselves of such events, be they political, be they a party, be they a gathering of family. We have to continue to follow the public health measures, that is the only way we will be able to continue to move down the road of being in the position that we all want to be in the position of.” Progressive Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell said last week the party’s leader has ordered a review of all campaign practices. Photos: Racardo Thomas
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, April 12, 2021, PAGE 3
‘WE’RE HUMAN TOO’ FROM PAGE ONE
DIRECTOR of Labour John Pinder.
FOX Hill MP Shonel Ferguson.
Pinder eyes seat as Shonel won’t stand FROM PAGE ONE known my intentions. I have no problems ending my career for the people of Fox Hill.” He said his plans for the Fox Hill community involve helping area residents achieve financial emancipation, including establishing it has a hub for tourists. Once this is done, Mr Pinder said it will be easier to forge ahead with plans to quell crime issues in the area. The former union leader said he understands much of the crime has stemmed from gang-related conflicts. “Constituents need an opportunity for economic emancipation in that, historically, Fox Hill has a lot of things to offer and publicly we have a lot to offer. “I have some great ideas to ensure we can bring economic freedom to Fox Hill. That then speaks to my second point. Once people are making money then we need to see how we can cut down on the crime in Fox Hill. The crime is taking place in Fox Hill, especially among the gangs, and I have a plan in mind to diffuse the situation between the gangs to cause there to be less gang activity. “If they can have economic empowerment, I think that will cut down on the attraction by these
gang leaders to younger kids.” Ms Ferguson confirmed in a message to constituents on Friday that she would not contest the seat in the upcoming election. She also thanked her supporters. “I write to inform you that l
“The people of the Fox Hill constituency gave me the opportunity to speak for them and to work with them for the positive advancement of our communities, for this I am forever grateful.” Shonel Ferguson will not be contesting the Fox Hill seat in the upcoming general elections,” she said in the note posted on Facebook. “I thank the Almighty God for the opportunity to serve the Fox Hill constituency as its member of Parliament. Few people are afforded such an opportunity. The people of the Fox Hill constituency gave me the opportunity to
speak for them and to work with them for the positive advancement of our communities, for this I am forever grateful. “To the pastors and spiritual leaders of the constituency who gave me spiritual strength and guidance thank you, the community leaders, Urban Renewal, the principals and staff of the constituency schools – all of whom realised that it takes a village, I say thank you. “To my office staff and the volunteers who were always willing, able and hardworking, I appreciate you and say thanks. “To my family and friends who were a tower of strength and support in all ways and in every way; you were the wind beneath my wings, I thank you and I love you all.” She continued: “To my colleagues and members of the FNM, thank you for allowing me to represent my Fox Hill constituency. I pray that God will continue to bless the Fox Hill community, the entire Fox Hill constituency and the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.” Ms Ferguson was elected to the area in 2017, ousting former area MP and current Senator Fred Mitchell.
Yesterday, one woman who only spoke Creole, told The Tribune through her Englishspeaking young daughter that having received an eviction notice, she has no idea what is next for her family because she has nowhere to go. She claimed her generator and money were removed from the place she calls home. Asked about some of the allegations, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works Desmond Bannister said he would speak about the operation in Parliament today. The young male shanty town resident said the community has been left scrambling after last week’s raid. “I know the Haitians they built on land that there was no permission given to building on, but we still humans,” he said. “Thursday I would say there were as many as 60 officers. There were just so much of them. When they came, they didn’t come professional like, asking questions or anything, they came with force, pulling weapons and stuff, ransacking things,” he alleged. “... I ran away for my life I would say because I was trying to record them doing this injustice to people who have nowhere else to go.”
Status The man said he was born in The Bahamas and has status here, but he lives at The Farm like many Haitians of Bahamian descent. “On Thursday these people were just digging in our houses and if you were not at home or at work they were going by force in these people house. “The things that the Red Cross and Samaritan’s Purse gave them and some that they bought on their own like freezers and generators, these people took them away even though the people was providing their receipts for some of the things that they had.” He insisted there was a better way to deal with the situation, adding that residents would have cooperated. Another man told The Tribune he viewed the entire ordeal as “inhumane”. “They chased us for our
phones, they broke in people house what wasn’t even home. This is wrong,” he claimed. In early February, Mr Bannister along with other government officials toured some parts of The Farm. He said it would not be an “overnight fix” but pledged to Abaconians that the government would take the necessary action to deal with unregulated developments on the island.
Construction Aerial surveillance, released by Abaconians earlier that month, showed new construction taking place, with buildings being built more strategically and sturdier than what was seen in the irregular communities preHurricane Dorian. Following this, the Ministry of Public Works along with other authorities carried out the operation last week. “The Ministry of Public Works co-ordinated a multiagency operation, with the assistance and advice of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF); the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF); Bahamas Customs Department; the Bahamas Department of Immigration; Bahamas Power and Light (BPL); and private sector partners in the unregulated community known as ‘The Farm’ near to Treasure Cay, Abaco,” a statement issued last week noted. “The operation resulted in the arrest of illegal immigrants and other persons who are suspected of being involved in various criminal offences; the seizure of suspected stolen goods; and the disconnection of a large quantity of illegally operated generators and gas tanks. “The illegally constructed access roadways were closed; and signs written in English and Creole were erected. Signs were also posted on illegally erected buildings. The signs warn inhabitants of the legal prohibition of any new construction, and of the intention of the government to demolish all of the illegally constructed buildings. “The Royal Bahamas Police Force and Royal Bahamas Defence Force will maintain a presence in the area to enforce these notices as officers of the Ministry of Public Works carry out their legal mandate during the upcoming weeks.”
DAVIS RETURNS FROM ‘PRODUCTIVE’ TRIP TO US ALLEGED LibDROWNING ON eralPROGRESSIVE Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis returned to the country yesterday ELEUTHERA after a “productive” trip POLICE on the island of Eleuthera are investigating an alleged drowning which occurred on Saturday. According to preliminary reports, shortly before 7pm, officers from the Rock Sound Police Station received information that an unresponsive adult male was fished out of the water of the Ocean Hole located in the settlement of Rock Sound. The man was transported to the area’s clinic where on completion of an examination, the doctor pronounced him dead. Police will await an autopsy report to determine the exact cause of death. An investigation is ongoing.
TWO SHOT IN SEPARATE INCIDENTS
TWO men were taken to hospital after they were shot in separate incidents on Saturday. The first incident occurred around 7pm. Officers were told that a man was in a car which was driving along Malcolm Road and East Street when some unknown person fired gunshots at the vehicle, in which he was a passenger. He was injured in the left leg and was taken to the hospital. He is in stable condition. About an hour later, shortly after 8pm, a man was standing outside a business on Bethel Avenue when a man approached him and opened fire in his direction. The victim was shot in the left hand. He was taken to the hospital and is listed in stable condition. Investigations into both matters continue.
to Washington, DC and New York. While in the US, Mr Davis spoke with Daniel Runde, the director of the Project on Prosperity and Development at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “We discussed increasing investment and development in The Bahamas, public-private opportunities, the doors that could be opened by a new Caribbean Basin Initiative, and the urgency of establishing high-level dialogue and working groups that bring together policymakers, policy experts,
PLP Leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis with Daniel Runde, the director of the Project on Prosperity and Development, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
and the private sector to focus on key issues like renewable energy and economic diversification,” Mr Davis said in a statement. “We also had a truly inspiring working session with Marcela Escobari, a senior fellow
in the Center for Sustainable Development in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution, where she is leading the Workforce of the Future initiative. “We discussed differentiating the Bahamian
PLP Leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis cheering on Bahamian baseball player Jazz Chislom Jr in New York.
tourism product, linking light manufacturing and tourism, opportunities connected to remote work, and workforce development.” Mr Davis also visited the Black Lives Matter
Plaza in Washington, DC and while in New York, went to Citi Field to cheer on Bahamian baseball player Jazz Chisholm Jr, the starting second baseman of the Miami Marlins.
