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VOLUME:118 No.14, DECEMBER 10, 2020

OBITS OFFICIA

CLASSIFIED TRADER: CARS, CARS, CARS & MORE CARS

INSIDE

‘My suffering as I waited for justice’ Kenyan slept in car and went without food as he fought legal battle

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net A MAN who was unlawfully detained for more than six years was forced to sleep in a car and go hungry as he fought a legal case that resulted in him being awarded $641,000.

Douglas Ngumi’s current lifestyle is a far cry from that of a man who has just won thousands of dollars for unlawful detention, the largest damages ever ordered in a Supreme Court case of its kind.

The Kenyan national said he lives in a Mitsubishi L300 borrowed from a friend, often goes hungry, some days having nothing to eat, and bathes outside.

His most prized possession, he said, is a cell phone given to him by his lawyers – though he repeatedly loses such devices because

he said he can’t properly secure them.

“From 2017, I’ve never slept in a bed or locked a door,” he said yesterday in his first interview since the verdict announcing his record award.

“I sleep with one eye open. I bathe outside and I look for a secure spot to do a number two. I don’t like to go in people house so that if anything goes missing, you can’t be blamed.”

Justice Indra Charles awarded Mr Ngumi $641,950 in damages last month after a trial in which it was revealed that the 49-year-old endured cruel and inhumane treatment at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre during an unlawful six-and-a-halfyear imprisonment that began in 2011 and ended in 2017.

SEE PAGE THREE

WATER WORKERS UPSET AT CHRISTMAS BONUS DELAY

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE union representing Water and Sewerage Corporation line staff said it is disappointed in the water provider’s decision not to pay out Christmas bonuses this month, allegedly deviating from provisions set out in the workers’ industrial agreement.

Last week, WSC General Manager Elwood Donaldson said the bonuses would be deferred temporarily this year due to fall out from COVID-19.

However, in an interview yesterday, Dwayne Woods, Bahamas Utility Services and Allied Workers Union president, said BUSAWU was aggrieved for various SEE PAGE THREE

$1

L SOUR CE

STANDY BY FOR TAKE-OFF AT ATLANTIS

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net A SENIOR Atlantis executive yesterday voiced optimism that guest bookings will “take off” in the 2021 first quarter after a slow start to its re-opening that begins today.

Russell Miller, the Paradise Island mega resort’s executive vice-president of hotel operations, said: “We’re optimistic. It’s going to start out slow, but then we will gradually build up, so by Christmas and New Year we think we’ll be at a good level of occupancies and we’re hoping for the first quarter to take off and be also successful for us.”

Atlantis is recalling around 3,000 staff for today’s partial re-opening.

In addition, Baha Mar said yesterday it has increased the number of staff being brought back for the Grand Hyatt’s December 17 reopening to 1,800, or 40 percent of its workforce.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

EXTRA TIME FOR DORIAN EXEMPTIONS

‘WHY WOULD ANYONE KILL VINCENT?’ THE FAMILY of a man shot dead in Nassau Village on Tuesday have spoken out as they struggle to come to grips with his death. The sister of Vincent Knowles Jr yesterday said her brother was not a “gang-banger” and she couldn’t understand why he had been murdered. See page seven for the full story.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

WHAT NEXT FOR TURNQUEST? ‘WE’LL SEE’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

IN his first interview since resigning as deputy prime minister and minister of finance on November 25, East Grand Bahama MP Peter Turnquest was coy about whether he will offer himself for reelection.

However he said he believes the Free National Movement has a good chance of winning the next

PETER Turnquest yesterday. general election.

“My party’s chances of

winning the next election I think is good,” he said.

“No administration goes without some challenges.

But I think if you weigh it in the balance we’ve done some good work over the last three years and we’ll see what happens when the time comes.”

Asked if he will run again for a seat in Parliament, Mr Turnquest said: “We’ll see what happens.”

SEE PAGE FOUR

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

IN an effort to assist Hurricane Dorian survivors who experienced rebuilding delays due to COVID-19 restrictions, the government has extended several tax exemptions deemed “critical” to Abaco and Grand Bahama’s recovery to June 2021.

The move should be a welcome reprieve to many residents, who have long been pleading with the Minnis administration for further extension of the tax breaks, many of which were initially set to expire at the end of this month.

SEE PAGE TWO

FRONT PORCH

WE NEED GOOD IDEAS MORE THAN EVER - AND THE PM KNOWS THAT

PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Thursday, December 10, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

EXTRA TIME FOR DORIAN EXEMPTIONS from page one

Addressing the matter in the Senate yesterday, newly appointed Minister of State for Finance Kwasi Thompson said the government has decided to extend

several of its tax relief measures to next year as a result of COVID-19’s negative impact on rebuilding efforts.

This includes tax free purchases of all locally bought and imported home furniture items and other

homeware appliances.

Local gas has also been designated as a tax-free item in the special communities, given the fact many residents are still without electricity and having to use portable generators as means to electrify their homes.

Further, the government is also offering VAT payable discounts on real property fees provided transactions do not exceed $500,000.

“Despite the fact that government’s revenues are down as much as 50

percent, this administration is ensuring that we still do as much as possible to cushion the economic blow for communities experiencing hardship,” Senator Thompson said yesterday.

“The reality of the fiscal situation means that we cannot do or have everything on our wish list.

However, the government will continue to deliver tax relief in critical areas. So, we recognise the need for concessionary fuel pricing while the work to rebuild the power grid continues.

“For that reason, the local sale of fuel will continue to be tax free given the ongoing need to run portable generators as electricity restoration continues in some communities.”

