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VOLUME:115 No.119, MAY 14TH, 2018

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DEMOLISHED First shanty homes blitzed as others set July deadline

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net SHANTYTOWN residents have been given a deadline of July 31, 2018, to vacate their homes as the government intends to completely eradicate illegal residential areas where the standard of living is poor.

Labour Minister Dion Foulkes yesterday confirmed this timeline by which all residents are required to move, adding formal notice will be given to those living in structures not up to building code this week.

However, his announcement came as a “surprise” to Rights Bahamas President Stephanie St Fleur.

When contacted yesterday, Ms St Fleur said she had no knowledge of the deadline. She said The Tribune’s phone call informing her of the decision was the first time she’d heard of it.

Mr Foulkes’ announcement comes as two shantytowns – one in New Providence off Hamster Road, Faith Avenue and another just outside of George Town Exuma – were recently torn down.

SEE PAGE THREE

THE Deputy Prime Minister is warning that today’s long-awaited release of Fiscal Responsibility legislation is no “magic bullet” for The Bahamas’ deeprooted financial woes.

Confirming that the Government will unveil its signature fiscal reform within hours, K P Turnquest, told Tribune Business that the earlier introduction of its “disciplinary teeth”

may have prevented previous administrations from running up a near-$8bn national debt.

With the Fiscal Responsibility Bill approved by Cabinet for public release, the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed that the private sector, civil society and other interested Bahamians will have just two weeks to influence the draft legislation by providing commentary and feedback.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

BEWARE OF GUNMEN IN WOMEN’S CLOTHING

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net TWO armed men dressed as women, complete with black wigs, yesterday robbed a watch and jewellery store in downtown Nassau.

An eyewitness told The Tribune that the brazen daytime robbery happened at Quantum Duty Free on Bay Street shortly after 9am.

Police have confirmed they are investigating a “damage and stealing incident which occurred at a jewellery store on Bay Street and Market Street”.

SEE PAGE 13

POLICE QUIZ SUSPECT IN TEENAGER’S KNIFE DEATH

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

POLICE have taken a man into custody in connection with the stabbing death of a 16-year-old boy in Nassau Village Friday night.

A 20-year-old man of Christopher Street off Farrington Road is assisting with the investigations.

According to reports, shortly after 8pm there was an argument on Butler Street between a group of men, resulting in one being stabbed about the body.

Paramedics were called and attempted to revive the victim, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

SEE PAGE SIX

FISCAL REFORM BILL UNVEILED TODAY

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

HOME

THE SHANTY town at Hamster Road, in southern New Providence, where demolition has already taken place. Residents across The Bahamas have been given a July 31 deadline to vacate their homes by the government.

Photo: Morgan Graham

INSIGHT TEAM WITH A MISSION TO TRANSFORM OUR HEALTHCARE

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

IT will cost hundreds of millions to transform the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) into a modern, state-of-the-art, regional “Centre of Excellence”.

And to achieve such a mammoth task the new Public Hospital

THE ACCIDENT and Emergency department at Princess Margaret Hospital.

Authority Board has been assessing the critical needs of its crumbling

DID DEADLY SNAKE KILL HER CAT?

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

health infrastructure. This is a huge challenge which involves: • fast-tracking the refurbishment of the PMH A&E Department; • reallocating funds which had been diverted by the PLP – back into completing critical repairs to hurricane damaged wards

A DEAD cat with bite marks near its abdomen has raised suspicions that a non-indigenous, poisonous snake could be lurking in north-west New Providence.

An irate resident of the Grove West community, who asked for her identity to be concealed, said the discovery of her slain cat yesterday led them to the “shocking discovery” that no emergency medical facility in The Bahamas has snake anti-venom in stock.

SEE PAGE SEVEN

SEE PAGE TWO

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

PAGE 2, Monday, May 14, 2018

ROBERTS ‘IN FINE SPIRITS’ AFTER SURGERY

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts was yesterday said to be “in his usual fine spirits” following successful surgery in the United States, according to his successor in the post, Fred Mitchell.

In a statement circulated by the party yesterday, Mr Mitchell said he has spoken with Mr Roberts, 74, who was still actively “recovering” from an April 28 surgery.

Mr Mitchell, who succeeded Mr Roberts as PLP Chairman last October, said his predecessor was keeping up to date with “political and public policy developments at home”, and wanted party members and supporters to “stay the course”.

Mr Mitchell added: “I assured him that the party wishes him well and that we are praying for his full recovery.”

It is unclear why Mr Roberts required surgery, or how long he is undergoing treatment in the United States.

The veteran politician, who served in various posts during his public life, ended his tenure as party chairman on October 23.

BRADLEY ROBERTS

THE TRIBUNE

Did deadly snake kill her cat? from page one

snakes, you can’t say for sure whether any were smuggled in or accidentally The resident said shortly brought in, in the thousands after they found their of shipping containers that cat and discovered it had come into the country,” the been bitten, they immedi- resident added. ately phoned emergency “I was looking at my cat. services to report the inci- I could see the bite mark,” dent, fearing the wound was they said. “That bite mark inflicted by a snake that, if was real. It looked like a big left alone, could injure or snake and it looked unlike kill other animals or nearby anything I’ve seen before. residents.

That’s why “EmerI pushed gency this matter. services, What if once they that was heard my a person concerns, or, at that, told me to a child call animal that stumservices. bled across I did and that snake got no and got answer,” bitten. she said.

“Would “After a the police while, I say call called 911 animal again, and THERE are no venomous snakes control? they trans- native to The Bahamas - but in Would they ferred me 2012, a cobra was believed to have say call the to emer- been killed in Grand Bahama.

Humane gency Society? mediWhat the cal service who said they heck, we’ve had serious didn’t have the means to reports of strange snakes address my matter.” before in The Bahamas. It The resident said it was at isn’t out of the realm of posthis point they were told the sibilities. Hell, look it up. medical facilities in The “You can’t say call animal Bahamas doesn’t stock anti- control or call the Humane venom due to the lack of Society, those are people need for it. who would literally be put“They told me straight ting their lives on the line up, snakes here aren’t poi- because we don’t have any sonous and as such, there is anti-venom? Tell me how no need for anti-venom. will we treat them?”

“I couldn’t believe it.

The resident added: “As a In my mind I was saying, country, there is no converok, even though we don’t sation about pre-checks for have a history of poisonous containers coming here. We

THE BITE mark on the pet cat and, above, a snake bite on a human arm for comparison. don’t hear anything about companies and people importing trees and soil.

What’s coming in with that?

“I wouldn’t expect anyone to put their lives on the line to look in a trailer or anything, that’s dangerous. Added to that, now you’re saying if you do, and you get bite, we can’t treat you here. We’re going to have to airlift you to the US. “What if that person’s visa isn’t valid or they don’t have the money to pay for an air ambulance. That’s not a two-hour process and I am sure that every minute is critical when you get bitten by a poisonous snake.”

Bahamas Humane Society Shelter Manager Percy Grant, who was contacted Sunday by the same

resident, said he was still working to determine the source of the bite.

He told The Tribune his initial analysis of the wound left him with questions that needed to be answered.

“I spoke with that person. What I saw, it didn’t look like a centipede bite,” he said. “I’ve seen this before, while we don’t have any poisonous snakes in The Bahamas, a large centipede can kill a small animal.”

Back in 2012, two men in Williams Town, Grand Bahama, stoned what they believed to be a cobra.

In that incident, the two men said the snake stood up in a striking position with its hood expanded, and lunged at them.

The men said after

killing the animal, they took its remains to a local pest control worker to be analysed.

The Department of Agriculture made an effort to recover the remains of the snake for further testing, but were unsuccessful.

Subsequent to this, there have been several reports of various, non-indigenous snake sightings.

Snakes native to The Bahamas are not harmful, but when confused, are often unnecessarily killed.

The phenomenon has led to several campaigns by snake enthusiast and national environmental groups to protect snakes, absent of any laws.

Bahamas National Trust launched a campaign against snake killings in 2016.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 14, 2018, PAGE 3

First shanty homes blitzed as others set July deadline from page one Those demolitions were done in tandem with a census conducted in 11 shantytowns across the capital. The survey began April 15 and is now complete.

While results of the 13-question survey have not been made public, Mr Foulkes said it was surprising to learn that the number of residents living in the communities were not as many as officials expected.

He did not reveal this detail to The Tribune, but said enumerators found there to be a 60 per cent adult to 40 per cent child ratio from information compiled.

A complete report on the census will be made on Tuesday outside Cabinet, Mr Foulkes said.

“We intend to give formal notice to those who live in dwellings not up to building code effective next week and the effective date for all residents to move will be July 31st,” Mr Foulkes, chairman of the government-appointed shanty town committee told this newspaper when he was contacted yesterday. “A lot of residents have already moved.”

He continued: “A lot of the land owners are giving notice and I am encouraged that the residents are cooperating.”

The survey is expected to begin in Abaco in the coming days and a training session is scheduled in the lead up to its start date.

The island has several large shanty towns – the Mud, Pigeon Peas, Sand Banks and Farm Lands.

He thanked stakeholders,

adding the initiative would not have been successful without the help and support of leaders in the Haitian community, particularly pastors and activist Louby Georges along with the Catholic and SeventhDay Adventist Church.

Last month, Mr Foulkes warned that structures not up to code would be “demolished”.

At the time he said there was no cost attached to the exercise as everyone involved are active government employees.

There are 11 shanty towns in New Providence – eight of which are in the southwest part of the island and the remaining three in the eastern district.

Four others are in Grand Bahama along with several shanty towns in North Eleuthera, North Andros, Exuma and Abaco.

DEMOLISHED structures at Hamster Road, left, in New Providence, and in Exuma, above.

Photos: Exuma: Kenneth Wilkinson, Nassau: Morgan Graham

MCALPINE QUIET IN FACE OF CRITICISM FROM FELLOW FNM PARTY MEMBERS

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

PINERIDGE MP Fredrick McAlpine yesterday backed away from the opportunity to respond to fellow party members who have scolded him for his public remarks concerning the Free National Movement and its policies.

Mr McAlpine yesterday told The Tribune he wanted to “reserve comment”, when faced with claims made by FNM Chairman Carl Culmer and former Cabinet minister Tennyson Wells, both of whom called on Mr McAlpine recently to temper his assertions and claims when speaking of the party.