PAGE 4, Monday, April 12, 2021
COVID SPIKE FORCES PMH TO REOPEN UNIT FROM PAGE ONE
nation recorded 100 new cases, the lion’s share—53— were recorded on Friday. Twenty-five new cases were recorded on Thursday while 22 new cases were recorded on Saturday. In total 9,439 cases have been recorded and 329 of these are considered active. COVID-19 deaths remain at 189. “We are continuing to have an uptick in hospitalisations as well and at full capacity in the Princess Margaret Hospital, there were isolation wards that were allocated and we have had to increase our capacity to be able to respond in the last few days,” Dr Forbes told The Tribune yesterday. “We had to open the Special Pathogens Unit that is generally a 28-bed facility. Prior to opening the Special Pathogens Unit, we were treating patients in the eightbed Legacy Unit and so we are definitely seeing an uptick in cases. We have a capacity that is in place that we utilised in the second wave that we are utilising again.” She continued: “So, this is again very concerning. We continue to see an uptick in cases. We continue to have an increase in hospitalisations and if we don’t want to end up in a third wave surge, we’ve got to follow the public health measures—continued prevention, robust vaccination roll out and robust contact tracing and isolation and quarantine—to prevent ourselves from getting into another wave.” As for whether the uptick in cases can be attributed to the Easter holiday weekend, Dr Forbes said it may be too early to tell. “Easter weekend was about a week ago and there could be an increase of cases associated with activities over Easter weekend but based upon the transmission of COVID-19, the incubation period is generally about on average seven days, but it could go as high as 14 days. “So, when we look for these trends in outbreaks and the situation in the country, we expect to start seeing things seven to 14 days after the event, you see? We would be looking at that generally about 14 days from the event. “Given that some people have a shorter incubation period like about seven days it’s not impossible that we’d start seeing an uptick around about now that could be associated with what happened around Easter weekend. “We are getting some reports from gatherings like worship services around Easter time. There are some cases affiliated with a few of those, but it’s a bit early to say for sure that the uptick is associated with what happened on Easter weekend. “It is likely that this is a continuation in cases that we had been seeing and reporting on from weeks prior.” Health Minister Renward Wells said last week officials had remained hopeful that holiday events did not facilitate a rise in cases. Despite concerns about a third wave, he said at the time there was no indication of the country being in the midst of a new surge.
THE TRIBUNE
MORE THAN 15,000 VACCINE DOSES ADMINISTERED By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
MORE than 15,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in New Providence, Grand Bahama and Eleuthera. This comes as the Office of the Prime Minister announced people 50 years of age and older and restaurant and retail workers may begin making appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, effective immediately. Persons with disabilities and their caregivers on New Providence may also begin making appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, starting today. Those appointments are being accommodated at Stapledon School, Dolphin Drive. The Stapledon School vaccination site is reserved for persons with disabilities only, OPM said. For residents who do not have access to the internet, walk-up appointments are available at the Church of God of Prophecy, East Street. Only people eligible to receive
A BOTTLE of the AstraZeneca vaccine is displayed in London. (AP Photo/ Kirsty Wigglesworth) the vaccine at this time should make an appointment. A valid work ID indicating proof of occupation and/or proof of age is required at the vaccination centre. Last week, officials announced that teachers and school staff, hospitality workers, students and athletes studying or competing abroad and home-bound physically disabled people, are now eligible to take the vaccine. In the case of students and
athletes, student ID and proof of competition will be required. The vaccination sites now include Kendal G L Isaacs National Gymnasium, Loyola Hall, Church of God of Prophecy, Baha Mar and Atlantis in New Providence. In Grand Bahama the vaccination site is at the Susan J Wallace Community Centre. Information on the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out on Abaco will be released shortly. Appointments can be made at https://vax.gov.bs. Infectious disease expert Dr Nikkiah Forbes said last week the benefits of taking the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine still far outweighs the risks associated with the jab. Her comment during a Ministry of Health press conference came after the United Kingdom announced that it will offer AstraZeneca alternatives to adults under 30 after European regulators identified a possible link to rare blood clots. The Ministry of Health has said there have been no reports to officials of allergic reactions, blood clots, post-vaccination
hospitalisations or deaths in the country. Health officials say reporting Events Supposedly Attributable to Vaccination or Immunisation (ESAVI) after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is essential. “These reports assist the Ministry of Health to investigate and determine if the stated symptoms are definitively related to vaccination and provide any necessary support to the person who is experiencing the symptoms,” the Ministry of Health said yesterday. Events after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine must be reported to the Ministry of Health immediately by calling the telephone number 818-2975, officials said. As of April 4, there were 69 reports of reactions to the vaccine on New Providence, Grand Bahama and Eleuthera. The reactions are headache - 21 percent; injection site itching and rash, diarrhea and dizziness - 20 percent; fever - 15 percent; chills - 13 percent; muscle pain - 9 percent; pain at the injection site - 8 percent; fatigue - 8 percent; nausea - 6 percent and chest pain - 1 percent.
DOZENS OF WORKERS RECEIVE FIRST VACCINE DOSE AT ATLANTIS By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
SCORES of hotel workers received their first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Atlantis resort on Friday. The move, officials said, will help be a major boost to traveller confidence in The Bahamas and support the country’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking to reporters, Princess Margaret Hospital Administrator Mary Walker said the Atlantis site can vaccinate between 300 to 500 people a day, similar to that of other identified centres. She added that officials were expecting to inoculate some 300 Atlantis employees on its first day of operations. “I think we have over 300 booked for today, yes, as the inaugural day,” Mrs Walker said on Friday. “We’re trying to get as much in as possible and… we’ve been having a very good response thus far from all of the sites that we’re doing it and as we roll out more sites, you’ll realise that we move from area to area, a part of that is because – and I keep saying it – these are the
WORKERS received their first dose of the vaccine on Friday. same professionals moving from place to place to make sure we can get this all done in the shortest time frame as possible.” The Paradise Island site was one of several vaccination centres that opened last week after the government’s National Vaccine Consultative Committee expanded the vaccine programme to include teachers, school staff, and hospitality workers, among others. However, each vaccination centre has assigned priority groups, with Atlantis and Baha Mar only accepting appointments from