He continued: “We also recognise that rebuilding takes time and the reconstruction of damaged homes continues. For that reason, the local sale and importation of household furniture, furnishings and appliances will continue to be tax free.

“We recognise that many ordinary Bahamians are still looking to buy and sell properties for regular residential development.

For that reason, we are extending the opportunity to receive a discount on the Vat payable on the sale of real property for transactions valued up to $500,000.

“We recognise as well that vehicles that have been ordered, they ought to arrive in the country by the end of December. Accordingly, the government will honour the current tax concession on replacement vehicles provided that there is documentary evidence that has been shipped before December 31, 2020 and provided that it arrives

by April 30 of 2021.”

Abaco and East Grand Bahama were declared special economic recovery zones by the government in 2019 following Hurricane Dorian’s devastation.

The economic recovery zone plan provides

businesses and homeowners in storm-ravaged islands with a variety of tax breaks and concessions.

For example, VAT, import duty and excise tax has been eliminated on construction materials and all other physical goods sold and brought into the zones.

The government also removed VAT from construction services. Some of the relief initiatives were initially set to expire in June, but the government in May extended the tax breaks until December 2020 due to COVID-19’s impact.

Yesterday, Senator Thompson clarified that “the relief provisions for business licenses, real property taxes and from VAT and import taxes on consumables, clothing, equipment and other replacement items” will still be discontinued at the end of this month.

However, the tax exemptions related to building materials, as well as the elimination of VAT on construction services are not due to expire until next June.

Senator Thompson said while the government understands residents’ desire to have all the measures extended until next year, officials cannot do so due to economic restraints brought on by the COVID19 pandemic.

“Certainly, we appreciate the views expressed by some that all current measures should be continued,” he stressed. “That sentiment, however, had to be weighed against the reality of a very challenged fiscal situation brought about by the current economic reality.

“Nonetheless, the government is demonstrating that it is fully committed to supporting the ongoing Hurricane Dorian recovery process that continues in the special economic recovery zone. The work is not over and we plan on leaving no one behind.”

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, December 10, 2020, PAGE 3

‘My suffering as I waited for justice’ from page one Mr Ngumi said he learned about his victory when a friend told him on November 30 that he was on the front page of The Tribune.

“It was a surprise to see it on the front page and then have people come and tell you you’re on the front page, so then I went and got the paper to read it myself,” he said. “I didn’t have money to buy the paper, so someone actually gave it to me for free.”

Mr Ngumi has a complicated view of Justice Charles’ ruling: he is happy he won, but is dissatisfied with the figure he has been awarded.

“I was emotional and I was glad about it to know that that could have happened,” he said, “but it’s not satisfactory because the request was $11m, so we was thinking even if it’s not $11m and even if it’s not half-way to that, it would come at least a quarter of what we asked for.”

Attorney Fred Smith has told Eyewitness News that he will appeal Justice Charles’ ruling, saying the award was “grossly inadequate” and creates a “terrible perception of social inequality”.

If the award remains at $641k, Mr Ngumi said he dreams of buying a property on which to build a house and starting a business.

“I would like to get a cheap but nice property in a nice area and a business,” he said. “I am a mechanic by trade so anything looking at that, like say, new and used car parts, I would focus on that for my business.”

He said if he takes care of his immigration issues in the Bahamas, he wants to travel to Kenya to visit his parents, his sister and his 22-year-old daughter who he hasn’t seen since she was a baby.

“She doesn’t know me,” he said of his child. “I came here for the first time in 1997. She don’t live close to my family in Kenya so we’re trying to establish contact with her.

“I want to get myself established first before I travel. I would like to get my documents to be on the safe side. I don’t have nothing. The lawyers are trying to get one for me now.”

Mr Ngumi testified in the Supreme Court that his identification documents were lost at the detention facility.

“I’m in the process of trying to get legal documents,” he said. “I need documents from my country first though, a birth certificate and national ID from my country.”

For now, Mr Ngumi said he leads a charmless, funfree life.

“I don’t have fun here,” he said. “I don’t have the funds to have fun. Fun for me is watching a soccer game or going somewhere where I can watch a movie on a TV or something. I have no TV, no computer, I only have a phone.”

After leaving the Detention Centre in 2017, Mr Ngumi said he was homeless on Junkanoo Beach, “just walking around waiting for the day to go because I didn’t have nothing.”

Eventually, he said he lived in an unfinished building of a friend but left there

DOUGLAS Ngumi pictured outside court previously. in February this year and has been living in a car ever since.

“Sometimes I get so emotional and I don’t know why,” he said. “I saw my lawyers and they told me I need to go for counselling.

That’s what they trying to do, get me to go for counselling so they will see if I could be all right.”

During his trial, Mr Ngumi recalled three occasions when teargas was used on detainees. He damned the conditions of the facility, saying one dorm held 500 people when it had a capacity for only 50. He said when he left the centre,

he was soon diagnosed with tuberculosis and was eventually detained for eight months at Princess Margaret Hospital.

He cried while testifying in detail about one violent episode in particular in which he was stripped naked, tied, handcuffed under a table and beaten with a PVC pipe. His testimony was accepted as definitive by the judge because government lawyers did not call witnesses or produce evidence in the trial.

Reacting to the ruling, Immigration Minister Elsworth Johnson has said

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff the Bahamas “is a country of laws,” while Immigration Director Clarence Russell has said his department intends to “make sure people are safe, treated as humanely as possible and that due course is taken”.