Often brash and opinionated, Mr McAlpine said now wasn’t the best time to speak, implying that he may address the comments made by the men in the future, but in a forum with which he would be more comfortable.

“I will not comment now.

I will reserve comment,” he said. “Thank you for reaching out to me, I will reserve comment today.”

At a church service marking the anniversary of the party’s first year in government, Prime

Minister Hubert Minnis warned party members not to attack each other or criticise the government’s efforts publicly because it would prop up the opposition’s campaign.

On Thursday, Mr Culmer said he and others in the party have continued to reach out to the first-time MP in an attempt to address his grievances.

However, Mr Wells said it would appear Mr McAlpine does not respect any of the party’s protocols to address issues. He said the MP’s conduct recently has been “most inappropriate”, adding he should know what to say and when to say it.

While some have called for Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis or party executives to reprimand Mr McAlpine, Mr Wells said the right way to handle the matter is to allow the MP to “hang himself” by speaking negatively about his party.

Just a day before their comments, Mr McAlpine, while making a protest against the government in Rawson Square, had said that all Bahamians have the right to hold the government to account on national matters.

“You have a right to protest, once you do so decently and in order,” he said.

“You have a right to hold your government accountable and transparent, and we should have no problem.

“The Free National Movement should have no problem with nobody protesting because after all they are people, and it’s the people’s time.”

Mr McAlpine also used the opportunity to address the government’s handling of the Oban Energies saga and the administration’s failures in Grand Bahama.

“Grand Bahama has the potential to be touristic, industrial, a tech hub… but at the same time, let’s just get it moving,” he told The Tribune.

“Grand Bahama don’t need 50 jobs or 100 jobs, Grand Bahama needs an economic infusion, and not at the expense of destroying the lives of people.

“So, we don’t need just jobs, we need jobs that’s going to get at least 2,0003,000 people to work in order for Grand Bahama to feel the turn around and the economic impact that it needs to have.”

The Eye Doctors’ Office is pleased to advise that

Dr. Kevin Bethel

Functional Medicine Specialist Will be seeing patients in Nassau on May 25th & May 26th 43 Ivanhoe Road (Eastern/yellow entrance) Please call 393-2273 to make an appointment

PAGE 4, Monday, May 14, 2018

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,

jrolle@tribunemedia.net

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-

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The strange return of Oliver North OLIVER North is back. It is surprising it didn’t happen earlier. In light of what is happening internationally and in Washington DC, North’s re-emergence on the public stage seems almost inevitably appropriate.

North was picked as president of the National Rifle Association at its Dallas convention earlier this month. His selection came at a conclave that featured speeches by both Donald Trump and American vice president Mike Pence, who continue to join most of their Republican colleagues in their obeisance to the NRA, an organisation claiming around six million members. That represents a little under five percent of the number of people who voted in the 2016 American presidential election, but the NRA exerts extraordinary influence.

But who is Oliver North? Those with long memories will recall him as perhaps the single most significant unelected official during the eight-year presidency of Ronald Reagan. North grew up in upstate New York, graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, and joined the Marines. He enjoyed a successful career there, including some combat decorations from service in Vietnam.

But the turning point for North came in 1981, when he was assigned to a plum position as one of the many military liaison officers on the staff of the National Security Council in the White House.

In such a setting, North stood out.

Without question a dedicated patriot and tireless worker, he prided himself on his problem-solving skills. When the Reagan administration found itself frustrated by Congress in some of its major foreign policy endeavours, North found a way to demonstrate that two wrongs can make a right for some (including North) and that those same two wrongs can also nearly bring down a phenomenally popular president.

North came to be credited with the scheme that turned into the Iran-Contra affair. And that brought Reagan his greatest presidential crisis.

As North became more prominent behind the scenes at the NSC, the US, then as now, found itself increasingly vexed by the rigid theocrats who ruled Iran after overthrowing the US-backed Shah in 1979, when the US Embassy in Tehran was overrun and held by rebels

for 444 days until, literally, the day of Reagan’s inauguration. Then as now, the American government chose to destabilize the Iranian government with economic sanctions, and seized some of their assets held in American financial institutions. An arms embargo was then in force against using any seized Iranian financial assets to purchase weapons.

As a result, money was available to the administration that had not been appropriated by Congress. Meantime, that same Congress had passed legislation forbidding the use of appropriated funds to support a US-backed insurgency in Nicaragua against the then-new government of the Sandinistas and leftwing President Daniel Ortega. Ortega, the Nicaraguan guerilla leader and his nation’s president both now and in the 1980s, would have qualified for the title of the Western hemisphere’s leading thorn in the American side but for the tenure of his ideological and political ally Fidel Castro.

North masterminded the scheme to take Iranian seized money to skirt the congressional ban to buy arms for the Nicaraguan rebels. When the plot was revealed, North was indicted on 16 criminal counts and convicted of some, though he was ultimately exonerated on appeal. In 1987, North admitted he had misled the Congress, but “I did so with a purpose. I thought using the Ayatollah’s money to support Nicaraguan freedom fighters was a good idea. I still do,” he said.

After an appeals court cleared him, North ran for the Senate as a Republican in Virginia and nearly toppled popular Chuck Robb, himself an ex-Marine who had married Lyndon Johnson’s daughter. Though not as visible in recent years, 74-year-old North has been a Fox commentator and has generally aligned himself with right wing causes. Now he takes the helm at the NRA. “In a way, North is the perfect NRA president for the Trump era,” said the director of a documentary on the RobbNorth Senate election.

“North is not only unapologetically angry and defiant, but he was conducting international foreign policy in the shadowy netherworld before anybody even heard of the word ‘collusion’.”

He is indeed perfect for the NRA in the era of Trump.

It’s hip to be negative EDITOR, The Tribune.

THINGS are starting to move.

Crime is trending down and the sick economy is showing some signs of recovery.

We have a Whistle Blower’s Act and Freedom of Information is slated to come into force within the next budgetary year.

Plans are being shaped to reduce the level of plastic and promote healthy diet through breadbasket tax breaks.

Bids are in to manage the public dump.

A significant effort is being made to clean public spaces.

A cleaner LNG energy initiative is planned for New Providence.

The UK is to reopen a diplomatic post here.

And an ambitious programme to give over-the-hill people an opportunity to share in the economy through tax breaks in exchange for

promoting social development has been introduced.

War has been waged on corruption.

New laws are on the books to encourage foreign and local investment with the New York-based GIBC Digital set to open in Freeport this month and treble its initial workforce projection.

Affordable land is to be made available to Bahamians.

A national neighbourhood crime programme has been launched.

Panama’s Copa Airlines plans to increase flights to The Bahamas.

Labour on the Blocks job fairs are producing results.

The government has taken the painful, but necessary step to right size the civil service. That takes guts.

Who would have thought from the headlines and all the Debbie Downers that anything positive has happened?

It has become fashionable

to be negative.

Sure, we must hold our elected officials accountable and keep them in line.

Absolutely!

But at the same time, let’s be big enough to give credit where credit is due.

Yes, there have been some real boo-boos and there will doubtlessly be more.

There’s still a lot to do on various fronts - the children of Bahamian women must be afforded equal rights.

The environment and fisheries industry must be protected.

It takes time to lay a solid foundation for positive change. There is no magic wand solution.

Only time will tell if the Minnis government stays the course and succeeds.

In the meantime, it’s good to see movement after so many years of inertia, arrogance, corruption and squandering of tax dollars.

ATHENA DAMIANOS Nassau, May 10, 2018.

Distorted views on corruption EDITOR, The Tribune.

IT was disappointing that your article in Tribune Business on the 26th April (‘Not a Single Bribe Demand is Probed’) while quoting heavily from a group claiming to be Transparency International’s local affiliate, contained not one single reference to The Bahamas’ ranking in that group’s all important Corruption Perception Index.

For the record, The Bahamas consistently ranks in the top 30 least corrupt out of 180 countries monitored and frequently trades places with Barbados as 1st or 2nd least corrupt in the Caribbean region. It has never not been in the top two.

For a local affiliate of TN to give broad (and heavily value-laden) interpretations of the results of a barometer survey of 1,000 Bahamians last year, without reference to the larger context provided by the CPI, was amateurish to say the least, and (in light of the current news cycle) suggests a hysterical and bandwagon approach to matters that require fair and scientific treatment.

For instance, to state

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net that one in ten Bahamians “admits” to paying bribes implies that some of the other 90 percent are lying and infers both that 10% is a high number in the global context (it is not) and that this factor represents a meaningful and broad picture of overall corruption.

For the local affiliate to then use the findings of this barometer survey to suggest that we are between Trinidad and Jamaica in some important sense is simply nonsensical. Jamaica ranks 68th in the world and Trinidad 77th in the CPI, as against The Bahamas at 28th. Both are noticeably far more corrupt than The Bahamas, as the CPI adequately reflects, but the local affiliate’s eloquent ruminations on the subject do not.

One reassuring consequence of all the fuss about corruption in The Bahamas has been that it affirms that Bahamians often do not even know what extreme corruption looks or feels like. On my first visit to Peru (the place our Prime

Minister chose to get up a fortnight ago and proclaim his own country a hotbed of corruption), I learned that the driver of the official tour bus that picked me and many others up from the airport, did not himself have a driver’s license despite 20 plus years on the job. A respected professional with a Ministry of Tourism name tag, he and the vast majority of his colleagues found it cheaper to simply bribe traffic police than to pay for driving lessons.

On my second trip, less than ten minutes from the airport we had to swerve around the dead body of a pregnant woman, in a lake of blood, who had been ejected from a public bus in an accident. The bus driver (who no doubt substituted police bribes for driving lessons, too) had fled the scene on foot. If that is daily life in Peru (and many other countries) one can only imagine what they think of The Bahamas when they hear us describe the “corrupt” little country we live in.

ANDREW ALLEN Nassau, May 11, 2018.

Pointe workers EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE Pointe issue of Bahamian construction workers: There could be a translation issue here…

Article: 3.2 of the HOA agreement tabled very clearly makes no mention of the argument the Chinese have to put to the Ministry of Labour and and seemingly the Ministry of Labour have swallowed hook, line and sinker.

It is shameful that there should be disparaging talk that we do not have construction workers who can build a concrete frame building. Years ago, Cavalier built with no foreign partner the original Grand Hotel on PI…that was a

concrete frame building.

No training aspect at The Pointe? We will never have qualified people.