hospitality workers. On Friday, Denise Barnes, Atlantis human resources executive director, was the first person to receive the jab at the site, located in Atlantis’ Beach Towers building. Ms Barnes said she decided to get inoculated as a means of being “proactive” in the country’s fight against COVID-19. Asked about how workers feel about getting the vaccines, she replied that the response from employees has been “good” so far. “We have asked people periodically, because you may know that we do the antigen testing quite often, weekly really with our employees and they are really tired of this level of uncertainty and so anything that we can do for them to go back to a sense of normalcy, they seem prepared to do.” However, Ms Barnes also stressed that vaccinations for workers will not be mandatory for those who do not want to take it. “It is not mandated. This is not compulsory. “This is purely voluntary,” she told reporters. “If you want to do it, then you do it. Even right now, if people are being asked to return to work and they say ‘I’m not ready yet’ for whatever reason, that’s not being held against them because their safety is paramount to them. “I know that we have sent
out the communications and the responses have been good, and you see there are some people who already waiting and I’m pretty sure that there are a number of people waiting for those whose going to go first and I’m sure by tomorrow and the rest of the week, they’ll be in here.” Atlantis employees returned to work on December 10, 2020 after the mega resort closed in March last year due to COVID-19 restrictions that affected travel and movement. Since the resort reopened, workers there have been required to take a rapid antigen test weekly as a part of its health and safety protocols. It is not clear how many workers have tested positive via the rapid antigen tests, but Ms Barnes told reporters that officials felt confident in the resort’s COVID-19 preventive measures. She said: “I can’t talk about the stats right, but we are comfortable that we are
DENISE BARNES, Atlantis human resources executive director. nowhere near at risk or anything to be heightened about or anything to be frightened about, so you know the good thing is not just about the testing, but it’s all about the health and safety protocols that we have.” Asked if workers who choose not to get vaccinated will have to pay for their rapid antigen tests moving forward, the executive director replied: “We have not decided on that as yet. I mean we don’t want anything to be considered punitive. I don’t know yet if something will change. “At this time, whatever we need to do which means us paying for the rapid antigen test, we will continue to do that.” Meanwhile, mega resort Baha Mar has strongly urged
its workers to get the vaccine and has offered staff members who receive two doses of the shot a half day’s base pay. The Cable Beach resort also began vaccinating its staff members and other hospitality workers Friday. In response to Baha Mar’s vaccine incentive for its workers, an official at the Atlantis resort said it does not have to force resort staff to “do the right thing.” On Friday, Ms Barnes added: “We have not talked about any incentives at this time because so far as I’ve said, the interest has been very positive and we are just excited about welcoming our guests and so anything we need to do, we do. “That’s why we have long lines at Town Centre Mall on Blake Road for people to get their rapid tests because they want to be to work so if this is yet another opportunity to be to work and stay at work and to blow our customers away, we are prepared to do it, incentives or not.” Atlantis’ vice president of supply chain, purchasing and procurement, Ivan James Jr was also vaccinated at the mega resort on Friday. He told reporters he felt fine after getting the jab. He encouraged others to take it. “I think this is going to help the economy and help the flow of people and trade and hopefully we get back to where we were a year and a half ago,” he said. Christina Bain, assistant director of the resort’s health and safety department, added: “I got the vaccine because I felt that I needed to get the added protection from the vaccine because of my age and what I do and also because I want to be an advocate for the vaccine, and I wanted to keep myself and my family and community safe.” Last Month, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar told Tribune Business that vaccinating front-line hotel and tourism industry staff “as quickly as possible” remains the only viable option for creating a faster tourism rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic. With economic diversification likely to take years, he argued that fully vaccinating Bahamians who tourists come into contact with will provide the country with a valuable health and safety marketing tool that can be used to attract visitors as the threat posed by COVID19 slowly starts to recede worldwide.
THE TRIBUNE
LEWIS OPENS JOB READY PROGRAMME ON GRAND BAHAMA By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock tribunemedia.net
YOUTH, Sports, and Culture Minister Iram Lewis officially opened the Job Ready programme in Grand Bahama on Friday. The programme will provide jobs and skills training to more than 130 young people who have not been able to find employment since the COVID-19 pandemic. At the opening ceremony held at the St Paul’s Methodist Church Hall, Mr Lewis told participants that they will be equipped with the tools needed to build lifelong careers. Job Ready is a sevenweek course for youth between the ages of 17 and 25 who have not been able to secure or sustain employment.
Training Mr Lewis said the programme provides opportunities for youth to realign themselves and get on the right track through soft skills development and onthe-job training. “This cohort is a special one, as this will be the first since the start of the pandemic and among other issues, this group will have to persevere through COVID-19 restrictions as we strive to create our new normal,” he said. “In The Bahamas typically, the youth are presented with a variety of social issues such as crime, poverty, and social inequalities just to name a few. My ministry understands the importance of our young people overcoming these issues on the road to a successful life. “Therefore, this programme provides opportunities for our youth to realign themselves and get on the right track through our soft skills development and on-the-job training.
Careers “Through acquiring these skills from our Job Ready programme many young men and women have equipped themselves with the tools needed to build lifelong careers.” Mr Lewis was pleased with the overwhelming response to the programme, which has received 130 applications submitted from youth throughout the island. As a result of this, he indicated that two cohorts were created, one in Freeport, and a second in Eight Mile Rock. Deon McKinney, junior youth parliamentarian for East Grand Bahama, also encouraged participants to continue to reach deep within and let their light shine. He told the participants the challenges he had to overcome in his life, from being a failing student through his formative years in school to losing his both parents and the financial struggles of getting a college education. He told them how he was able to turn his circumstances around by finding value deep within himself. Mr McKinney said: “I told myself, ‘I am valuable because God doesn’t make junk.’”
Monday, April 12, 2021, PAGE 5
VOLCANO’S ASH CLOUD TURNS DAY INTO NIGHT FROM PAGE ONE
“We were warned to stay inside,” she said. “I am a curious person so I went outside. It was like a horror movie. I watched the day time sky turn black as night from the ash. That frightened the heck out of me and I ran back inside. My husband was furious because he told me to stay inside from the beginning. “I started to cough a lot and then I came inside. It was really scary watching the dark come. “Like the apocalypse! I could hear people screaming from their houses. “I guess they didn’t know what to expect next and all of it really frightened them.” Barbados is 118 miles away from St Vincent and lies to the west of that island. A warning from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency said: “Barbadians have been urged to stay indoors as thick plumes of volcanic ash move through the atmosphere.”
Terrified Ms Benton continued: “The scary thing is that a lot of people don’t realise that once water or rain gets on this ash and it dries, it turns into a cement type substance … hard as rock. So imagine everyone’s roof and cars. This is so sad. My daughters were terrified. I tried to cover the cars with sheets but it wasn’t working. No one wanted to come outside to help me. “The other issue is that my husband is now wondering if our car and house insurers will compensate us for the damage. “We can hear the roof literally creaking under the weight of what is on it.