On immigration authorities, Mr Ngumi said: “How they operate, somebody need to look very closely into what has been going on into government institutions. A lot of things happen through hidden doors. Officers don’t put officers in shackles so you never know what really goes on unless someone talks about it.”

For his part, Mr Smith blasted the government for not allowing people like Mr Ngumi to seek gainful employment.

“I begged the government to give people like Mr Ngumi a general work permit so that they can at least provide for themselves while their situations and circumstances are being dealt with,” he said yesterday.

“It is inhumane and degrading to prevent a person from putting food in his mouth. And it is not just Ngumi, it is all the cases that I am doing and it is absolutely dehumanising.”

WATER WORKERS UPSET AT CHRISTMAS BONUS DELAY from page one

reasons, including reportedly not being given adequate notice to allow workers to plan not to receive the bonus.

He said workers have been advised not to work overtime since the bonus will not be paid out this month.

Additionally, he claimed that the decision should have been discussed in a meeting, but said a relationship between the union and officials is non-existent.

He urged executives to come to the table to decide how the bonuses will be paid, adding the union could possibly agree to the deferred payment with an applied interest.

“We are not greedy,” he said in response to a question from this newspaper.

“Nothing could be further from the truth for the mere fact that we are sensitive towards the economic and financial position of the country with respect to COVID-19 and we want to separate ourselves from that statement.

“It’s simply that the Christmas bonus is considered a part of our salary and wages in respect to accruing on a monthly basis from January to November 30 and is payable in December. It’s not no extra amount of money we could get as a bonus.

It also carries a qualifier.

One has to qualify for that over a period of one year what is payable in December.”

He continued: “We don’t have a problem with the corporation postponing and deferring if they would come to the table and negotiate when payment will be made and if they did not disrespect the union to the point of not giving us a notice, had they done that the members could have planned their salaries without knowing they would

not have gotten this bonus.

They gave us this late notice indefinitely postponing the payment of this.

“The union is saying come to the table, let’s sit down amicably and solve the issue. If we could come to the conclusion of when we’ll be paid and whatever interest may be put on top of it, that is something we may be able to come to a conclusion on.”

The industrial agreement also outlines that “the corporation shall pay a Christmas bonus of $700 beginning in the year 2013 to each employee with 12 months of service or more.”

Other provisions include that the qualifying year is to run from December 1 of the previous year to November 30 of the current year with the payment being included in the Christmas payroll for serving employees. For others, payment is to be made at about the same time of the Christmas payroll.

The bonus is only applicable to workers who are still in the service of WSC on November 30 and have discharged their duties efficiently, with due diligence and fidelity.

Eligibility for the bonus also means the employee was not suspended from duty or absent from duty for more than one work day or shift without justification during any month of the qualifying year, among other stipulations.

In a December 3 letter, Mr Donaldson wrote to staff: “As you are aware, our nation is facing very difficult financial times within our current economy. The Water and Sewerage Corporation plays an integral part in the fight against COVID19. Our services remain essential and currently given without financial conditions to ensure that the entire nation receives potable water.”

The pandemic has meant the WSC has to deal with decreased cash flow and collections. Since March no disconnections were carried out.

“Notwithstanding that, we have maintained our

staff complement and continued to meet monthly salary payments.

This month is no different as all staff will be paid their salaries in full. Due to this current dire financial environment, we are advising

that Christmas bonuses… for the year ending 2020, will be deferred until further notice.”

He said the deferment was necessary and was signed off by the government.

He said it applies to all employees including members of the executive committee.

Attempts to reach Mr Donaldson for comment were unsuccessful up to press time.

PAGE 4, Thursday, December 10, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Meeting this week on distribution of vaccine

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net

THE Pan American Health Organisation will meet with regional Ministries of Health this week to discuss distribution and purchasing of a COVID-19 vaccine.

PAHO assistant director Jabas Barbosa said talks and preparation should be completed by February 2021.

Bahamian officials have made a $250,000 down payment for 80,000 doses of a vaccine, however a decision has not yet been made on which specific drug this nation will acquire.

However, a Ministry of Health insider told this newspaper officials are seriously considering the vaccine made

by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals because of its lower cost and the fact that, unlike the vaccine made by Pfizer, it was easy to store.

PAHO director Dr Carissa Etienne did not say which vaccines will be recommended for this region, but said PAHO will assist countries in planning to receive them.

“This week, PAHO is convening member states in an Extraordinary Session of our Directing Council, where we’ll meet with the Ministries of Health of our region to discuss the preparation for vaccine roll out and purchasing and distribution of COVID19 vaccines in the region through our Revolving Fund through the COVAX Facility,” she said.

“Despite the financial hardship that our region has incurred during the

pandemic, countries in the Americas have done their part in securing more than $1 billion in downpayments and financial guarantees to engage with COVAX. PAHO has helped several countries in our region navigate and meet the requirements of the COVAX facility, and we’re focused on making sure every country’s investment counts.”

The United Kingdom began vaccinating its citizens against COVID-19 with a Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday, becoming the first nation to do so. Several vaccines are currently awaiting approval for use in the United States.

PAHO is hopeful that the COVID-19 vaccines, which will soon come on the market, will help contain the pandemic, but admitted this will take time

and advance planning. Dr Etienne shared an update on the region’s preparations for a successful vaccine rollout.

“Let me start by saying that while a number of vaccine candidates are under consideration, no vaccine has been approved for distribution across our region yet,” she noted. “The Americas represents a fifth of all COVAX-participating countries and an estimated third of all vaccines that will be procured for self-financing countries via COVAX. “But funding is just one area in which we’re supporting our member states.