BP&L — Minister Bannister is 1000% correct he better not be too assured that BP&L will fail again and again this summer - the problem is not the weather it is the plant and equipment and time is working against all of us.

The Shell deal is threeyears away - these could be the longest three years we have lived through and begs the question - why has BP&L put all their eggs in one basket? Small islands in the Caribbean are going totally with Solar - the FNM spoke and spoke about that remember now

Minister Ferreira giving us hope and what have we gotten? A Minister who has totally lost his environmentalist mouth — BEST gone to OPM so what really does that Ministry do?

Global reporting agencies are reporting that today the world has the highest level of global warming even after the Paris Accord and we want to use LNG? No Environmental Impact Assessment up front for Oban and none for LNG and the FNM say we are the environmental party — my foot! Was! W THOMPSON Nassau, May 6, 2018.

PAGE 6, Monday, May 14, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

POLICE QUIZ SUSPECT IN TEENAGER’S KNIFE DEATH from page one

The victim, who has not yet been identified, is the 31st murder victim, according to The Tribune’s records.The incident led

police to urge youth to look for positive ways of settling arguments and disagreements without resorting to violence.

Police said they were also investigating a shooting incident on Friday night

which left a man with serious injuries.

According to reports, shortly after 9pm, the man was standing in front of his home at Old Cedar Street, Yellow Elder Gardens, when he was approached

by a man armed with a firearm, who shot him before running away. The victim was taken to hospital by ambulance and is listed in serious, but stable condition.

In Grand Bahama

meanwhile a man was left with serious injuries after a shooting incident in the early hours yesterday morning.

Shortly after 3am police were informed a man had been shot in the area of

Herne Lane. Police and emergency medical staff attended the scene and found a man with gunshot wounds. He was taken to Rand Memorial Hospital where he was listed as in a serious condition.

Dog dies after operation by ‘street vet’

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net THE brutal death of a pregnant female pit bull terrier following an illegal caesarian performed by an unqualified “street vet” playing doctor was described as an “awful tragedy” by a local veterinarian in Grand Bahama who says the incident is a case of animal cruelty.

Dr Chante Wildgoose of Freeport Vet Hospital, who is familiar with the four-year-old dog named Whitehead, said she was butchered to death during a procedure that was allegedly performed without anaesthesia.

And now, she has learned that the eight surviving pups are dying because their mother is not around to nurse them.

“I was just told this (Friday) morning that the puppies are dying one by one. Of course, to hand feed a newborn requires hours of attention and to feed in excess of six puppies is a lot of work,” she said.

Dr Wildgoose said that the pups are going to die without proper nursing.

The story, with the hashtag #justiceforwhitehead, was posted on the Freeport Vet Hospital Facebook page which has received many comments of outrage and sadness over the incident.

“That is one of the saddest stories I have ever heard, I can’t even believe someone could do that?????” one person had posted.

Dr Wildgoose learned of the incident from the dog’s owner who is a client of the Freeport Vet Hospital, and who had left Whitehead with a caretaker while he was away. She said the owner is in the process of filing a complaint to the police.

“We, the doctors and staff of FVH, have been informed of an awful tragedy that has befallen one of our client’s pets, she wrote on their Facebook page.

“He had given his dog to be in the care of someone while he was away. The dog was pregnant, and the caretaker decided to contact a non-veterinarian to look at the dog, and they deemed the dog to be breached.

“We understand that some caesarian procedure was performed on the dog by the non-vet, and they removed the puppies,” she said.

“This butchery was done without anaesthesia, and ultimately Whitehead possibly bled out and died.

There are now allegedly eight puppies in need of a mother to nurse as their mother was butchered and killed by heartless and arrogant people who believe that since dogs are ‘just animals’ it’s okay to ‘play doctor’ with animals’ lives,” she said in the post.

The Tribune spoke with Dr Wildgoose who is convinced that there are several persons, whom she referred to as street vets, out there performing illegal street

WHITEHEAD, the pregnant dog that died. procedures on animals. watch these things over a After Whitehead’s death, period, he had no legal right she stated that the group of under the laws, no license, non-vets started to search to do it.” about the island for other The local veterinarian nursing or milking female believes that there is excesdogs to try to nurse the sive dog breeding on Grand newborn puppies.

Bahama.

“We got information “A lot of the people who coming in from all the breed dogs overbreed them, young men who breed, and and it is mostly for monthis is what we had heard,” etary gain without care for she said. the animals themselves, she “Whitehead is our patient said. and the owner of the dog is She stressed that dog our client and he usually breeders need to be more brings animals in for caesar- responsible about the way ian and other procedures, they breed, who they let but the caretaker took it breed their dogs, and who upon themselves to go to they sell the puppies too. a street vet and he lost his “Take your animal to prodog,” said Dr Wildgoose. fessionals who know how to “I am pretty convinced take care of them, and who that there may be more care about their welfare, than one person doing this. then issues like cruelty and There is one in particular abuse will not come up.” that performs ear cropping What happened to and tail docking for cos- Whitehead, she said, “is metic reasons to certain definitely a case of animal breeds.” cruelty”.

Dr Wildgoose said that “Some person just street vets are not pro- decided to cut open an fessionally certified or animal, and I think their qualified, or licensed under mentality is it’s just a dog, the law, to perform surgical it’s just an animal, and that or medical procedures on is absolutely wrong.” any animal.

“We know the owner is “We understand that wanting to and is in the prothey got their knowledge cess of making a statement or experience from work- to police. We don’t know ing with a veterinarian, what will come of it because and taken whatever they there is no evidence, no know to the streets, and body, and no recording of just assuming the posi- the incident. And so, unfortion of a vet, but they have tunately, it may be that no schooling, no certifica- there is no evidence, no tion, just being an assistant proof, no nothing, but we watching and learning.” know what is going on.”

“Even though the (street Dr Wildgoose said that vet in question) has been Bahamians’ attitudes able to experience and towards animals needs to

change.

“To Bahamians, in general, they think animals are just animals, and we can do anything to them, and it is just wrong, and we need to change that.

“We understand that there are at most only feeble laws in place that protect animals from cruelty and we understand the sweeping mentality that making a fuss about ‘just a dog’ may be trivial to local law enforcement.”

The veterinarian also thinks that there is lack of respect for veterinary medicine, particularly in the Bahamas.

“They think veterinarians, veterinary procedures, and veterinary work is not a big deal – it is a medical professional and it needs to be respected. If you own an animal it deserves to be seen by a professional, not just by any street person or animal enthusiast,” she said.

According to Chapter 245 Veterinary Surgeons Act, persons must make application to be registered as a veterinary surgeon and must satisfy the minister that he possesses a degree or diploma in veterinary surgery...and that he is so registered at the date of his application to the minister.

Chapter 245, Section 8, (1) states that: no person shall practice, or hold himself out as practising or as being prepared to practise, veterinary surgery unless he is registered or licensed under the provisions of the Act. “Do not support street vets, do not take advice or suggestions regarding your pets from anyone other than a qualified veterinarian,” Dr Wildgoose warns on the Facebook page.

Tip Burrows, executive director of the Humane Society of Grand Bahama, said the incident highlights the problem in Grand Bahama of lay people providing veterinary services for animals.

“This one is particularly bad because the dog died and probably suffered terribly in the process,” she said.

“The HSGB fully supports and encourages action to be taken to arrest the person in this case, and going forward, to stop all non-vets from performing veterinary procedures on animals.”

CHARGES REDUCED AGAINST GIBSON BUT BRIBERY ACCUSATIONS REMAIN

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE prosecution in Shane Gibson’s trial officially submitted its revised indictment schedule Friday, intending to pursue only the 16 bribery charges against the former Labour Minister.

A May 4 case management secession was adjourned to allow the prosecution team the time it needed to list the particulars for each bribery charge it intends to pursue at trial.

Wayne Munroe, QC, one of the lawyers on Gibson’s team, told The Tribune while the defence is happy to see the case finally move forward, it does have concerns with the timing of the prosecution’s decision.

Mr Munroe disclosed that in addition to the revised indictment, the prosecution team also presented the defence with several new pieces of information it intends to depend on at trial; information he and his team would have to review and prepare for.

“There is a lot of information here,” he said. “And one would have thought that we would have been giving all of this a long time ago. They have now, helpfully given us the dates they say these things happened

SHANE Gibson outside court on Friday.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/ Tribune Staff on, but if they had given us all of this earlier, we would have used all of the time that has passed to do our research.”

Mr Munroe added: “So now, we start from this date, looking at these dates they have presented and working it out. The troubling part about that is, if we had this information from the start, we could have already gone through it and see if there were other people we needed, to source up other information.”

Asked if the disclosure of new information could delay the pre-trial proceedings in any way, Mr Munroe said: “We will have to see.

As we go through this stuff, we will see if we can get through it swiftly and prepare ourselves for what’s ahead.”

On August 3, Mr Gibson was arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court on 36 bribery and extortion related charges: one count of misconduct in public office, 16 counts of bribery, two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery, two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion and 15 counts of extortion – all of these concerned with Jonathan Ash. The number of bribery and extortion related charges were later decreased to 31, though the amount he is alleged to have solicited from Mr Ash remained the same.

Then, recently, the Crown announced its decision to drop all the extortion charges against the former Golden Gates MP, with the DPP stating at the time that the decision was for the Crown to devote a “singular and simplified focus” on Gibson’s bribery charges.

About an hour after his initial arraignment, Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson granted the former Golden Gates MP $40,000 bail with two sureties on the condition he does not reoffend and attends his trial.

She did not impose any travel restrictions on Mr Gibson, and neither was he required to surrender his travel documents or check into any police station.

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 14, 2018

Team with a mission to transform our healthcare from page one

Emergency department who, for some reason, social services won’t take. They’ve and PMH roof; been there for months. We • restoring vendor rela- have children who have tionships and paying off been dropped off at the years of accounts receiva- wards. We run an $8m bles to ensure the supply of deficit in medicine. We run medicines and supplies; millions of dollars deficit in • ordering new radiology supplies and 87 percent of equipment; our budget is taken up by • getting ambulances salaries, overtime, hazard repaired and back on the pay and other benefits. road; “And, according to Dr • replacing washing Sands, the much-needed 20 machines and ordering san- beds in the intended ‘stepitisation machines for the down’ ward of the Critical laundry; Care Block was converted • instilling a culture of by the PLP into a ‘plush accountability and team- den and magnificent board work focused on patient room for the current PMH care. administrator and executive At the same time, the staff,” Mr Carron said.