CARS drive through ash which rained down on Black Rock main road on the outskirts of Bridgetown, Barbados, Sunday. (AP Photo / Chris Brandis) “The good thing is that o’clock in the afternoon, it residents who had to looked like it was dusk out- be evacuated following the we are safe, I guess.” eruption. The water supply Another Bahamian side,” she recalled. At her residential com- had also been cut off in living in Barbados told The Tribune that they began pound in St Peters, the many areas, with almost experiencing some hazy and Bahamian educator had 3,200 people spending the dusty conditions on Friday. woken up to find ash on her night in shelters. The Office of the By Saturday morning, con- floors and countertops after leaving a window open. Prime Minister released ditions had worsened. “Right now, it is very a statement advising “When I woke up Saturday morning, it was bright, hazy, and you can’t see Bahamians that Prime but then around 9am it got in front of you; there are Minister Dr Hubert Minnis really dark and all the lights dark clouds, and it is really has spoken with Prime on the compound where I dusty,” she said, describing Minister Gonsalves. live came on even though the conditions she saw as it was nine in the morning of 3pm on Saturday. “It is when there should be bright really heavy now. But every sunlight,” the resident, who so often there is a time did not want to be named, when it clears up and it is The statement read: said. “We have to stay light and bright, and when “Prime Minister Minnis indoors; it just looks like another eruption happens offered the support of the the ash comes over again people and government everything is abandoned. “You can actually see the with the wind. Everybody is of the Commonwealth of ash on your hands when on lockdown in their homes The Bahamas to the govyou go outside, falling like because of the ash and our ernment and people of little spits of rain. So, we doors and windows are St Vincent and the Grenhave to be really careful closed.” adines as a result of the Certain parts of St Vin- ongoing eruptions at La – not only are we wearing our masks for COVID but cent had to be evacuated. Soufriere volcano. because of the ash in the air A strong stench of sul“Prime Minister Minnis that is coming from St Vin- phur swept that island on recalled the support of the Saturday. cent,” she said. Caribbean Community “All I’m asking of eve- during Hurricane Dorian. The Bahamian has lived in Barbados for a number rybody is to be calm,” He expressed full solidarity of years said it is the first St Vincent Prime Minis- with the people of St Vintime she has ever experi- ter Ralph Gonsalves told cent and the Grenadines enced anything like this reporters during a visit during this difficult time. in her life. “Around one to a shelter that housed Prime Minister Minnis also
Support
spoke with Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. Ash clouds from the eruptions have drifted over Barbados. Prime Minister Minnis also offered the support of the people and government of The Bahamas to Barbados.” Senator Fred Mitchell, chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party, also weighed in, asking Bahamians to pray for their CARICOM neighbour. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the government and people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as they face another huge environmental, economic, social and humanitarian crisis with the threat of volcanic activities,” he said in a statement. In a post on Facebook, Prime Minister Gonsalves said they are faced with massive clean-up on their hands. “Of the 13 million cubic metres of material which have formed, approximately the volume, it has been blown away, and new material is also coming up from the volcano. But fortunately, a lot of the material has gone in the sea, but a lot has reached Barbados, and we don’t know how long this spewing is going to take place. “The seismologist doesn’t know. “They are working and are collecting samples and through their testing, they will be able to give us an indication as to what do they think. “It is not a precise science when doing these prognoses. So, this cleaning up is going to be massive as you can see already. The weight and nature of this, catching the roofs, windows, and doors, it is getting inside the houses. It is a very serious problem,” Dr Gonsalves said.
MURPHY DENIES PRISON MALTREATMENT FROM PAGE ONE
that inmates are allowed three meals per day, daily exercise and showers in accordance with the Human Rights Convention, standard minimum treatment of offenders and the Correctional Service Act 2014. “Further, the southern wing of the Maximum Security Housing Unit has just been recently renovated as part of our improvement project. This area is designated as a no smoking zone to which all inmates placed in that housing unit are aware. “It was brought to my attention that inmates are smoking in the unit which created a problem for inmates who do not smoke. Inmates were also found damaging the walls and cell doors in the newly renovated unit with the cigarettes. They have been warned to discontinue this practice many times to no avail. Therefore, administration took the position to discontinue the issuance of cigarettes to preserve health and safety of all inmates and to protect the infrastructure within Maximum Security and the interest of the general public at large.” Earlier this month, The Tribune reported that the US State Department Country Report on Human Rights Practices highlighted poor prison conditions and the mistreatment of migrants in The Bahamas, revealing in one instance of a prisoner being beaten and requiring surgery. The 2020 report, released
CORRECTIONS Commissioner Charles Murphy.
in March, says conditions at BDCS last year were harsh. Designed to accommodate 1,000 prisoners, the correctional facility held 1,617 inmates as of December 2020, according to the report.
Water Inadequate access to clean drinking water remained an issue in the men’s maximum security block, remand and the women’s block and the report notes that up to six men are contained in six-by-ten feet maximumsecurity cells without mattresses, running water or toilet facilities. “Inmates removed human waste by bucket. Prisoners complained of the lack of beds and bedding. Some inmates developed bedsores from lying on the bare ground. Sanitation was a general problem, with cells infested with rats, maggots, and insects.
Ventilation was also a problem, and some inmates complained of mould and mildew. The government claimed to provide prisoners in maximum-security areas access to toilets and showers one hour a day. The women’s facilities were generally more comfortable, with dormitory-style quarters and adequate bathrooms,” the report says. “The availability of clearly labeled, prescribed pharmaceuticals and access
to physician care was sporadic. Prisoners consistently complained that prison authorities did not take their health concerns seriously. Sick male inmates and male inmates with disabilities had inadequate access to the medical centre. One inmate, who requested assistance for a series of medical complications, died at BDCS in October. “The inmate’s family had been permitted to provide him with nutritional supplements and healthy meals until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the prison to restrict visitors. Absent outside support and adequate prison care, the inmate died in his cell. “In February a correctional officer beat a prisoner, causing a leg injury that required surgery. The government stated it charged the officer with use of unnecessary force and referred the matter to a disciplinary tribunal at the Department of Correctional Services,” the report states.
However, the report notes that the government has made some improvement to prison conditions. It says: “The government took steps to improve prison conditions, including by introducing biodegradable bags for proper waste disposal, constructing 100 bunk beds, and installing flooring, air conditioning, and masonry in parts of the maximum-security area. In addition inmates noted repairs to water flow during the year and a reopened prison library. “At the Carmichael Road Detention Centre, the government replaced floor tiles in all dormitories.” Among the claims about the prison, which circulated online last week, this message was posted on social media: “. . .Inmates want Commissioner Murphy to go. He just oppressing us all over. He (banned) us from having Aqua Pure water, visitation, free world food and now he (trying to ban) smoking. “All type of pressure behind here.”
PAGE 6, Monday, April 12, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
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Prince Philip: old-school European aristocrat and dedicated royal consort THE death of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh marks the end of a chapter not just for the British royal family – but for European monarchy itself. Philip belonged to that cosmopolitan world of interrelated royals that had ruled Europe before the first world war that has been largely swept away by time, war or revolution. Born on Corfu to the GreekDanish Prince Andrew and the English-German Princess Alice of Battenberg, he might have lived as an obscure European prince had his family not been caught up in the revolutionary politics of the postWWI era and banished from their homeland. Philip remained bitter throughout his life that his Romanov relatives had been murdered by the Bolsheviks: in 1993, his DNA was used to identify their bodies. Moving first to Paris and then to London, Philip was educated in England, Germany and finally at Gordonstoun School, established by the German Jewish refugee Kurt Hahn. It was to the tough characterbuilding regime at Gordonstoun that Philip always attributed his pragmatic, unsentimental approach to life, but which sometimes struck others as harsh or unfeeling. In the second world war he served with distinction in the Royal Navy, but it was after the war that he was projected into the royal role that defined his life. Having fallen in love with his distant relative, Princess Elizabeth, he married her in 1947 in the first of a series of high-profile royal weddings that were to punctuate postwar British history. To mark the wedding, Philip, who had given up his foreign titles when taking British nationality, was given the title Duke of Edinburgh. To his intense irritation, however, his wife retained her royal surname of Windsor for herself and their first two children rather than taking her husband’s name, Mountbatten. Eventually a constitutional compromise was reached whereby Prince Andrew and Prince Edward were given the surname Mountbatten-Windsor. Philip seemed an invigorating breath of fresh air, striding into Buckingham Palace in slacks and open-necked shirt, in a monarchy that was in danger of appearing stuffy and out of touch. But when Princess Elizabeth succeeded to the throne in 1952, he discovered the ambiguities and frustrations of the role of consort to the British monarch. Unlike Prince Albert, he was not given the formal title of Prince Consort, though in 1957 he was given the courtesy title Prince Philip. Like his Victorian forebear, he threw himself into charitable, scientific, sporting and educational schemes, most notably heading the National Playing Fields Association and the Worldwide Fund for Nature. Perhaps his most lasting legacy is the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, a graded programme of outdoor adventure and endeavour for young people based on the same principles as Gordonstoun. Philip quickly developed a reputation for what he once defined, to the General Dental Council, as “dentopedology – the science of opening your mouth and putting your foot in it”. His “gaffes” were typical of the clubbish humour of the officer class