We’re also working hard to ensure that once vaccines are approved and available, countries are prepared to roll them out.”

The World Health Organisation has developed a readiness assessment tool

that PAHO, she said, has adapted for the region to ensure that member states have the guidance they need on everything from engaging the staff, regulatory aspects, communication, resources and trainings needed to prepare their health systems for vaccination campaigns, to ensuring their logistics systems, cold chains and supply chains can respond quickly.

“At first, we won’t have enough doses to protect everyone, so the objective is to save lives using the first deployment to reach those most vulnerable to develop severe forms of COVID19,” Dr Etienne continued.

“That’s why PAHO has also been supporting member states in developing their national immunisation plans.

“Each country must identify priority groups

and adapt communications campaigns and materials to meet their needs, including by working alongside community leaders to empower communities to seek vaccination. Health care workers will likely be among the first to benefit from a vaccine and will also play a key role in raising awareness about the importance of immunisation.”

PAHO reports that since the start of the pandemic, the region has seen over 28.5 million cases and 753,000 deaths due to COVID-19.

Cases in The Bahamas have been trending down in the past few weeks.

On Tuesday, just five new cases were reported: three in New Providence, one in Grand Bahama and one in the Berry Islands. The country had 7,585 cases as of Tuesday and 163 deaths.

WHAT NEXT FOR TURNQUEST? ‘WE’LL SEE’

PETER Turnquest MP pictured yesterday as the Bahamas Waste team launched a new work truck with COVID-19 safety messaging. from page one Mr Turnquest’s comments come as political observers watch closely for evidence of what kind of backbencher he will be: whether he will offer critical commentary about the administration he left or be fully supportive despite leaving Cabinet. After resigning as health minister in May, Elizabeth MP Dr Duane Sands has at times offered stinging criticism of the governing party.

Yesterday Mr Turnquest declined to give his views

on such topical issues as oil drilling, saying he will leave that to the government to discuss.

Told he is in a prime position to comment on such matters as a backbencher, he said: “At the appropriate time I will give my views on that. However, I would again leave it to the Cabinet to comment on that. I have not polled my constituents on it so I can’t really give a position.”

His comments yesterday came at a press conference in which Bahamas Waste announced that it will start a new campaign

Photo: Donovan McIntosh to encourage Bahamians to wear masks.

Mr Turnquest resigned as deputy prime minister and minister of finance late last month after being mentioned in a Supreme Court lawsuit relating to an alleged $27m fraud.

In a statement of claim filed in November, Alpha Aviation Limited and Advanced Aviation Limited alleged that Randy Butler and Mr Turnquest conspired “wrongfully and with intent to injure” their companies and/or “to cause loss to them by unlawful means and/or to enrich themselves.”

Plaintiffs alleged that Mr Turnquest and Captain Butler used “some 39 fraudulent invoices and/

or book entries, and for no adequate consideration” drained away some $3.8m paid by Alpha Aviation to Aviation Oversight Group via 39 separate cheque payments between February 2008 and July 2016.

They alleged that a further $3.026m was also siphoned off “as at December 31, 2017”, to AOG Maintenance Ltd, a company that owned Sky Bahamas’ maintenance hangar at Lynden Pindling International Airport.

Mr Turnquest was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit and maintains his innocence. His former Sky Bahamas partner, Captain Butler, has also said he is innocent of the accusations against him in legal action.

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THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, December 10, 2020, PAGE 5

‘FNM must condemn the work of Facebook trolls’

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE Progressive Liberal Party’s youth arm has called on the governing Free National Movement to condemn behaviour and claims featured in a recording recently circulated on social media revealing alleged “defamation and slander” by people purported to be FNMs. Audio of a secretly recorded conversation between several alleged members of an FNM association made the rounds yesterday revealing the purported work of the party’s “war room”.

In the recording, they admit to being internet trolls and using fake profiles on social media to defend the FNM. They further allege this was an ongoing effort that had

been used against organisers of a recent Progressive Young Liberals convention.

Later in the recorded conversation a senior member of government was contacted via phone when he told those listening that Lincoln Bain of Bahamian Evolution had surprisingly been able to divulge details of a recent parliamentary caucus meeting.

That senior member was then told that a “war had begun” to which he commended those on the call for the work they had done as part of the FNM’s “war room” efforts.

After the senior member ended the call, someone could be heard saying “if they find my bullets in the autopsy, I ain’t care that’s a righteous kill,” as others commended him for his work on social media.

The context of the conversation is unclear and

when it took place is not known.

Yesterday, the PYL released a statement saying it was not surprised that these actions were endorsed or sanctioned by someone in senior leadership.

“The Progressive Young Liberals note a video that is circulating on social media that allegedly exposed members of the Free National Movement... in the scandalous, unscrupulous, not to mention unlawful practices of defamation and slander,” the statement released yesterday said.

“We are not surprised by their actions and conduct, nor are we surprised that actions were endorsed and sanctioned by the senior leadership of the FNM. “A senior member and substantive minister was heard endorsing this

behaviour. Further, the FNM has proven to be an organisation that stifles and suffocates democracy.

As they revel in what they regard as a victory, the fact is the government lost in their attempt to prevent a first reading of a piece of money legislation.”

It continued: “We all know what should follow when the government loses such a critical parliamentary vote.”

This comes amid controversy stemming from Parliament’s decision to move a bill that would repeal the Ocean Industries Incorporated (Aragonite Mining Encouragement) Act to a Select Committee on Natural Resources, effectively ensuring that the Bill will not be debated in the House of Assembly during a second reading.