Public Hospital Author“On my first day, I tried ity (PHA) is drawing up a to casually go around, but masterplan for the future, got busted in the laundry,” considering redevelop- he said laughing. ment proposals, discussing “After a couple of minpartnerships with global utes of shock and disbelief international institutions that my PHA badge was and the statutes which will real – apparently they’d be needed to satisfy Health never seen a deputy chairMinister Dr Duane Sands’ man in the flesh - I was mandate - for the PHA given a tour. to transform our nation’s “I couldn’t believe my delivery of eyes: healthcare. there were “The broken state of washing the PMH, machines, EMS Sersanitivices and sation other machines, healthcare dryers, facilities rusted-out is unconair comscionable,” DAMAGE remaining after the hurricane. pressors, stated exposed Robert wiring and Dupuch Carron, deputy folding machine cluttered chairman of the Public Hos- around the place; some pital Authority (PHA). that had been out of service “Truth be told, I find it for years.Yet through this difficult to restrain from adversity, the team refused responding to those whose to quit. They informed me ethos, sense of entitlement, they used to take the soiled endless grandstanding sheets, linens, towels, scrubs and remarkable ‘memory and surgical coverings in loss’ provide them with a their cars each day over platform to stand up and to Sandilands - or washed criticise our minister, chair- them by hand – each day. man, board, managing “Over the course of more director or PHA team for than 25 years in the media a lack of action. I think we business, I’ve experienced have come a very long way a state-sponsored campaign in a short period of time,” of victimisation, intimidahe added. tion and discrimination “It’s beyond the realm against our family; not to of ridiculous that the mention my fair share of former administration death threats, bomb threats, spent $234m in the run-up work permit refusals and to the 2017 election and everything in between between $250,000-$500,000 defending ‘Freedom of the per month for foreign NHI Press’, but nothing in the consultants, yet, former world could prepare me for managing director Herbert the sense of helplessness, Brown’s pleas for funds despair and moral outrage to repair the extensive you feel when you look damage caused to the PMH in the eyes of the young, roof and public wards by old, babies, grandparents, Hurricane Matthew went brothers, sisters cousins, unanswered. friends, loved ones or tour“Let’s not forget - as ists and see the pain, worry, Minister Sands shared in suffering, loss of dignity, Parliament - the former outdated equipment, lack administration issued of compassion and dilapimonthly cleaning services dated conditions which they for the Exuma mini hos- experience. pital (worth) $424,638.84 “Yet, despite such a toxic and monthly cleaning con- environment, I’ve met truly tract for the Abaco clinic remarkable individuals – (which wasn’t open); land- directors, doctors, nurses, scape contracts worth over porters, customer service $26,000 a month, while agents, security guards, the PHA was constantly EMS team; lab techs, A&E running out of medicines/ department, Oncology surgical supplies or other clinic; and, last but by no essential equipment. means least, my friends in “I’ve seen reports of the laundry. rodents eating through the “Why did I offer to circuit boards of new ultra- serve? In honour of the sound equipment in PMH; legacy of my amazing twoambulances laid up for yeer-old son Aidan and all months for want of parts; those whose lives I know printers not working in the have been cut short before A&E for months so reg- they have had a chance to istration wristbands were even begin,” being written out by hand; “Our chairman asked if blood tests being delayed I would chair the strategic as we’d run out of testing planning, infrastructure, supplies; dialysis machines redevelopment and public needing repairs so we relations sub-committee of cannot provide the level the board in order to proof care necessary for the vide the best options for number of patients; and, the board to consider,” Mr the promised $5m to recruit Carron said. nurses and other health “I devote as much of my professionals to staff the time as possible in assistCritical Care Block failing ing in the development to materialise. of the team, empower“We have boarders ing them to believe in living in the Accident & themselves as they are an

RENOVATIONS are nearing completion on the Corey Newbold public ward of Princess Margaret Hospital, which was damaged in Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and never repaired by the former administration as funds needed for its completion were redirected to other initiatives prior to the general election. According to Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands, once the ward is completed, it will add an additional 24 beds to the available complement of beds and will dramatically reduce the need to house patients in other areas either in the Emergency Room or virtual wards throughout the hospital. There is another ward being renovated but there is no definitive date yet as to when that will be completed to add further beds.

PHA board of directors (back row) Dr Pearl McMillian, chief medical officer (acting); Dr Wesley Francis, director; Tonya Adderley, director; George Godet, director; Nicolas Rees, director; (front row) Nicole Martin, director; Robert Dupuch-Carron, deputy chairman; Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands MP; Julian Rolle, chairman. Missing: Ejnar Cornish, director; Catherine Weech, managing director; Lyrone Burrows, deputy managing director; Leslie Isaacs, secretary to the board/legal advisor; Janet Hall, secretary to the board/legal advisor; Yolanda Edwards, assistant to chairman/ administrative officer. essential part of the vision years ago. options.” to transform healthcare in “If Tiger Woods says that To then maintain the our nation. ten percent of the world’s hospital and help fund the “Yes, we’ve been working billionaires live in The public healthcare system, on a unified vision, mas- Bahamas, then our chair- officials are going to have terplan, project timelines, man, the board and PHA to be looking for other looking at new structures; team have got lots of meet- potential solutions. The setting up of a PHA Foun- ings to arrange once we PHA chairman, Julian dation– whose endowment have a vision, masterplan, Rolle, managing director will be managed and/or architectural design, global of BAF Financial, shared invested by an international strategic partners – then it’s the Cayman Islands’ healthfinancial entity - providing time for the serious work,” care system as a possible donors, benefactors, corpo- Mr Carron said. alternative. rate entities and individuals “We have two propos“It’s so deceptively from all walks of life with als in now, we expect one simple, it’s unbelievable,” US/UK tax benefit – and more to come in and will Mr Carron said. vaccination legislation forward them to our chair“The Cayman model regarding the transporta- man, board of directors says everybody who is tion, storage, handling, and Minister Sands. While employed has to have priadministration and use of some proposals envision a vate health insurance and CDC-approved variants. complete transformation of there are different levels Not versions discontinued PMH; the other envisions a of insurance but on top of in the USA, UK, Canada, private partnership, it really that there is a $20 indigent Europe, Japan, Australia, depends on how you judge fee which would help those Korea, Russian, Canada the benefits of the various who can’t afford health

insurance. That’s ten bucks from a company and ten bucks from the employee; that’s two beers per month, not even 50 cents a day.

Nobody’s going to object to that.

“If you think that approximately160,000 people are employed here and everybody’s paying in, that’s almost $38m a year; that’s what PMH needs to run its operations. So get an endowment to build the facilities, you have someone build the facilities and then you run the tax.”

“I’d just like to share that I appreciate our people’s desire to transform our nation’s healthcare system. While Rome wasn’t built in a day, I want everyone to know that our chairman, board, new managing director Catherine Weech, deputy managing director and many others in the PHA team are hard at work each and every day to make this vision a reality.”

The members of the PHA board are: Julian Rolle, chairman; Robert DupuchCarron, deputy chairman; Catherine Weech, acting managing director; Dr Pearl McMillian, chief medical officer (acting); Hannah Gray, consultant; Dr Wesley Francis, director; Nicole Martin, director; Dr Ebbie Jackson, director; Tonya Adderley, director; Mr Nicolas Rees, director; George Godet, director; Ejnar Cornish, director; Leslie Isaacs, secretary to the board; Janet Hall, secretary to the board.

PAGE 8 MONDAY, MAY 14. 2018

Deliver before the pendulum swings the other way

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis at the Free National Movement’s celebratory service for their anniversary in office.

By MALCOLM STRACHAN MUCH of the government’s first year in office can be characterised as a series of post-election mudslinging and moving of goal posts on key initiatives which the Bahamian people had hopes of seeing materialise sooner rather than later. However, as we know, electioneering leads to many promises, and in some cases, a large majority have been left unfulfilled.

While some may be hard-pressed to give the

government credit on crime, there has certainly been visible efforts on their part leading to fewer murders thus far. Still, as we have seen, with the Minnis administration having a real taste of getting into the nitty gritty of governance, they have done much to temper expectations by blaming the PLP’s lack of fiscal responsibility for its inability to hit the ground running with initiatives previously touted on the campaign trail.

Nonetheless, the electorate, which suffered five years of the disastrous

former administration, had high hopes that there was an imminent turning of the tide. Perhaps this is unrealistic for a vast majority of the assurances the government gave the Bahamian people. However, issues of selective transparency and accountability have caused some damage to the government’s credibility with the Bahamian people.

As has been noted by many supporters of the government, as well as some in government, including the prime minister – they have only completed the first

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

year. With that defence no himself up. On the other longer having applicability hand, he may very well as of last week, the govern- have valid reasons as to why ment has reached the “put he feels the government up or shut up” stage of this is doing a great job, which term. This is the year the indicates there is a disparBahamian people are sup- ity between what they are posed to working on, begin seeing The government has and how it and feeling is commuthe results to show evidence to nicated to of their the Bahamian people the wider decision to who voted them in public. vote out the In this PLP and - and the ones that business, make the doubted them - that self-given FNM the they were right all accolades government. don’t give along. They have to While you anywe are not prove to the Bahamian thing but suggesting good mempeople that it is, in the second ories to year does fact, the people’s reminisce not have its time - all people. on.

Withfair share out a doubt, of potential governfor the government to fulfil ments earn their stripes by its campaign promises, we bettering the lives of the do acknowledge there are citizenry. Clearly, with the a great number of Baha- government doing a subpar mians who are reluctant to job in the area of communibelieve that after the first cation, it would be prudent year. Given this reality, the to not only focus on execugovernment has no choice tion, but also making the but to deliver. Else, they Bahamian people are aware run the risk of the Baha- of it. mian people becoming Moreover, the prime mindisengaged and the pen- ister knows full well what dulum swings to another was promised to the Bahaconvenient party in 2022 mian people, and equally when the citizenry takes so, he must understand another, “anyone but them there are no more excuses approach”. that we care to hear.

The Bahamian people The electorate suffered must see a positive change under the last administrain our way of life that is tion, which also started far from subtle. The feel- off with broken promises. ing that things are better After the first 100 days of must be undeniably perva- the Progressive Liberal Parsive throughout all layers ty’s last term in office, it was of society. To that end, one not too long before their may argue Prime Minister PRs stunt left an entire Minnis’ confidence that the populace feeling insulted. government is doing great With zero items on the can be tempered a bit. Such PLP’s list being achieved posturing makes him seem in the first 365 days - much disconnected and insecure less the first 100 - we had whereby he has to prop been duped. Though we are

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not painting today’s government with the same brush, we know all too well the possibility of a government promising one thing and doing something else.