– though less appreciated, sometimes even offensive, to other ears. His remarking to the president of Nigeria, who was wearing national dress, “You look like you’re ready for bed”, or advising British students in China not to stay too long or they would end up with “slitty eyes”, is probably best written off as ill-judged humour. Telling a photographer to “just take the f----ing picture” or declaring “this thing open, whatever it is”, were expressions of exasperation or weariness with which anyone might sympathise. He was also capable of genuine if earthy wit, saying of his horse-loving daughter Princess Anne: “If it doesn’t fart or eat hay she isn’t interested.” Many people might have thought it but few dared say it. If Prince Philip’s famous gaffes provoked as much amusement as anger, it was precisely because they seem to give voice to the bewilderment and pent-up frustrations with which many people viewed the everchanging modern world. It was in his family role that Philip came in for most criticism. The Queen never failed to pay tribute to his support – for many years she would begin her public utterances with the words “My husband and I”. And their children appeared to outward appearances to be balanced and happy. Yet the string of scandals and divorces that engulfed the younger royals in the 1980s increasingly seemed to point to inadequate parenting. In particular, Prince Charles, a more sensitive figure than his father but whom Philip had nevertheless put through the rigours of Gordonstoun and the Navy, suffered from his father’s no-nonsense approach. It was Philip who forced Charles to end public speculation and marry Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and, when the marriage ended in divorce, much blame was attached to the exacting way in which the Duke had brought up his eldest son. The crisis provoked by Diana’s death in 1997 brought criticism of the monarchy out into the open, but the Duke played an important part in planning the funeral that went a long way towards rebuilding public trust. In his later years, the Duke of Edinburgh began to step down from his huge range of public roles – he held more than 800 presidencies and patronages – including the chancellorship of the universities of Cambridge, Salford, Wales and, fittingly, Edinburgh. He received wide praise in 2012 when he stood for three hours in the rain beside the Queen at her Diamond Jubilee river pageant, and then suffered a bladder infection. However, his insistence on continuing to drive attracted criticism when, in 2019, he was in collision with another car near the Sandringham estate. As his health deteriorated, he nevertheless kept up his schedule of public duties, only finally stepping down in 2017, at the age of 96. Fittingly for a naval-military man, his last public duty was when he transferred his role as colonel-in-chief of The Rifles to his daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall in July 2020. Sean Lang, Senior Lecturer in History, Anglia Ruskin University theconversation.com
A prison officer speaks out EDITOR, The Tribune. I AM a corrections officer at the Bahamas Department of Corrections (BDOCS), and feel that it is my duty as a public servant to speak out about what I am seeing take place at the institution. I must say that the statement given by Commissioner Murphy to the media regarding inmate unrest at BDOCS was in my opinion untrue. Mr Murphy said that the sale of cigarettes was stopped within the Maximum Security facility due to the smoke damaging the air conditioning units. On Tuesday, April 6th, word spread around the compound that the prison would immediately cease the sale of cigarettes to inmates. This abrupt action was put into effect for the entire compound (Female, Minimum, Medium and Maximum Security) with no prior warning or grace period. Mr Murphy ignored the advice from his officers that forcing inmates to abruptly quit smoking was the worst course of action and would only lead to unrest. Nicotine addiction requires help, not a heavy hand. His actions resulted in near riots within the Maximum Security facility and put the safety of officers in direct jeopardy for days. Some of my fellow officers took it open themselves to bring in cigarettes and share with inmates in order to keep calm. These inmates have been completely cut off from their families for over a year now as Mr
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net
Murphy said that he will not allow visits until all of his officers are vaccinated, however most of us officers do not want the vaccine. This is completely unfair to these inmates. They are human beings whose loved ones are longing to see them. These men are sleeping on hard floors which is in direct violation to The Corrections Act section 9.1.b. Their cells are overcrowded which is in violation of Section 10.2 of the Act; they are poorly fed and forced to shit in bags/buckets. They smoke simply to bring some degree of comfort to an inhumanely difficult situation. To make matters worse Mr Murphy recently instructed officers to perform random drug testing of inmates and anyone found with the slightest amount of marijuana in their system is immediately sent to the Maximum Security prison. Never before has this happened as previous Commissioners followed Section 40.1.a and gave inmates who violated rules a warning and time frame to clean up their act. The Act indicated in 40.1.c that only in cases of serious offences should inmates be transferred into Maximum Security. It is sad to see that the current leadership is only becoming more harsh and punitive towards inmates. Inmates are being denied the right to purchase
bottled drinking water; a young man with the initials M.M. was severely beaten in Medium Security this weekend and had to be rushed to PMH; the 147 promised clemency since Christmas are disillusioned and feel like pawns in a game; officers have been complaining about Mr Murphy for years to no avail as it would seem that his FNM political ties have made him untouchable The public should know that 10 bushels of sweet peppers were harvested last week and not one single pepper made it on an inmates plate. One hog died of starvation over the Easter weekend and another ate two of its piglets in order to survive. Now there is a mad rush from leadership to fix and cleanup the embarrassing state of the inmates living areas before an upcoming meeting in April. Honestly, many officers like me would not be working here if we did not need the job. The institution is far from one of Corrections. The leadership is tone deaf and only concerned with administering punishment, not extending help. They are beating these men with sticks to make them bend or break. There are severe issues within BDOCS which are being ignored or glossed over for the public. Any other country would be ashamed and demand change. Young and Frustrated A BDOCS Officer. Nassau, April 11, 2021.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, April 12, 2021, PAGE 7
POLICE WARN AGAINST FAKE COVID TESTS THE Royal Bahamas Police Force has warned people against obtaining fake COVID-19 tests, noting several people have recently been arrested and charged in court as a result. “In recent weeks it has come to the attention of the Royal Bahamas Police Force that a growing number of Bahamians are seeking to carry out COVID-19 testing through unofficial means,” police said. “In the last week, several people have been brought before the courts and charged. “The Royal Bahamas Police Force is warning Bahamians against obtaining fake COVID19 tests. “The Commissioner Paul Rolle and his team are advising all citizens, residents and visitors to go through the correct procedures when obtaining such documentation for travel or otherwise. We urge you to take this warning seriously to avoid prosecution and to help keep you, your family and the wider community healthy.” A person convicted of obtaining a false COVID-19 test faces a fine of up to $2,000 or up to two years in prison, or both.
POLICE at the scene of the shooting on Friday. Photos: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune staff
Man shot dead in Kemp Road area
By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net
A MAN wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet died on Friday when he was riddled with bullets in the middle of the street in the Kemp Road area. Police said the shooting took place at about 1pm. The victim appeared to be in his early 30s, police said. “Shortly before 1pm, the driver of a Nissan Cube was travelling north on Kemp Road when the driver of another vehicle stopped in front of his vehicle,” police press liaison officer, ASP Audley Peters said. “A lone passenger exited the vehicle armed with a firearm and discharged it at the driver of the Cube.” ASP Peters said the driver of the Cube tried to leave the vehicle, however, his assailant fired several more shots at him and he dropped to the ground. “Because of the persons that were coming on the scene, that suspect
21-YEAR-OLD MOTHER JAILED FOR FALSE COVID TEST RESULT By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
A 21-YEAR-OLD mother was sentenced on Friday to six months in prison for presenting a false Doctors Hospital COVID-19 test result when she attempted to travel earlier last week. The prosecution told the court that Jasmine Pyfrom knowingly presented the COVID-19 test result on April 7 that was not genuine. The prosecution said the accused presented the test bearing her name on an iPhone XR to a COVID-19 ambassador. The ambassador then examined the document and compared it – finding it to be fraudulent. Police were contacted and Pyfrom was cautioned and arrested. Later she admitted to taking the test but said she received the document from her stepfather. At her arraignment before Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans, Pyfrom
pleaded guilty to both charges – possession and uttering a forged document. When Magistrate VogtEvans asked whether Pyfrom had anything to say, she replied, “I didn’t know,” and explained she did take the test, but the results had expired. The magistrate asked if she had a child, to which Pyfrom replied that she has a two-year-old. After hearing the comments of the accused, the magistrate noted that the court took this into consideration. However, she mentioned the “extreme seriousness” of the charges and the possible effect. The magistrate also spoke about “a lack of remorse,” adding that the excuse of not knowing was “unacceptable” as the young mother took the test and knew it was outdated. As a result, Pyfrom was convicted and sentenced to six months behind bars.