The Bill for an Act to

repeal the Ocean Industries Incorporated (Aragonite Mining Encouragement) 1971, was drafted by Bahamian Evolution, a group that demonstrated in Rawson Square last week.

Those backing the Bill argue the country has not benefited enough from its natural resources.

“In the video, FNM trolls and operatives describe in detail the political agenda of the FNM: the use of fake social media profiles to distort the truth and to advance their (statements) as political propaganda while identifying well known FNM members as the culprits behind these false allegations,” PYL claimed.

“The Progressive Young Liberals is an organisation that has and will always advance fact-based information and not fabrications or hearsay.

“If these allegations are false, the FNM must say so, repudiate them, distancing itself from this sordid affair.

“Alternatively, if the organisation has erred in its judgment and the allegations are true, we demand a formal retraction of the allegations, a public condemnation of this kind of conduct and a public apology from the FNM. “We further call on the government to have the police investigate these allegations as there is investigative precedence when the characters of individuals are smeared and maliciously slandered through the abuse of the social media platform,” the PYL’s statement said.

Requests for comment from a senior member of government and FNM Chairman Carl Culmer went unanswered up to press time.

FOOD DISTRIBUTED IN GRAND BAHAMA

FOOD supplies being provided in Grand Bahama by the Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation in association with the Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

POWER RESTORED FOR 4,000 IN ABACO

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

MORE than a year after Hurricane Dorian hit, Bahamas Power and Light has restored electricity connections to over 4,000 residential customers in Abaco.

The figure was revealed

by BPL chairman Dr Donovan Moxey earlier this week as he touted the utility provider’s progress to restore power to the island following the powerful Category Five storm’s widespread devastation.

“When you look at Abaco, we’ve done a heck of a lot of work on Abaco in the last year in bringing that island back,” he told reporters. “Abaco, for us, when you look at the number of customers, Abaco I believe represents the second largest number of customers in our portfolio of BPL. “And so now that we’re starting to bring Abaco back, we have to reconnect those services in Abaco.

That means we have to have a full team. What we did as BPL, I think back in September is we sent a

letter to all of those remaining employees who were in Nassau that was supposed to go to Abaco that ‘listen, we want you to start making preparations over the next two months to be able go back to Abaco because as we’re starting to bring services on, we need a full team complement in Abaco.’”

However, in recent weeks there have been some concerns raised by BPL workers, who worked in Abaco prior to Dorian, such as limited housing options.

The chairman sought to address those concerns, saying the company is doing all it can to assist employees where needed.

He said: “We do know that there may be some challenges with folks finding housing but we do know that housing is there and so we’re doing what we can to help our employees identify those particular opportunities for them to find housing but at the end of the day, you have customers in Abaco to the tune of we’ve connected over 4,000.

“We have over 4,000 customers and we’re moving those customers slowly back on the grid and so

what we want to be able to do is now… is provide the level of service that our customers expect.”

In October, BPL officials revealed that the utility company was receiving 75 reconnection applications per week from residents and businesses seeking to rejoin an Abaco customer base that is just 50 percent of its pre-Dorian size.

While addressing the Abaco Business Outlook conference, BPL’s chief operating officer, Ian Pratt said despite the devastation inflicted by Dorian and the regular power outages that Abaco residents are still enduring, the state-owned utility monopoly has “sufficient generation capacity and redundancy” on the island.

Earlier this week, Water and Sewerage Corporation Executive Chairman Adrian Gibson said in a post on Facebook that the water provider was making “notable progress” in Treasure Cay, Abaco in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.

The post was accompanied by various photos showing groundwork being carried out.

OSWALD INGRAHAM LYING IN STATE THE Cabinet Office announced yesterday that the body of the late James Oswald Ingraham, former Member of Parliament, Speaker of the House of Assembly and Deputy to the Governor General will lie-in-state

in the foyer of the House of Assembly from 9am to 3pm today.

Family members and invited dignitaries will view the body between 9am to noon.

As the House of Assembly building is a

public domain, wearing of masks is mandatory as is social distancing and adherence to, and observance of all relevant health protocols.

Viewing for the general public will be from noon to 3pm.

THE Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation together with valued partners Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity have provided healthy food supplies to disadvantaged families across the island of Grand Bahama.

Although more than a year has passed since Hurricane Dorian left Grand Bahama in ruins, many families are still in recovery mode. Homes are in need of repair and families are in need of basic essentials, including food.

For this initiative, which was carried out on November 29, the GBDRF provided food supplies, and partners Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity sorted, packaged, and delivered them.

“Ensuring families have the basic necessity of food is of utmost importance at this time,” said Karla McIntosh, director of the GBDRF. “People are still hurting and we want to help as much as we are able.

With local partnerships we

can do more, so we are truly grateful for the assistance of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.”

Afrika Karamo, president of Zeta Rho Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, said: “We are delighted to have another opportunity to partner with the Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation and with Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s local chapter. Our combined efforts allowed us to reach 98 families, a fitting number as we celebrated our 98th Founders’ Day in ‘Rhovember’ of this year.”

President of the local Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Chapter, Ntieado Knowles, added: “Our island has experienced challenging times since Hurricane Dorian and, now, COVID-19 has made 2020 a tumultuous year for so many families.

“It warms our hearts to know that we were able to help provide sustenance to many. Food is an essential part of our everyday lives that we all need and deserve.”

PAGE 6, Thursday, December 10, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

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Resort reopening brings hope to us all THE doors of Atlantis open again to guests today – and while there may not be a rush to visit right away, the resort has high hopes for the start of next year.

For the rest of us, it’s a sign of success – a success that can also be measured in the low numbers of new confirmed cases each day at present. On Sunday, there was even a day with not one new case.