Absolutely, the Bahamian people need something that can be felt throughout our communities. While there may be unwaveringly blind support for the government, there are still many who have become less trusting over the course of the past year.

Bahamians, particularly millennials - who have exhibited during the last election that party politics is on its way out - are a great indicator that governments will have to work much harder to secure a base. In today’s current political climate and with information becoming so accessible and shareable, it is tremendously hard for a government to maintain a narrative that it doesn’t have the proof to support.

The government has to show evidence to the Bahamian people who voted them in - and the ones that doubted them - that they were right all along. They have to prove to the Bahamian people that it is, in fact, the people’s time - all people.

Excuses and goals sliding into the third year of this term will not go well for the government. Certainly, the time is now to push feverishly towards bettering the lives of our brothers and sisters across the nation.

That being said, we hope that Cabinet is calling plays from a playbook and knows exactly how they intend to execute their plan.

Regular Bahamian people, as well as pundits, will be asking harder questions to which precise and detailed answers will be expected. Undoubtedly, if the government can recreate its message and tactically refine its communications strategy, both them and the Bahamian people would be far better off.

Indeed, it has become quite evident the government – at least the majority of those in government – believe they are poised to deliver their end of the bargain. Certainly, the prime minister’s introduction of a delivery unit indicates this much. However, without the proper approach – planning down to the fine details, inclusive of goals and timelines – much will be lost in translation. On top of that, a delivery unit created to track a government’s progress that does not deliver would be a strange case of irony and the epitome of wasted resources.

The ball is in the government’s court. You told us we would see the change after having been forced to take bitter medicine. Now, that we’re here – no more excuses, time to deliver.

You have our undivided attention, for now.

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

INSIGHT

MONDAY, MAY 14, 2018 PAGE 9

A world less safe: Caribbean not immune World View

By SIR RONALD SANDERS

EVENTS affecting Iran, prompted by the May 8 decision of US President Donald Trump to withdraw America from a 2015 nuclear deal, may appear irrelevant to Caribbean countries. They are not.

One of the first effects will be a rise in oil prices which has already reached $77 a barrel and is forecast to rise higher.

The cost of oil is one of the highest factor costs for production in every Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country, except Trinidad and Tobago which is an oil and gas producer. Since 2014, Caribbean economies enjoyed a respite from high oil prices that averaged $100 a barrel over the previous six years, pushing up the costof-living and adversely affecting the region’s capacity to compete globally, including in tourism.

At an average cost of $50 a barrel for oil, Caribbean economies did better.

Almost all of them showed signs of recovery and economic growth in 2016 and 2017. However, if oil prices continue to increase in the wake of decreased capacity of Iran to sell its oil, Caribbean economies will be adversely affected, particularly as the Oil Producing Exporting Countries (OPEC), especially Saudi Arabia, have decided to cut back their production to force their revenues upwards.

The price of oil is not the only area that will affect the Caribbean, after President Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran which was negotiated and signed in 2015 by the US, Britain, France, Russia and China (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council) plus Germany.

In announcing his decision to withdraw the US from the agreement, President Trump also ominously declared: “Any nation that helps Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons could also be strongly sanctioned by the United States.”

Exactly, how “helps” is defined is unclear. Caribbean countries certainly have no desire to see any country develop or expand its nuclear capacity and nuclear weapons that pose a threat to the existence of all mankind. But, things, such as a ship which is registered in the Caribbean and sailing under the flag of a Caribbean country, carrying oil from Iran or delivering goods to Iran, could be interpreted as “help”. In such a case, the Caribbean country concerned could attract sanctions.

Similarly, bank transactions involving payments to and from the Iranian government or companies in

Iran could equally be construed as “help”.

Of course, the Caribbean region is not the only area of the world to which this situation applies. The countries of the European Union are particularly vulnerable to President’s Trump’s announcement.

Major European companies could see billions of dollars in commercial deals canceled because of the US decision to re-impose sanctions.

In part, this is why in the run-up to his much-anticipated decision, European leaders rushed to Washington to try to convince him the JCPOA signed with Iran was very much worth keeping. As Boris Johnson, the British Foreign Secretary wrote in the New York Times six days before President Trump’s announcement, “I believe that keeping the deal’s constraints on Iran’s nuclear programme will also help counter Tehran’s aggressive regional behaviour.

I am sure of one thing: every available alternative is worse. The wisest course would be to improve the handcuffs rather than break them.”

From the US standpoint, there are no commercial interests to be protected with Iran. Indeed, trade between the US and Iran is far less than trade with Antigua and Barbuda, one of the small Caribbean countries. The US balance of trade surplus with Iran was a mere $74.5m in 2017; its surplus with Antigua and Barbuda was $413.5m.

Mr Trump remained unconvinced the Iran agreement was anything but a “bad deal”. This claim is criticised by his Democratic Party opponents, such as Susan Rice, the former National Security Adviser in President Barack Obama’s administration. She wrote that because Trump is “disdainful of any success of his predecessor”, he “has long been determined to destroy this agreement”.

There has also been some influence by the Jewish organisations in the US who, in the aftermath of President Trump’s announcement, wasted no time in lobbying foreign embassies to support his stance. For instance, the American Jewish Congress wrote to Ambassadors, saying: “Iran has for too long showed itself to be a bad actor in this process, as demonstrated by the discovery of the secret cache of files by Israel last week.”

President Trump also referred to this Israeli discovery, declaring: “Last week, Israel published intelligence documents long concealed by Iran, conclusively showing the Iranian regime and its history of pursuing nuclear weapons.”

PRESIDENT Donald Trump signs a Presidential Memorandum on the Iran nuclear deal on Tuesday, May 8.

However, experts have attested the Israeli “intelligence documents” related to a time preceding the 2015 agreement. The day after President Trump’s announcement Yukiya Amano, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been monitoring Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA, confirmed that “the nuclear-related commitments are being implemented by Iran”.

There is one other concern for Caribbean countries and all other small states. The JCPOA was adopted by a Resolution of the UN Security Council. That makes it binding international law and renders the US government’s decision to abandon it unilaterally, a violation.

Since small countries rely on respect for international law as the primary source of their defence, the abrogation of it by any country, with impunity, makes them all more vulnerable than they already are.

In the meantime, the prospect for greater conflict and instability in the Middle-East has now escalated. Two days after President Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran deal, the Israeli military bombed dozens of Iran-linked military facilities in Syria. Israel claimed the bombing was in response to missile strikes directed at Israeli territory — all of them apparently intercepted — that Israel blamed on Iran.

So, conflict has intensified, and the Iranian government might decide

that, in the absence of the JCPOA, “the handcuffs are off”, leaving it free to support Syria and anti-Israeli elements. Regrettably, that prospect is real, making the world a lot less safe today.

• Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American

Photo: Evan Vucci/AP

States. He is a senior fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and at Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are his own.

PAGE 10 MONDAY, MAY 14, 2018

INSIGHT

EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

From playgrounds to the workplace - tackling the bullies HOW to identify bullying in the home, school, workplace, and cyber bullying?

There are four basic types of bullying: verbal, physical, psychological and cyber. Cyber bullying is becoming one of the most common types.

While victims can experience bullying at any age, it is witnessed most often in school-aged children.

What is bullying?

Bullying is a deliberate and repeated attempt to cause harm to others of lesser power. It is a distinctive pattern of harming and humiliating others, specifically those who are in some way smaller, weaker, and younger or in any way more vulnerable than the bully.

It’s a very durable behavioural style, largely because bullies get what they want— at least at first. Bullies are made, not born, and it happens at an early age.

Bullies do not understand others’ feelings. They typically see themselves quite positively. Those who chronically bully have strained relationships with parents and peers.

Bullies couldn’t exist without victims, and they don’t pick on just anyone; those singled out lack assertiveness and radiate fear long before they ever encounter a bully. No one likes a bully, but no one likes a victim either.

Increasingly, children are growing up without the kind of experiences that lead to the development of social skills, and free play has been in decline. Yet, it’s in playing with peers, without adult monitoring, that children develop the skills that make them well-liked by age-mates and learn how to solve social problems.

Bullying in the home All families will occasionally argue but changes at home such as a parent losing their job, an illness, a new baby or a marriage breakdown can cause serious conflict. Also, a new marriage creating a stepmother or father, along with stepbrothers or sisters, moving into the home will change the dynamics of a family. An adult or sibling can have problems with drugs, alcohol or other substances which may create bullying behaviour.

Bullying can be physical violence or verbal and emotional abuse. Sometimes it includes both.

Verbal abuse and emotional abuse can include name calling, constant fault-finding or nit-picking, never giving praise or not even acknowledging your existence. The bully may try to set people within the family against each other by telling lies about the other person to provoke arguments.

Bullying at home can make you feel very alone and frightened.

Bullying in the school The most obvious display of bullying is teasing and ridiculing other students. Bullies may be very open about it, or they may be extremely sneaky. They sometimes choose to instigate rather than act out the bullying; they may have their “followers” actually

Police advice

By SERGEANT NATHALIE RANGER

do their bullying for them.

Many bullies are easy to anger. They are impulsive and hot-tempered, even with adults, whom they are often defiant toward.

Many bullies have friends. In the past, it was assumed that bullies were loners that harassed their peers out of fear of rejection, but we now know that is not the case. Often, they have many supportive friends, which can greatly strengthen their bullying behaviour.

Bullies often have an inflated view of themselves.

They are generally not insecure or weak, as once thought. They may use their self-assured

attitude to talk themselves out of trouble.

Many times, but not always, bullies are physically stronger than their peers and use their physical domination.

Bullies are generally not concerned with others’ feelings and do not display empathy toward their peers. Bullies can also be victims. Some kids that have been bullied in the past begin bullying later.

Bullying In the workplace A workplace bully prefers you to be blind to his/ her true nature. Perceptive people are difficult targets.

And the better your understanding of a bully and his/ her behaviour, the more effective you will be in applying the techniques for fighting back.

A bully encourages others to obey him by offering to meet their emotional and financial needs.

He promises friendship, respect, career advancement and financial rewards, hoping you will strive for the success and acceptance that can come through them. However, they only deliver on their promises when it benefits them.