54-YEAR-OLD MAN FACES THREE CHARGES By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net A 54-YEAR-OLD man was arraigned on Friday on three charges, including possession of a housebreaking instrument at night. Patrick Gray appeared before Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans on Friday also accused of violation of curfew and vagrancy. He was accused of being in a public area with intent to commit the offence of shopbreaking. He had a crowbar with him. The prosecution claimed that on March 23 at 11.50pm at Carmichael Road in the area of Lickety Split, police on mobile patrol heard loud banging. It is alleged that as Gray came down the stairs, police found a crowbar in his possession. The prosecution noted that the 54-year-old said he was looking for
windows for his house. At first, Gray pleaded guilty to all charges, but that changed when the magistrate asked him if he accepted the facts to which he replied: “No.” Gray contested a few details. He claimed that the crowbar was not in his possession, but was found in the bush. After hearing Gray’s explanation, the magistrate explained to him that the court entered a not guilty plea. The prosecution objected to bail as he has a record that consisted of similar offences and was also out on police bail. The magistrate noted that he was also fined $500 last year. She also noted that he faced a $500 fine or jail time last year. However, Gray claimed that he had been pardoned. The magistrate, however, denied bail and the case was adjourned to June 14.
THE VICTIM was driving this Nissan Cube. made good his escape,” the police press officer said. “Emergency Medical Services were summoned and following the examination of the body it was pronounced
lifeless. We can say at this time that the police are following very positive leads and we hope to bring this matter to closure as soon as possible.” Police are encouraging members
of the public, in particular the Kemp Road community, to call 502-9991or 502-9992 if they have any information to assist this investigation. “The victim appears to be in his early 30s,” ASP Peters said. “There is no indication at this time that the matter is gang related, but the evidence will lead us to what the motive is. He was shot multiple times about the body.” He declined to share the description of the suspect’s vehicle nor whether any drug paraphernalia was found in the victim’s car. However, he confirmed that no weapon had been found. It was confirmed that the deceased wore an ankle bracelet. His identity was not released by police, however loved ones on social media identified him as Jahfin White and posted condolences to his Facebook page over the weekend. His death marked the 32nd for the year, according to this newspaper’s records.
PAGE 8, Monday, April 12, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Remembering Prince Philip Royal visits to The Bahamas by the Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II
F
OR seven decades Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh stood by the Queen’s side, helping her steer the monarchy through triumph and crisis. When he died peacefully on Friday morning, Queen Elizabeth by his side, Britain and the Commonwealth took a moment to remember a man many could not remember not being a part of their lives. Here in The Bahamas there will be those who also have their own private memories of Prince Philip because, as our commemorative pages today recall, he and Her Majesty visited here over the years. Politicians, businessmen, ordinary members of the public who for a moment stood in the presence of the royal couple will have remembered that moment, something they treasured at the time and can now look back at in their memories. In all these pictures you see Philip by his Queen’s side, always on hand, ready to support her in whatever duty she was carrying out. He was unique, a strong, passionate - sometimes controversial - man: but always loyal, always ready to do his duty. For him there was no walking away from The Firm as the Royal Family is affectionately known. We can only pray the Queen, in her grief, can hold on to all he did. Husband, father, grand and great grandfather – most of all, her friend.
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The Bahamas sends its condolences By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright @tribunemedia.net
CONDOLENCES to the Queen and the Royal Family have poured in from around the world including from here in The Bahamas. Governor General Sir Cornelius Smith, being the Queen’s representative, officially broke the news here of the Duke of Edinburgh’s passing. “It is with deep sadness that I inform Bahamians and residents in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas of the passing of His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 9 April 2021.” The Governor General said his thoughts are prayers are with Her Majesty and the Royal Family at this time. Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, in a statement, mentioned the Prince’s previous visits to The Bahamas. His statement read: “It is with deep sadness and sorrow that we have learnt of the passing of His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Her Majesty,
GOVERNOR General Sir Cornelius Smith.
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.
PLP Leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis.
Queen Elizabeth II on 9 April 2021. “Very fond memories of Prince Philip’s visits to The Bahamas in 1966, 1975, 1977 and 1994 are warmly held by the people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. His work and interest in empowering young people throughout the Commonwealth and indeed globally, are especially cherished, for which he will be fondly remembered.” He sent condolences to citizens of the United Kingdom on behalf of the government and people of The Bahamas. Celebrating the life and legacy of Prince Philip in a statement, the Governor General Youth Award
(GGYA) organisation here in The Bahamas hailed him as a champion of young people worldwide and instrumental in their growth. The programme was initially called the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award before it was renamed. GGYA is one of the nation’s most popular after school programmes for non-formal education and learning. The statement read: “Across The Bahamas today, 729 participants, 124 volunteers, 42 units, the national office, council and board of trustees marked the passing of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
“Sixty-five years ago, Prince Philip established the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in the United Kingdom. Since then, it’s been rolled out in more than 130 countries and territories, empowering millions of young people to build the skills, confidence and resilience they need to support their communities and be ready for the world.” The Progressive Liberal Party, through a statement from its leader, Philip “Brave” Davis, also extended condolences to the Queen. “On behalf of the Progressive Liberal Party, I extend condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, our head of state, on the death of His Royal
Highness Prince Philip,” Mr Davis’ statement noted. “Prince Philip has been an active and prominent figure during our national advancement; he frequently visited our islands in years past and remained a friend of the Bahamian people. He is remembered fondly by many of our people for his work in founding what is now called the Governor General’s Award scheme and his patronage of the work of the Bahamas National Trust (BNT).” In a statement to its Facebook page, BNT said it was honoured to have Prince Philip as its patron until he retired in 2017. “Over the years it was our privilege to have His Royal Highness open The Retreat Garden on October 18, 1985 and to attend the Heritage Fund Dinner in March 1989, marking the occasion of the creation of this important endowment fund for the work of the Bahamas National Trust,” BNT said. Prince Philip had an unsettled and peripatetic childhood. His parents separated and his father settled in Monte Carlo where he amassed significant gambling debts, and his mother,
who was deaf, went on to found an order of nuns before becoming depressed and being admitted to an asylum. Once describing himself as “a discredited Balkan prince of no particular merit or distinction,” Prince Philip was born on June 10, 1921 on the kitchen table at the family home of Mon Repos on the island of Corfu. He was the youngest child and only son of Prince Andrew of Greece, an officer in the Greek army, and Princess Alice of Battenberg. When his father was charged with high treason in the aftermath of the heavy defeat of the Greeks by the Turks the family fled. They were evacuated in a British warship, with oneyear-old Philip carried in a makeshift cot. Prince Philip was the longest serving consort in British history, and was only months away from his 100th birthday in June. A private royal funeral will be held for him at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on Saturday with under 30 people in attendance so as to comply with the UK’s COVID regulations.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, April 12, 2021, PAGE 9
REMEMBERING PRINCE PHILIP 975 FROM 1
PAGE 10, Monday, April 12, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
REMEMBERING PRINCE PHILIP 977 FROM 1
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By EUGENE DUFFY PRINCE Philip had a famously low opinion of the Press - especially anything that came a size smaller than the Daily Telegraph. I know from first-hand experience exactly how low he considered a humble hack like myself. In a former life I was a senior editor on the Daily Mirror, a popular multi-million selling tabloid. Princess Diana, showbiz, sport and