There’s more good news over at Baha Mar, where 1,800 staff members are being brought back for the December 17 reopening of the Grand Hyatt – about 40 percent of the workforce.

Each of these moments is a stepping stone back to getting our economy functioning again.

With good news, there is bad news too, however. Looking across to the US, today’s COVID-19 death tally was more than 3,000. To put that in context, that’s more deaths in a single day than in the September 11 attacks in 2001. For that, the US launched a global war against terror. What will be the US response to yesterday’s death toll?

How well the US deals with COVID19 will be a large factor in how quickly we will recover economically here. A new president coming in with seemingly a more determined and coherent plan to tackle the virus is good news for us. Americans are suffering economically too – with many out of work just as Bahamians have been here. They might want to come to visit, but they might not be able to afford to as rent payments pile up with no income to pay them.

So it will be no surprise that the first days of reopening might be slow.

For that reason, it is welcome that the government is extending its support programmes for another month. They might need longer still – and we hope they will be ready and willing to do so if people are still out of work waiting to be taken back on.

But today is a hopeful sign. And in

this year, we’ll take all the hope we can get.

Never again Douglas Ngumi’s story is heartbreaking. In today’s Tribune, you can read about how he had to live in a car borrowed from a friend, went hungry often, some days having nothing to eat at all, and had to bathe outside.

His most prized possession is something so many of us take for granted – a cell phone, and that was given to him by his lawyers.

Mr Ngumi was badly treated by this nation. He was unlawfully detained for more than six years. He has, at last, won his case – and a payout of $641,000, the most ever awarded for a case of its kind.

A payment is one thing, but we hope The Bahamas can do its best to put things right for Mr Ngumi in other ways.

He says he wants to go and visit family in Kenya, but needs to get his documents sorted out first. It would be only fair for this nation to expedite such matters after treating him so badly.

The question that remains is how many others are there like Mr Ngumi.

This newspaper has already printed details of seven asylum seekers who are reportedly in detention, unlawfully according to activists.

The Attorney General and the Immigration Minister have denied knowledge of any wrongful treatment of people still in the system – but if there are, shouldn’t they know? Shouldn’t they be determined to find out?

We want to avoid a repeat of Mr Ngumi’s situation, and others like him who have been through this process before. It’s not just a matter of avoiding the payout at the end – it’s about doing what’s right. And that, for a nation that prides itself on Christian values, should be a goal we all share.

Ill timing over Ferreira EDITOR, The Tribune.

LAST week, The Bahamas learned the sad news of Environment Minister Romauld Ferreira’s 14-year-old son’s tragic and sudden passing.

Leaders of both the Free National Movement and the Progressive Liberal Party extended heartfelt condolences to Mr Ferriera and his family, who are no doubt deeply devastated.

Seeing newspaper photos of a mourning Ferreira in the front of his house as mortuary personnel carried the remains of his son to the hearse were heart-rending.

In light of this tragic incident occurring just days

ago, I was taken by complete surprise to read that the environmental groups Coalition to Protect Clifton Bay and Waterkeeper Bahamas Ltd have named Mr Ferriera a respondent in a Supreme Court file to block Bahamas Petroleum Company’s (BPC) attempts to drill for oil in The Bahamas.

Interestingly, in both The Tribune and Nassau Guardian articles on the BPC legal matter, not one of the environmental groups or their representatives is reported to have expressed condolences to Ferreira.

This shocking display of nonchalance underscores the narrative that these

moneyed environment lobbyists care more about Mother Nature than human beings. Without siding with any of the litigants in this matter, I would say to Coalition to Protect Clifton Bay, Waterkeeper Bahamas Ltd, reEarth, Save the Bays and Bahamas Reef Environmental Educational Foundation to at least wait until the Ferriera family has buried their dead son and is done grieving. Involving them in a legal matter while their dead son lies in a morgue is both ill-timed and unconscionable.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Bahama,

Grand

BPC doesn’t care EDITOR, The Tribune.

I NOTE with extreme interest the anxiety of BPC to endanger the Bahamas while exploiting the people for their insatiable breed.

In their desperation, mercenaries have been commissioned to throw any rationale against the proverbial wall to give the impression that the project is above board or benefits

The Bahamas.

But according to the local personalities used, it is patently clear that BPC could care less about the possible damage to the environment, that is why the recent oil spill in Grand Bahama, the well documented, catastrophic Exxon oil spill in Prince William Sound Alaska, 1989.

It is astonishing how BPC was chosen to ignore the

cries and genuine concerns of the people, some made fun of their disrespect of Bahamians’ perceived ignorance and naivety, but are annoyed that we are not giving up.

We must exhaust every avenue to stop this disaster from happening.

ALOMA THURSTON Nassau, December 9, 2020.

Oil won’t improve our lives EDITOR, The Tribune.

BAHAMAS Petroleum Company continues to roll out its “friendly Bahamian face”, otherwise known as James Smith, to parrot the dodgy slogans by CEO Simon Potter and the rest of the outside interests looking to make a quick buck by striking oil in The Bahamas.

Smith, like Potter, claims that finding oil will have a huge impact on the Bahamas. He says it could improve our standard of living and even prevent starvation!

This is a load of nonsense. By BPC’s own estimate, even if they are fantastically successful, it could mean $5 billion in revenue for The Bahamas over the next 20 years.

That’s about $250m a year, or roughly what it costs us to run the Department of Education from January to December.

That’s right. Just one government department.

Admittedly a big department, but still it represents only a tiny slice of our annual budget, which runs around $3 billion every year.