A bully is verbally aggressive in order to intimidate others into compliance. He uses angry outbursts as a weapon. He threatens failure, or uses guilt and shame to appeal to your sense of duty. If you resist, he argues intensely. And if he feels you need to be taught a lesson, he embarrasses you in front of others.

A bully is constantly building his power base. He builds alliances within the company and undermines anyone who won’t support him. He gathers damaging information on his opponents, or blames them for any failures. He uses

subtle, negative phrasing to demean his opponents and weaken them. He also seeks to control more company resources, which means fewer resources are available for his rivals.

Bullies play mind games to distort the thinking of others A bully creates an alternative reality in the minds of those around him. He keeps people off-balance through half-truths, hearsay and misstatements. His distorted version of events is intended to obscure and confuse. or he intentionally misleads you so that you arrive at an incorrect conclusion, and then exposes your mistaken

opinion as proof of your ignorance or unreliability.

A bully puts on a good act to gain your trust and respect. He never reveals his true intentions, which are self-serving and at times harmful to others. He conceals his innermost attitudes and emotions, which are selfabsorbed and disrespectful of others. He maintains an image of strength, vision and leadership, and thus avoids exposing his underhanded, manipulative nature. A skilled bully can achieve a lifetime of success through his deceptions, not just in a typical workplace, but in entertainment, media and politics.

Cyber-bullying Cyber-bullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person.

Sometimes it’s easy to spot in the form of a tweet, text or Facebook post, but sometimes it can be hidden away for a victim to battle alone. Most people are reluctant to report bullying, so it’s impossible to know exactly how many have been affected.

Cyber-bullying can sometimes happen accidentally, with the impersonal nature of text messages, IMs, and emails making it hard to accurately interpret the sender’s tone. But repeated message posts that attack someone directly on a personal level are undeniably online harassment.

Examples of cyber-bullying include: • Mean text messages; • Harsh emails; • Starting or spreading rumours about someone online; • Posting or sharing embarrassing pictures or videos of someone without their permission; • Setting up fake profiles

and posing as someone else; • Creating cruel websites as an attack on someone.

Mobile phones and computers cannot be solely blamed for today’s cyberbullying trends. Social media sites can be used for positive activities, like connecting with friends and family, education and entertainment, but they can also be used to hurt other people.

It has been suggested that cyber-bullying is on the rise because people generally feel safe to say what they want when they’re tucked behind a computer screen or device.

As long as a person has access to a phone, computer, or other communication device, they are at risk of cyber-bullying. Signs to look for include: • Being upset or unusually quiet following use of the phone or Internet • Emotional withdrawal • Being secretive or protective of a device • Sudden disinterest in social activities or sport • Reluctance to

Assessing the problem Gently ask questions about how long the bullying has been going on for, and how many persons are involved. If they are willing to share with you names then great, but if not, don’t push it until you know exactly what’s going on. Be patient and allow your children to take their time in talking to you about it, as it may be very hard for them to open up about it.

Ask your child if they would like to share any of the messages or comments with you. At the very least, encourage your child to print or save hurtful examples and place them in a saved file.

Should the situation worsen, or if you need to take further action, you will need the conversations documented.

Ask about any retaliation on your child’s part. Ask them to be entirely honest, and remind them that you won’t get angry - we all do

go to school • Slipping in grades or lack of focus on study • Changes in mood, behaviour, sleep or appetite • An increased susceptibility to illness; this could be real or used as an excuse to avoid the source of the bullying; • Sudden withdrawal and dislike of social media • Nervous behaviour when getting an instant message, text or email • Avoiding discussions on bullying.

What to do if you suspect your child is being cyber-bullied Kids may not always recognise teasing as bullying, but if you notice signs that your child might be being hassled online or by text, address it with your child.

Even if you don’t notice the signs, still have the conversation. It’s never too early to learn how to deal with bullies.

Victims of cyber-bullying are in a vulnerable state, so how you respond to them is crucial. Your first task is to listen to your child without judgment, blame, or attempting to “solve it”. Let them know you appreciate them opening up to you, and reassure them that you are there to listen and not out to restrict their online access. This is a fear that holds many children back from opening up about what’s happening to them.

Acknowledge your child’s pain. Help them see that the bully’s actions are not a reflection of something they’ve done, but is a fault of the bully. It’s important that you do not do anything to alienate your child further by angering, confusing or embarrassing him or her.

Try to refrain from using the words “just ignore them”.

It’s not always that easy.

things we regret when we’re scared and confused.

Do, however, explain that it’s important that they try to stay calm and not do anything that might get them in trouble.

What to do next Now you know the scope of the problem, assess what support your child needs and the best way to achieve it. Don’t wait to see if the bullying goes away.

Report the bully and any bullying behaviour to the websites where the bullying occurred, and block the bullies from further contact. Most social media sites and apps have easy ways to report users and harassment.

This will help to empower your child, and reduce the number of attacks.

Ask your child to tighten up the security and privacy settings on their social media accounts and encourage them to purge their list of friends or followers.

These should be limited to their friends or people they know they can trust.

If your child is at school, think about contacting the principal. Staff will be able to provide support, and you’ll be able to familiarise yourself with the school’s bullying policies. If the bully is a student at the same school, they may be able to step in.

In the case of severe cyber-bullying (or any bullying, for that matter) away from school grounds, consider speaking with the police. Cyber-bullying can be a crime and can result in serious consequences.

As always, it’s important to ensure that your child feels they have a safe and secure environment in their home. This doesn’t necessarily mean taking their computer away; rather, work with them on ways to make sure their online

activity is safe and fulfilling. Distract them with fun activities away from the online world, give them plenty of support and remind them that you are there whenever they need you. Increase the amount of time you spend together as a family, and find ways to strengthen these positive friendships. You may also wish to consult a counsellor.

Throughout these processes, monitor your child’s emotional wellbeing and create moments in which your child can feel good about him or herself.

Traditionally, we think of bullies as being male, but as online bullying becomes more and more of a problem, we are seeing many girls engage in bullying behaviour. In fact, the majority of cyber bullies are females.

How to deal with a bully?

Walk away. If the situation seems threatening or dangerous, it’s best to get away from the bully.

Even if it is not a dangerous situation, remember that you don’t have to listen to someone say mean things to you. The best thing to do might be to calmly walk away from the person. This will send the message that you won’t put up with this kind of treatment.

Tell someone so the bully will stop It’s important to report bullying right away so that it will stop. By telling someone that you are being bullied, you will be standing up for yourself and showing the bullies that you will not put up with their abuse.

Look the bully in the eye and tell him or her to stop.

Using direct, assertive communication and body language is the best way to address a bully. If a bully continues to harass you even after you have walked away, then let him or her know that you will not put up with their behaviour.

Turn and face the bully and tell him or her to stop.

Stay calm It is the bully’s goal to get an emotional response out of you, so do your best to keep calm and avoid showing the bully how you feel.

Try your best not to show that you are angry, sad, or frightened. The bully may feed off of these emotions and increase his or her efforts.

Bullying has become a huge issue these days, both online and off. Not just for individuals, but also for families and communities.

It’s a mentally, emotionally trying experience.

Bullying can be stopped by • Parents, teachers and community members joining hands in the fight against bullying.

• Sharing stories on bullying.

• Hold a National Bullying Prevention Month.

• Hosting community events against bullying.

• Donating to events in the fight against bullying.

• Supporting the fight against bullying.

Let’s stop bullying today For more information, contact the National Crime Prevention Office on 3028430, 3028431, 3028154 or visit our website @ www. royalbahamaspolice.org.

IT’S TIME FOR US TO SELL OFF OUR ELECTRIC UTILITY WHEN the Government was selling roughly half of the telephone company some years ago and stated a second telecom licence would be issued in two or three years, I said the government should sell it’s entire interest in BTC. This was not based on any ideological position but concern for the best interest of The Bahamas and its taxpayers. I maintained that in the coming competitive landscape it would not be

a good investment and the time to sell was before the second telecom opened for business.

Many people were concerned that the public - through their Government - would lose all

control over telecoms.

This fear was unfounded because good utilities legislation can protect the consumer. This is the situation in numerous successful economies all over the world. Time has proven me right as BTC’s profits continue to fall and I would venture to guess the Government would have a hard time getting as good a price for their shareholding today as it could have obtained at the time of the

original sale.

We now need to ask ourselves this question.

Why do we need to own our electric utility? Is it because it will be make a profit for our people?

Not so, or we wouldn’t be $400m in debt because of it’s operation.

Is it because we will get better service? Not so, because we have regular power cuts.

Is it because we would get our electricity at a low

price? Not so, because our cost is almost double what it should be.

For the life of me I can’t think of a reason for the taxpayers to own a business that loses money and punishes themselves with a high priced service.

The simple solution is sell it then regulate and tax it. Add the $400m to the national debt, which it is anyway, and repay it by a tax on the new privatised operation.

PAGE 12, Monday, May 14, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

CENTRAL BANK DESIGN REVEALED

By FARRAH JOHNSON

THE Central Bank of The Bahamas has revealed the winning design for the new Central Bank building.

Architekton Design Studio Bahamas was crowned the winner of the Urban Planning and Architectural Design Competition, landing the $50,000 grand prize.

The “Nassau Reimagined” design competition also included a “people’s choice” component under the theme: “Nassau Reimagined: Our city, our bank, our choice,” which allowed the public to choose a design online.

Noelle Nicolls, campaign coordinator for the People’s Choice competition, said the number of initiatives implemented in an effort to revitalise Nassau inspired it. She also explained it was an ideal opportunity for the public to participate in a “major infrastructural project”, and that the competition

had over 3,500 voters in less than two weeks.

“Usually we just see buildings going up, but in this instance, the public through the gallery, through the online competition and the website, and the portfolios of all the designers, was really able to participate in not just the selection and review process, but now will feel a sense of ownership as the development of the premises goes on,” she said.

With additional remarks regarding the overall race, Ian Fernander, administration manager of the Central Bank, said the competition was “anonymous in many aspects”.

The panel consisted of five anonymous judges with backgrounds in architecture, engineering, fine arts, anthropology, urban planning, and education.

“During the judging process… the judges really just judged what they had in front of them...they boiled it down to three winners... and we’ve kept everything confidential - up to this

THE WINNING design for the new Central Bank building. point, so when the winners are announced, that will be the first time that even the persons in the bank know who the winners are,” Mr Fernander said.