THE GUTTER PRESS left-of-centre politics was our daily fare. Back in 2003 the Mirror’s editor was Piers Morgan, now mostly known for his ongoing feud with Meghan Markle. Top of the news agenda one afternoon was the announcement that scientists had successfully
completed the sequencing of DNA which we were assured would lead to huge advances in medicine. “How do we explain this to Mirror readers?” asked Piers. I thought for a moment (the best headlines always come in an instant). “Simple - It’s one small
piece of man, one giant leap for mankind.” Some months later Piers popped into my office to say the page had been selected as one of the exhibits in a new gallery at the British Museum to show the brilliance of British newspapers. The Queen would be opening the exhibition and I was to meet her and explain the front page. The big day arrives and the reception is opened with the Queen due to walk down one side of the room meeting people from the museum and those responsible for the exhibits. Prince Philip was to amble along the other side where all the British national press editors were gathered. I suspect he recognised some of the faces he was to meet and quickly - and firmly - sent the Queen down the editors aisle while he headed for the area I was standing. Hands behind his back, he strolled down the line politely asking what everyone’s role in the exhibition was. To a man - and woman - they were all from the museum - until he arrived in front of me. “Are you with the museum?” “Hmm. Afraid not Sir, I’m with the Press. I drew one of the front pages.” “Which paper?” “Daily Mirror, Sir” I swear the temperature dropped ten degrees. He looked straight at me with such loathing, turned immediately left and marched quickly on to the end of the line in case any other detestable journalists were lying in wait. Priceless.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, April 12, 2021, PAGE 11
Mixed signals sent by large gatherings have put campaign season in the crosshairs By MALCOLM STRACHAN
I
T has been more than a year since the start of the COVID19 pandemic, and with possibly less time before the next general election, political parties have been faced with a conundrum. When they would typically be pounding the pavement and filling up parks and town halls across the country, they, too, are at the mercy of the emergency orders – or at least they should be. With dictates barring the gatherings of large groups, businesses have been shut down, citizens have faced fines and families have had to scale down funerals and weddings to ensure they are within the confines of the dreaded, but perhaps necessary, emergency orders. And while the general public has learned to live with the abhorred restrictions for the past year, what we’ve witnessed from the ongoing political events has been nothing short of shameful. Seeing political leaders flout the established protocols has understandably left a bad taste in the mouths of many citizens as we once again are subjected to feeling like second-class citizens in our own country. People going so far as to make jokes about the fact that if they want to bury a loved one, the family should arrive to the funeral wearing political paraphernalia is not funny at all. Actually, it is downright reprehensible. Now, as we’ve witnessed another spike in COVID19 cases, there has been no acknowledgement from the leadership of the PLP or the FNM that the reckless display at campaign events may be further endangering the health and wellbeing of the populace. As thousands remain out of work, there is not only the threat to public health, but also the vulnerability of the economy if tighter restrictions have to be put back in place. As the status quo will indicate, you can easily guess who will take the blame and be left to carry the burden. That’s right – you and me – the Bahamian people. As images of campaign events show large numbers of people donning their party colours, it is unbelievable that political leaders are just now considering how irresponsible these actions may be. Progressive Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell said
the party intends to review its campaign practices in light of comments by Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan. She said: “Those types of gatherings should not be occurring and certainly individuals have a responsibility to protect themselves and others by not availing themselves of such events be they political, be they a party, be they a gathering of family.” This should not be news for anyone a year after the pandemic began and we have been living in a state of emergency. And yet, neither the PLP nor the FNM have a sensible explanation for the Bahamian people as to why they are taking such a gamble at this time. Minister of Health Renward Wells, in defence of the heavily criticised campaigning being done by both parties, offered an
“As images of campaign events show large numbers of people donning their party colours, it is unbelievable that political leaders are just now considering how irresponsible these actions may be.” excuse about the allowance of groups of 20 individuals being able to gather. This, however, is categorically false and not in line with the measures set out by the competent authority. Furthermore, the large numbers we can see in images taken of both parties’ events far supersede Wells’ suggestion of 20 individuals being able to gather. Noting the error in the message being sent by political leaders, though, was his predecessor, former Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands, who said: “We have to be careful that we don’t send the wrong message. And so, everybody who is involved in any type of door-to-door activity not only needs to be mindful of the emergency orders but have to adhere rigidly to them and make sure that they’re not vectors in their own right. “We have to be able to walk and chew gum, but at the same time, you cannot be a part of the problem. So, large groups are unacceptable, inappropriate.” It is utterly irresponsible, particularly at this stage, when we are trying to avoid
a plunge into a third wave to not be able to resist the temptation to proceed with traditional campaign activities. Just as the citizenry has been expected and - if we’re frank - forced to live our lives the way we have been for the last year, so too are our politicians expected to refrain from further endangering our prospects of beating this pandemic in the soonest timetable possible. While we continue to wait on the population to
SCENES from an FNM walkabout (top) and a PLP event – both held in late February. be vaccinated to the point where life can safely return to normal, we want to avoid any more casualties, as any life lost in this pandemic is traumatic for the families left behind. We are at a pivotal point, and as we see some
countries larger than us and far better resourced than we are continue to approach every day soberly as they try to restore their economies and protect their citizens, we must know that now is not the time to forget how high the stakes are.
Life, death and livelihood remain in the balance. Elections happen every five years and politicians come a dime a dozen. But an abysmal economic state takes years to rebound from, and a life gone is, in fact, gone forever.
PAGE 12, Monday, April 12, 2021
DONALD TRUMP. (AP File)
TRUMP GOES AFTER PENCE, MCCONNELL IN SPEECH TO PARTY DONORS
By STEVE PEOPLES AP National Political Writer
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — It was supposed to be a unifying weekend for a Republican Party at war with itself over former President Donald Trump’s divisive leadership. But Trump himself shattered two days of relative peace in his closing remarks to the GOP’s top donors when he insulted the party’s Senate leader and his wife. Ahead of the invitationonly speech at Trump’s new home inside his Mar-a-Lago resort, the former president’s advisers said he would emphasise his commitment to his party and Republican unity. Trump veered sharply from prepared remarks Saturday night and instead slammed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as a “stone-cold loser” and mocked McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao, who was Trump’s transportation secretary. Trump also said he was “disappointed” in his vice president, Mike Pence, and used a profanity in assessing McConnell, according to multiple people in attendance who were not authorised to publicly discuss what was said in a private session. He said McConnell had not thanked him properly for putting Chao, who was labor secretary under President George W. Bush, in his Cabinet. McConnell’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday. Trump’s words left some attendees feeling uncomfortable. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich did not defend Trump as he left Palm Beach on Sunday. “We are much better off if we keep focusing on the Democrats. Period,” Gingrich said. Saturday’s speech was the final address of the Republican National Committee’s weekend donor summit in Palm Beach. Most of the RNC’s closed-door gathering was held at a luxury hotel a few miles away from Mar-a-Lago; attendees were bused to Trump’s club for his remarks. While a significant faction of the Republican Party hopes to move past Trump’s divisive leadership, the location of the event — and the former president’s prominent speaking slot — suggests that the GOP, at least for now, is not ready to replace Trump as its undisputed leader and chief fundraiser. Ahead of his latest attack on fellow Republicans, Trump’s team reported that his remarks were intended to reinforce his continued leadership role in Republican affairs, a sharp break from past presidents. “Saturday’s speech will be welcomed words to the Republican donors visiting Mar-a-Lago to hear directly from President Trump,” Trump adviser Jason Miller said.