Added to which, we are now $9 billion in debt and counting.

In other words, absolute best case scenario: BPC will give us the equivalent of one thirty-sixth of our national debt per year. Far less than the amount by which the debt grows each year.

In fact, I’m not sure it would even cover the interest payments.

And we all know that there is very little chance

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net of this best case scenario happening.

Much more likely, BPC will find just enough oil to dribble a few million into the treasury from time to time.

Remember, they are paying us royalties if and only if they outperform their projections each year.

And guess who gets to set the projections.

What are we being forced to risk in return?

A tourism industry worth $1.3 billion a year which is responsible for 50 percent of the jobs in this country.

In other words, everything we have.

Our livelihood and our children’s future.

But while even a huge oil find won’t improve life for most Bahamians by any noticeable measure, one group’s circumstances will change dramatically for the better.

Simon Potter and crew, including James Smith who is a director and shareholder in BPC, will probably all become fantastically rich by putting our economy and society in grave danger.

In my opinion that is what this deal is really all about: making money for them and leaving us, the Bahamian people, saddled with all the risk.

Make no mistake, this was a case of ‘our interests versus their profit’ from the beginning.

We should remember that they have a major

vested interest whenever they speak to us of the benefits for Bahamians.

Because remember, the well they are proposing to drill now is not for extraction.

In order to generate any revenue for the Bahamas at all, BPC will have to be allowed to follow up by drilling multiple wells, perhaps dozens, at multiple locations within five different license areas.

And if anything goes wrong at any one of those sites, it could be the end of our tourism product overnight.

Then, we would become a fully-fledged petrostate, a client country at the mercy of BPC, with no choice but to rely on the company for its little payments here and there in order to survive.

This is the sad reality for many impoverished countries with oil in Africa and Central America. Perhaps they had no choice, but we do.

We have the highest per capita income in the Caribbean precisely because of our ability to commercialise the natural beauty and abundance of this country and make it highly lucrative.

Destroy that beauty and you destroy our advantage. And then we will be just another failed state to be exploited by parasitical multinational companies while our quality of living tanks and environment continues to be poisoned.

RICARDO JOHNSON Nassau, December 9, 2020.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, December 10, 2020, PAGE 7

‘Why did they kill my brother?

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE sister of a man who was shot dead in Nassau Village on Tuesday says the family is struggling to come to grips with his death, insisting he was not a “gang-banger”.

According to initial police reports, Vincent Knowles Jr, 26, was fatally wounded during a drive-by shooting as he was walking on Forbes Street around 8.30pm.

The victim’s sister, Cassandra Knowles, said this is another blow for her family which is still grieving the death of their mother.

“I just (lost) my mummy two years ago,” she told this newspaper. “It feels like the bandage on me just ripped open and they just juck a knife in it and just drag it down.”

She is puzzled about why her brother was killed.

“He don’t bother with nobody. He don’t gangbang. He don’t keep company. I don’t understand. I don’t know where it gone wrong to be honest,” she told The Tribune yesterday. “I can’t believe he gone. I ain’t sleep at all last night.”

Police said the shooter was in a small Japanese vehicle which stopped at the intersection of Forbes Street and Lawson Avenue.

“A male exited the vehicle armed with a firearm and discharged it in the direction of the victim who was walking north along Forbes Street,” police said.

VINCENT KNOWLES JR Ms Knowles said when she received a call about her brother, she did not want to believe the worst.

“I didn’t want it to be true and coming here I was praying that it wasn’t true but unfortunately it was,” she said.

“By the time I reach, the ambulance and stuff was here. As soon as I pulled up they were throwing the sheet over him.

So you know that mean, they throwing the sheet over you – that means you gone.”

She said about 30 minutes before getting the news about her brother being shot, she had sent him a text about a job opportunity.

She said Knowles Jr was out of work and trying to better himself and she was helping him with his resumé.

“The airport was hiring. I said I just need your resumé and we could drop it off.

He gave me the schools he been to and the year for me to put on his resumé. That’s what we were talking about for him to work.”

She described him as a humble man who was loved by his sisters. Despite him being described as a person

who kept to himself, his sister said he was helpful in the community based on what she had heard.

“I heard that he would get up early in the morning.

He would rake the neighbour’s yard, rake my daddy yard. Across the road is a shop, he would rake their yard and he don’t ask them for nothing. He just gets up and do it,” she said.

Tuesday’s shooting came hours after Minister of National Security Marvin Dames expressed confidence that the police force can maintain law and order amid a spate of gun violence and fears of a gang war.

Asked by a reporter about concerns of a “gang war” in retaliation for the shooting death of a man killed off Kemp Road last week, Mr Dames said: “I’m certain the commissioner of police and his officers have that or anything else related to (those concerns) in hand.

“Listen, this is the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) is charged with the business of maintaining law and order and they take that very seriously. “...The police have a very robust intelligence arm.

They have tremendous response capability and I have no concern about their ability to maintain law and order in this country,” Mr Dames said.

Anyone with information on this shooting should call police at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477).

FAMILY members show a photograph of Vincent Knowles Jr as they remember him - and as they seek answers over who killed him in a shooting on Tuesday. P hoto: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

KILLER HAS LIFE SENTENCE QUASHED

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who was convicted of killing another man when he was a teenager has had his life sentence quashed and the matter sent back to the Supreme Court for resentencing.

The convict was accused of killing Manes SaintIlien, also known as John Saint Ilien, in Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama in 2006. At the time, the convict was only 15 years old.