Competitors included Architekton Design Studio Bahamas represented by Jason P Lorandos, Architectural Design Ideas Limited represented by Derek Saunders, Arcop Architects Limited represented by Douglas Smith, The Architectural Studio

represented by Michael Moss, and the Diamond Consulting Group and HKS Architects Incorporated represented by Sean Farrington. All designs can be found on the bank’s website at www.centralbankbahamas.com.

Arcop Limited placed third overall winning $10,000, while The Diamond Consulting Group and HKS Architects Inc. was awarded $5,000 for placing first in the People’s

Choice competition, and another $25,000 for placing second overall.

In describing Architekton Design Studio Bahamas’ winning concept, Fernander referred to judges’ comments stating: “The project described as a sculptural object by its architect would represent an iconic image for the new Central Bank... boldness and audacity in terms of the design, and a deep thoughtfulness about the

urban environment and the public spaces as well.”

Explaining the purpose of the competition, bank governor John Rolle said: “Having a new building is an imperative… we’ve outgrown (the current building), and there are modern security needs… so we’re very happy with all of the designs. “ Mr Rolle said the next step is to present the package to the government for approval.

The Bahamas wasted three years of my life, says doctor

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE concern some junior doctors feel about an impending programme they fear will push them out of the public healthcare system is fuelled by experiences with the University of the West Indies’ postgrad programmes where

matriculation rates are low.

Dr Young Sing was three and a half years into the surgery programme there when he became frustrated and dropped out in 2017.

Despite the setback, he said he will soon enter one of Europe’s most prestigious and competitive fellowship programmes for plastic surgeons after

just months in the United Kingdom.

Upon completion, he will specialise in breast, hands, skin cancer, microsurgery and breast reconstruction and be capable of practising anywhere in the world, he said.

UWI, the traditional route by which regional doctors gain expertise that leads to

independent practice certifications, has such flaws that people find their professional development obstructed, he added.

“For any junior doctor to finish their MBBS and to gain entrance to their postgraduate programme clearly demonstrates their aptitude for work and their intelligence,” he told The Tribune.

“Perhaps the high failure rate of students in UWI’s post-grad Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme is not the failure of the students, but one of the system, or the ones who control it.

If a programme that has such a high failure rate of its candidates when it has included only the cream of the crop of the nation’s students of every Caribbean nation then logically this cannot be due to the candidates’ sudden deterioration of intelligence as the DM programme seems to infer.

I would urge the university to totally relook at the subjectivity surrounding the examination process and the teaching process that does not adequately equip their candidates for their exams.”

Dr Sing, a native of Trinidad & Tobago, dropped out of UWI Bahamas not long after failing a key written and oral exam in 2016.

“They gave me no feedback on why I failed,” he claimed. “What was I weak in? How could I improve?

They never said.

“If they don’t like you, they will fail you, no matter how well you do,” said Dr Sing, who began working at Princess Margaret Hospital in 2013 while enrolled in UWI’s DM programme.

“You cannot get through UWI’s post-grad medical programmes if you are not a golden boy or one of the highly favoured. You have a small pool of older guys who let their personal feelings halt younger people from moving up. The process for determining if one passes exams is subjective

and doesn’t reflect your intelligence level. It’s all about the people in power protecting their own business interests.”

Health Minister Dr Duane Sands revealed this week that more than 200 senior house officers are “trapped” in the public healthcare system after failing to obtain certifications that would allow them to practice independently.

Dr Sing, however, said the statistics don’t tell the whole story. He said either local doctors obtain requisite licences in countries outside the region, in which case many of them never return to the Caribbean, or they go through UWI’s system where many fail and get stuck at the SHO level.

“UWI’s standards are so high that one of its supposed failures, like me, came to Europe and now has institutions bidding for me to enroll with them,” he said sarcastically.

His success in the UK compared with UWI is not because of fluctuating work ethic, he added.

“At UWI, I worked approximately 120 to 140 hour work weeks on average. I was paid for only 40 hours. I was in DM classes an hour before work started and that consisted of me giving presentations and being barraged by continuous questioning that required preparation.

Somehow I needed to find the time to read about four chapters of solid research as well as create PowerPoint slide presentations without leniency for working day and night. I have scars on my face where I have blacked out and fell from sheer exhaustion after working five days and four nights without a break or time to shower or eat. I was not given any public holidays or applied vacations.

Their explanation was, ‘you aren’t Bahamian, you don’t get any vacation if Bahamians need it, or you are

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in a trainee programme, you aren’t allowed to have vacations.’ By contrast, in the UK, I work strictly 40 hours and I leave. I have weekends and public holidays off. I fly every other weekend to a different country as evidence by my Instagram. Yet I am far more successful here where I work less but I wasn’t successful where I had slaved and gave blood, sweat and tears to a job and a university programme that said nothing was good enough for them.”

Before he came to The Bahamas in 2013, Dr Sing says he passed his Membership of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (MRCS) exam to obtain a postgraduate diploma for surgeons.

He didn’t see the certification as a viable option until he became fed up with UWI’s programme.

“No one in the Caribbean actually tells you how to get to the UK to practice medicine,” he said. “They tell you it’s not feasible, that you won’t get a visa, that it’s closed off to us as juniors.

They tell you the MRCS is useless.”

“I took a chance and now I am a senior specialist registrar, (which is above an SHO). If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have gone to The Bahamas. Bahamas wasted three years of my life. Had I come straight to the UK I would’ve been the youngest consultant in the Caribbean by now.”

Dr Sing will enter the fellowship programme at the St Andrew’s Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns in July.

Meanwhile, beginning this month, some junior Bahamian doctors will be selected to participate in a residency programme within a medical department at PMH. Those not chosen will be mandated to participate in a foundation programme designed to push them into private practice. Doctors who fail the programme or its final exam will be forced out of the profession.

Dr Sing and local doctors fear the foundation programme will mirror the characteristics of UWI’s programmes they despise, featuring low lecturer feedback and alleged bias.

They also fear people who could succeed elsewhere in the world will be out of a job in The Bahamas as a result of planned changes.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 14, 2018, PAGE 13

BEWARE OF GUNMEN IN WOMEN’S CLOTHING

from page one Police said two men entered the store and caused damage to a display case and stole a quantity of watches before running away.

It is unclear what the robbers escaped with, but it has been suggested that as many as 35 watches might

have been stolen, as well as it might have been just three.

The store was contacted by The Tribune but declined to comment officially.

“Two large men of dark complexion came into the store dressed like ladies and asked to see watches,” one person said on the condition of anonymity.

“Once they had the watches in hand, they then took out their guns and fired shots which was considered to be a warning that they were serious before walking out of the store like nothing happened.

“But some straw market vendors realised what was happening and began to shout ‘they got robbed’.

The men got away in a

Honda Fit.” Employees from several stores downtown expressed concern yesterday over the level of police presence in the area. They claim the lack of this presence leaves jewellery stores vulnerable to theft on a daily basis.

They say police frequently focus their attention and resources

at a nearby jitney stop as opposed to focusing on the safety of jewellery stores and customers.

Two weeks ago, two thieves robbed a jewellery store on Paradise Island. It is unclear whether the incidents are connected.

One man, armed with a firearm, entered the store and held the employees at bay.

They stole an undetermined amount of jewellery before escaping on foot, police said.

Just last month, National Security Minister Marvin Dames said armed robberies were down by some 31.8 percent and crimes against the person and property showed a decrease of 14 percent nationwide.

Bahamians seek to manage Abaco port

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A BAHAMIAN group with 30 years experience in the maritime industry have made a bid to manage and operate Abaco’s container port as the $40m development in Cooper’s Town nears completion.

The North Abaco Port Company (NAPCO), has put in an offer to the government to operate the new transshipment facility which is poised to create 300 jobs for Bahamians and hundreds of spin-off jobs.

According to a reliable source, the company is looking to bring onboard a Bahamian with the expertise and vast knowledge in the container port industry.

The multimillion-dollar project by the government was funded by the ExportImport Bank of China.

China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) was awarded the contract to build the port and a culvert at the Little Abaco Bridge.

The government has yet to make an announcement on which company will manage and operate the new port.

However, The Tribune understands that NAPCO is being considered, and if successful in its bid, it would be the first time a port built by China would be managed and operated

by Bahamians.

According to the source, NAPCO executives has a combined experience of over 30 years in the industry in marine pilotage, tugboat management, and logistics.

The company is eyeing former container port and harbour executive Raymond Jones II, who has over a decade of experience in container port and harbour operations in Grand Bahama.

Mr Jones is the former Chief Operating Officer of the Freeport Container Port, Freeport

FRANKIE Campbell MP was unavailable for comment.

Harbour Company, and Grand Bahama Airport Company for 14 years, in The Bahamas and overseas.

He was also appointed the first Bahamian president at BORCO and left in 2012 to open and operate his private businesses.

Mr Jones said that port facilities today are operated and managed by Bahamians in Freeport and Nassau and this is a testament to our Bahamian expertise.

“Taking into consideration my own professional history, the countless Bahamian executives, managers and operations personnel that are in the industry already, the Abaco Port is well within the capabilities of Bahamians. Bahamians have extensive global experience and local knowledge, as well as a lot of technical skills in operating a variety of businesses, and the port is no different,” he said.

“I spent 14 years with Hutchison Whampoa at the container port, harbour, and airport inside and outside The Bahamas. We in The Bahamas need to take a more active role in ownership and operations of key economic drivers. It is important that we not only recognize the capabilities of Bahamians that are available to us in all aspects of business in The Bahamas but put it to use and not always think we have to bring people in because the technical expertise is not available, they are available in The Bahamas.”

Mr Jones said that he

had had discussions with NAPCO. “They are looking at operating a world class facility built around a strong Bahamian team set up to manage the commercial, operational and financial aspects of this port; I think it is well within our capabilities to do so, and I think it is important for the government to see the key roles that Bahamians already play at the harbour and container port in Freeport as well as the port in Nassau,” he said.

He noted that he had seen the physical layout and aerial shots of the container port in Abaco. “It is a great opportunity for Bahamians to partake in from the ownership and operational ownership of doing a port facility, and it actually brings significant economic benefit to Abaco and the rest of The Bahamas,” he said.

Mr Jones indicated that the port can be “a huge economic driver” for Abaco.

“It facilitates the economically attractive import/ export of cargo into Abaco in a purpose-built port facility with warehousing on the dock, and the export of cargo, especially from the agriculture and fisheries sectors,” he explained.