THE TRIBUNE
IRAN CALLS NATANZ ATOMIC SITE BLACKOUT ‘NUCLEAR TERRORISM’ By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran on Sunday described a blackout at its underground Natanz atomic facility an act of “nuclear terrorism,” raising regional tensions as world powers and Tehran continue to negotiate over its tattered nuclear deal. While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, suspicion fell immediately on Israel, where its media nearly uniformly reported a devastating cyberattack orchestrated by the country caused the blackout. If Israel was responsible, it further heightens tensions between the two nations, already engaged in a shadow conflict across the wider Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met Sunday with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, has vowed to do everything in his power to stop the nuclear deal. Details remained few about what happened early Sunday morning at the facility, which initially was described as a blackout caused by the electrical grid feeding its above-ground workshops and underground enrichment halls. Ali Akbar Salehi, the American-educated head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, who once served as the country’s foreign minister, offered what appeared to be the harshest comments of his long career, which included the assassination of nuclear scientists a decade ago. Iran blames Israel for those killings as well. He pledged to “seriously improve” his nation’s nuclear technology while working to lift international sanctions. Salehi’s comments to state TV did not explain what happened at the facility, but his words suggested a serious disruption. “While condemning this desperate move, the Islamic Republic of Iran emphasises the need for a confrontation by the international bodies and the (International Atomic Energy Agency) against this nuclear terrorism,” Salehi said. The IAEA, the United Nations’ body that monitors Tehran’s atomic
THIS satellite photo from Planet Labs Inc. shows Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility. The site suffered a problem Sunday, involving its electrical distribution grid just hours after starting up new advanced centrifuges that more quickly enrich uranium, state TV reported. It was the latest incident to strike one of Tehran’s most-secured sites amid negotiations over the tattered atomic accord with world powers. (Planet Labs Inc. via AP) programme, earlier said it was aware of media reports about the incident at Natanz and had spoken with Iranian officials about it. The agency did not elaborate.
Centrifuges However, Natanz has been targeted by sabotage in the past. The Stuxnet computer virus, discovered in 2010 and widely believed to be a joint U.S.-Israeli creation, once disrupted and destroyed Iranian centrifuges at Natanz amid an earlier period of Western fears about Tehran’s programme. Natanz suffered a mysterious explosion at its advanced centrifuge assembly plant in July that authorities later described as sabotage. Iran now is rebuilding that facility deep inside a nearby mountain. Iran also blamed Israel for the November killing of a scientist who began the country’s military nuclear program decades earlier. Multiple Israeli media
outlets reported Sunday that an Israeli cyberattack caused the blackout in Natanz. Public broadcaster Kan said the Mossad was behind the attack. Channel 12 TV cited “experts” as estimating the attack shut down entire sections of the facility. While the reports offered no sourcing for their information, Israeli media maintains a close relationship with the country’s military and intelligence agencies. “It’s hard for me to believe it’s a coincidence,” Yoel Guzansky, a senior fellow at Tel Aviv’s Institute for National Security Studies, said of Sunday’s blackout. “If it’s not a coincidence, and that’s a big if, someone is trying to send a message that ‘we can limit Iran’s advance and we have red lines.’” It also sends a message that Iran’s most sensitive nuclear site is “penetrable,” he added. Netanyahu later Sunday night toasted his security
chiefs, with the head of the Mossad, Yossi Cohen, at his side on the eve of his country’s Independence Day. “It is very difficult to explain what we have accomplished,” Netanyahu said of Israel’s history, saying the country had been transformed from a position of weakness into a “world power.”
Threat Israel typically doesn’t discuss operations carried out by its Mossad intelligence agency or specialized military units. In recent weeks, Netanyahu repeatedly has described Iran as the major threat to his country as he struggles to hold onto power after multiple elections and while facing corruption charges. Speaking at the event Sunday night, Netanyahu urged his security chiefs to “continue in this direction, and to continue to keep the sword of David in your hands,” using an expression referring to Jewish strength.
Meeting with Austin on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Israel viewed America as an ally against all threats, including Iran. “The Tehran of today poses a strategic threat to international security, to the entire Middle East and to the state of Israel,” Gantz said. “And we will work closely with our American allies to ensure that any new agreement with Iran will secure the vital interests of the world, of the United States, prevent a dangerous arms race in our region, and protect the state of Israel.” The Israeli army’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, also appeared to reference Iran. The Israeli military’s “operations in the Middle East are not hidden from the eyes of the enemy,” Kochavi said. “They are watching us, seeing (our) abilities and weighing their steps with caution.” On Saturday, Iran announced it had launched a chain of 164 IR-6 centrifuges at the plant. Officials also began testing the IR-9 centrifuge, which they say will enrich uranium 50 times faster than Iran’s firstgeneration centrifuges, the IR-1. The nuclear deal limited Iran to using only IR-1s for enrichment. Since then-President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, Tehran has abandoned all the limits of its uranium stockpile. It now enriches up to 20% purity, a technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iran maintains its atomic program is for peaceful purposes. The nuclear deal had granted Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for ensuring its stockpile never swelled to the point of allowing Iran to obtain an atomic bomb if it chose. On Tuesday, an Iranian cargo ship said to serve as a floating base for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard forces off the coast of Yemen was struck by an explosion, likely from a limpet mine. Iran has blamed Israel for the blast. That attack escalated a long-running shadow war in Mideast waterways targeting shipping in the region.
PUBS, HAIRDRESSERS SET TO REOPEN AS UK EASES VIRUS LOCKDOWN By JILL LAWLESS ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON (AP) — Millions of people in Britain will get their first chance in months for haircuts, casual shopping and restaurant meals on Monday, as the government takes the next step on its lockdown-lifting road map. Nationwide restrictions have been in place in England since early January, and similar rules in the other parts of the U.K., to suppress a surge in coronavirus infections that swept the country late last year, linked to a more transmissible new variant first identified in southeast England. Britain has had Europe’s worst coronavirus outbreak, with more than 127,000 confirmed deaths. Infections, hospitalisations and deaths have all fallen thanks to the lockdown, and a mass vaccination programme that has given at least one dose to more than 60% of the
HARRIET HENRY, manager of The Tea Room in Knutsford, England, poses with the Open sign outside her cafe, as she prepares to open on Sunday. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP) adult population. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson and epidemiologists have urged caution, saying that many people remain unvaccinated and relaxing social distancing rules or allowing foreign
holidays this summer could bring a new spike in infections. “The situation in the U.K. is becoming clear and is stabilising, but people have to remember that’s not the case elsewhere,” said Peter
Horby, who chairs the government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Threats Advisory Group. “The pandemic is still raging globally. “And many countries in Europe even are still seeing racing case numbers or having to reintroduce lockdowns. So it’s very hard to predict what will happen in the next couple of months,” he told Times Radio. On Monday, nonessential shops will be allowed to reopen, along with hair salons, gyms and outdoor service at pubs and restaurants. The prime minister had promised to visit a pub for a pint to mark the occasion, but postponed the celebratory drink after the death of Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, on Friday. Indoor drinking and dining won’t be allowed until May 17 at the earliest, and theaters, cinemas, nightclubs and most other venues remain closed, while indoor socialising is tightly restricted and foreign holidays remain banned.