“This new facility is important because it brings efficiency in terms of the ability to put in modern equipment and warehousing in a facility that has not just grown organically over time but actually built to service the needs of the shipping line and customers that import goods to the island.”

The source believes that if NAPCO is chosen to operate the port “it will boost confidence for Bahamians in the local economy on a national level, and will solidify the Minnis Administration’s stance and its vision for Bahamian empowerment based on its campaign promise to develop Bahamian entrepreneurship.”

Transport Minister Frankie Campbell was

contacted for comments regarding the matter, but did not return a call to The Tribune up to press time today.

In November, the minister toured the container port in Abaco. He had also confirmed in a ZNS report that the government was taking a look at a Bahamian group to manage and operate the container port and that some announcements would be made soon. At

the time, the port was 95 percent completed.

“I am aware a Bahamian group has made a pitch to the government to operate the port in Abaco. They were asked to go and review some of their plans and come back. I am satisfied that if they meet the criteria, then they too will be given an opportunity,” he said.

He said that Bahamians could successfully run a

container port, and noted that the Arawak Port Development is a perfect example of this.

“The Port at Arawak Cay is fully Bahamian operated and rated number one in the region. It is proof that Bahamians can do it,” he said.

Mr Campbell was satisfied that the port would be successful once the government can put in place the proper management structure.

PAGE 14, Monday, May 14, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

US seeking closer links to Bahamas

By TANEKA THOMPSON Tribune News Editor tmthompson@tribunemedia.net THE United States government is looking to increase its engagement with nations in the region such as The Bahamas, with the aim of finding ways to grow economies, boost prosperity and create diversity in energy use, according to a US State Department official.

Kenneth Merten, acting principal deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, spoke of these goals while in The Bahamas last week. He was in town to meet with regional officials gathered at the 21st meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations of the Caribbean Community, held in Nassau.

“It’s been a long time since someone in my job from the State Department has been here, so I wanted to rectify that,” he told The Tribune during an interview at the US Embassy in Nassau. “I had a number of terrific meetings with some of our key officials here.

“In terms of CARICOM, we have a strategy which we were asked to develop by our Congress. They passed, about a year and a half ago now, legislation called HR-4939 and in that legislation, (which passed with) bipartisan support, they asked us to develop a programme or a strategy to increase our engagement with the Caribbean.

“We sort of outlined a way forward in terms of co-operation which would

involve meetings to get together to figure out ways we could help grow economies, increase prosperity, work on some energy issues to build greater diversity of energy use, more energy dependence for our partners in the region, some increased cultural exchanges, increased diplomatic engagement, work together on security issues, so all those things.

“I was able to have a number of short discussions with ministers, we had some full-on bilateral meetings with several others, I think we have very good conversations.”

Talks last week included the problem of illegal immigration affecting countries in the region and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

“The subject of illegal migration certainly came up...” Mr Merten said.

“We believe that migration needs to be kept legal and safe and needs to follow international norms.

In many cases, I think you find that people who are aiding to migrate illegally, regardless of where they’re from... these are often criminal organisations, and if they’re not helping move people, they are helping move drugs or other illicit things.

“So it’s all part of a larger picture... I think in terms of migration, I go back to what I said about the need for pursuing economic prosperity throughout the hemisphere, this is part of this administration’s goal is to see, have prosperous partners in this hemisphere.

“A lot of countries can do more to increase their openness for investment, to create an economic microclimate which allows business, small and medium-sized to be created and to thrive, and I think those are important things.”

In terms of Venezuela, hundreds of thousands of migrants have fled the crisis-stricken country in the last year to neighbouring and even distant countries.

An unstable government and lack of food have fuelled their exodus.

“We remain very concerned about a number of factors in Venezuela,” Mr Merten said. “Number one is the deterioration of quality of life, our humanitarian concern is for the people of Venezuela. You now have a situation where thousands and thousands of people are leaving not for neighbouring countries across land borders like Colombia and Brazil, but now going to places like Aruba, Curacao and Trinidad, and you have increase in diseases that we thought were eradicated like Polio. . . people aren’t able to get enough to eat on a regular basis, so we’re very concerned about that.

“The concern is also that it is a self-inflicted situation unfortunately by a government that has severely mismanaged the economy and also moved away from the Venezuelan constitution and has had and is intent to have more elections which have not been internationally supervised...”

In January, US President Donald Trump renominated California hotelier

KENNETH MERTEN Doug Manchester for the post of Bahamas ambassador. He had a hearing before the Senate in 2017, but has not yet been confirmed for the post.

The Bahamas has not had a US ambassador since 2011, when Nicole Avant left the post.

Mr Merten said he hoped the role would be filled soon, but acknowledged the delay in doing so was the result of partisan politics in the US. “There has been a person who has been nominated, who has had his hearing, Doug Manchester from California. I wish I could, but I can’t predict when the Senate will vote on him. There are at the present time a great number of posts which are vacant around the world and frankly in the State Department in Washington as

well,” he said.

“We have a new Secretary of State who has said in his testimony that his goal will be to fill as many of these slots very quickly, but at the end of the day he needs to depend in many cases on Senate confirmation and that is something that none of us, not even the president, has control over, so we’ll see.

“I would just say in terms of The Bahamas... it is just a very unfortunate confluence of circumstances and frankly a certain level of disagreement politically in Washington, we have had for the past several years a climate that is highly partisan.”

Despite the lack of an ambassador here, Mr Merten spoke highly of US/Bahamas relations and the country’s economic situation.

“I’m very animated by the need for all of our partners in the region to look at ways that we can help populations in our country live better, be more prosperous, be more economically secure. I’m very pleased to see that economic growth in The Bahamas seems to be trending upwards, I think that’s a great sign. I’m happy to see that the government seems to be taking steps to try and increase economic growth, thus increase economic opportunity for people, those are things we really like to see.

“Here in The Bahamas I was really pleased to hear that the government here has taken steps to ensure that businesses can be created in as little as 14 days.

That is a goal which I think is laudable and we would hope that other partners in the region would do that.”

LONG ISLANDERS WELCOME BENEFITS OF WATER DEAL

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

POOR access to potable water is one of the major issues facing some Long Island settlements.

On Thursday, area MP and Water and Sewerage (WSC) Executive Chairman Adrian Gibson signed a $5.3m contract between WSC and BHM Company Limited to install 100,000 feet of pipe across the island.

This will bring city water to hundreds of people.

While attending Thursday’s contract signing in Salt Pond, Long Island, The Tribune spoke with locals on the project’s impact, and other issues facing the island such as unemployment, “brain drain”, and poor infrastructure.

Long Island Bahamas Chamber of Commerce President Cheryl de Goicoechea was born and raised in Salt Pond, one of the settlements that will receive potable water. Ms de Goicoechea discussed the impact of the project on tourism, real estate, and locals.

“I’ve lived here all my life and… there’s no city water,” she told The Tribune.

“I remember my father going to wells and bringing us home water in buckets stuffed with sea grape leaves so it can [keep] from splashing on the back of the truck.”

“And [I remember] them delivering us halfway brackish water in a big heavy duty plastic bladder on the back of the truck that came out of these probably not really clean wells.”

As a real estate agent, Ms de Goicoechea said a city water system could significantly contribute to the number of people buying and building homes on the island.

“I know for a fact that if we could have city water running through many

of these settlements that we’ll see a larger growth of new buildings and people coming to the island and having new residences here,” she said.

“Because presently if I get a client and they’re going to build a new home, it’s going to cost them up to anywhere between $20,00040,000 to build a concrete cistern just to hold water.”

Ms de Goicoechea noted that this is a “huge expense”, and could result in people choosing to build elsewhere.

“If we can have this water I think it is going to bring huge benefits to everybody,” she said.

“And so it’s important for the island to get the proper infrastructure.”

She said the residents were very excited about Thursday’s contract signing.

“I can just imagine what it’s going to be like when we turn the tap on and we actually have city water.”

A 58-year-old Gray’s resident, who wished only to be identified as Mr Wells, likened the arrival of city water in Salt Pond to being like “Jesus reach”.

He added that people have to rely on the water truck delivering water to the tanks in their homes — when the water truck is working.

Mr Wells said this, among other issues, is a factor as to why so many young people leave the island.

“Soon as they finish school, they gone,” he said.

Referring to an upcoming graduation, Mr Wells said: “That’s one set you (won’t) see back. Maybe like holidays or something. But it’s nothing for them to do.”

Ambrose and Edith Cartwright agreed. “[There’s] nothing on Long Island for young people,” Mr Cartwright, 72, said.

James, a 58-year-old Deadman’s Cay resident, also discussed the issue of unemployment on the island.

“Job-wise it’s very limited,” he said. “Unless you have a job with the government, maybe janitress at the schools or maybe bus driver…as far as it’s concerned when it comes down to the local guy on the street who needs a job, it’s hardly none here to find.”

“Even down to…some contractors who would hire these fellas to work— they can’t hire them because they [the contractors] don’t have a job.”

In terms of infrastructure, many locals expressed concern about the Deadman’s Cay airport.

Mr Wells described it as “embarrassing” and suggested that a larger airport may influence the Long Island diaspora as well as more tourists to visit the island.

James said a more efficient airport could also spark the creation of more industries on the airport, causing more developers to come and allowing locals to start companies such as bed-and-breakfasts.

Despite these challenges, many residents expressed faith in the Minnis Administration.

Elias Cartwright, 64, said the Free National Movement has done a “pretty good” job for the first year.

Delbert Cartwright, 65, said Long Island was “severely punished” until 1992.

“We didn’t have roads, we didn’t have telephones, we didn’t have electricity, we didn’t have water. None of those things. But after the FNM won in 1992, we got some things.”

He has “very high hopes” for the current government, understanding that some things are “in the pipeline” for Long Island, such as the water.

He added: Long Island is “one of the best places in The Bahamas”.

“Living here, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.“

THE TRIBUNE

SERVICE REMEMBERS CLARA ROSE HALL-KING

Monday, May 14, 2018, PAGE 15

A STATE-recognised funeral service was held on Friday for Clara Rose Hall-King, former member of the Senate, at St Agnes Anglican Church, attended by Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling, left, and other dignitaries. Opposition Leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, below left, spoke during the service, as did Dion Foulkes, below centre, and Sir Burton Hall, Mrs Hall-King’s son, below right.

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