In 2010, the appellant pled guilty to manslaughter by reason of provocation and was subsequently sentenced to life in prison.

He appealed his sentence after arguing the conviction handed down to him was based on the wrong principle of law.

Yesterday, Justices Maureen Crane-Scott, Roy Jones and Milton Evans quashed the appellant’s sentence and remitted the case to the Supreme Court for resentencing, after ruling that a life sentence is “inappropriate where the index offence is not grave enough to require a very long sentence”.

According to a judgement posted on the Court of Appeal’s website, after the appellant pleaded guilty to manslaughter, the trial judge ordered a social inquiry report to be conducted.

The document revealed the appellant had “longstanding mental issues” and had since been diagnosed with schizophrenia after his arrest and remand.

“The learned judge imposed a life sentence without obtaining medical evidence from the psychiatrist as to the appellant’s likelihood of further offending,” the court documents read. “(This) would have provided him with a basis for determining whether there were good grounds

for believing that the appellant was or would remain a serious danger to the public for a period which cannot be reliably estimated at the date of sentence.”

In his appeal, the convict’s counsel, Glendon Rolle, argued that the life imprisonment sentence imposed on his client was wrong in principle, because the learned judge failed to thoroughly inform himself about the “nature and extent” of his psychiatric condition and his “risk of future (danger) to the public”.

In their judgement, the panel agreed with this

argument after concluding that the judge was wrong to impose the life sentence “in the absence of evidence as to the appellant’s likelihood of further offending”.

“The authorities clearly establish that a life sentence is inappropriate where the index offence is not grave enough to require a very long sentence,” they noted.

“However, where a judge is satisfied that the offence is so grave that a very long sentence is warranted, the judge must then proceed to consider any evidence of the appellant’s likelihood of further offending and the gravity of such further offending in order to

discover whether there are good grounds for believing that the defendant may remain a serious danger to the public for a period which cannot be reliably estimated at the date of sentence.”

The panel further asserted the fact that both sides agreed that a life sentence could be considered “merciful” to the appellant since it would ensure he would receive treatment, and did not make his sentence “any less erroneous”.

“Such a goal could equally have been achieved by the imposition of a custodial sentence of a definite term of years during which

the appellant could have been ordered to receive the necessary treatment,” Justice Crane-Scott stated.

“For all the foregoing reasons, we allowed the appeal against sentence on ground one, quashed the

appellant’s life sentence and remitted the matter to the Supreme Court for resentencing. The appellant was duly remanded into custody pending his re-sentencing before the Supreme Court as a matter of urgency.”

PAGE 8, Thursday, December 10, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Scariness and imperfections of democracy I

N the weeks and months prior to and since the American general elections five weeks ago, ‘democracy’ may have been uttered more often as at any time in recent US history. Every commentator seems to invoke the term, with widely varying applications depending on the point being made. What is democracy, anyway?

A famous definition

was provided by Sir Winston Churchill, speaking in 1947 on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of a date that marks the end of World War I. “Many forms of government have been tried,” he said, “and will be tried, in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for

all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…”

Democracy is indeed imperfect. And it’s also occasionally downright scary.

We’re witnessing some of democracy’s scariness and imperfections right now in the US, where many seem to feel that democracy confers the right for individuals to behave like fools.

Nobel Prize-winning Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once defined democracy as government “run of, for and by fools.” One can wonder how Shaw might react to what’s presently going on in the US. Talk of foolishness leads to how hundreds of thousands of Americans have responded and are still responding to COVID-19. On Tuesday, the US recorded 1,500 new coronavirus-related deaths and 200,000 new reported infections. Over the course of the nine-plus months of this dreadful pandemic, 15 million Americans have become infected – that’s nearly five percent of the overall population – and 285,000 have died.

Those numbers should certainly be sobering, and they are, to the many tens of millions of Americans who can process the information all around them and respond accordingly with masks, social distancing and common sense.

And with a vaccine apparently nearing approval, there is plenty of reason for hope.

But the US, as we are constantly reminded, is a democracy. Its citizens have their rights, including, in many minds, the

VIRGINIA Gov. Ralph Northam’s COVID-19 restrictions on social gatherings have been met with pushback. (David Crigger/Bristol Herald Courier via AP)

right to be a fool.

Consider the case of Bedford and Campbell Counties, adjoining Virginia jurisdictions over 100 miles and many sociological light years southwest of Washington, DC.

“We’re witnessing some of democracy’s scariness and imperfections right now in the US, where many seem to feel that democracy confers the right for individuals to behave like fools.”

Virginia, like many American states, has developed sharp divisions between its urban, highly educated, diverse urban centres and its vast rural expanses where economic opportunities have dwindled in the wake of globalization and other trends and where concomitant resentment and hopelessness has long simmered and is now boiling over.

Like The Bahamas, Virginia is currently led by a physician. Its governor, Ralph Northam, is an Army veteran and paediatric neurologist.

In response to spiking

COVID cases in his state, the governor recently imposed new restrictions on social gatherings that could pose public health risks as potential “super spreader” events.

Campbell County Supervisor Charlie A Watts II knew just how he wanted to respond.

“Free people have a duty to push back against these restrictions,” Watts said.

Northam’s restrictions are “simply not the role of government in a free democratic society,” Watts said.

Another Campbell County supervisor, Matt Cline, described his council’s actions to the Washington Post as aimed at insuring freedom from overreach by the federal government.

“What’s the next thing that’s going to give the governor the desire to restrict our rights?” he asked.

The Campbell County supervisors found strong local support for their views. One speaker at a recent meeting said “I look at what has happened in my America recently. I am ashamed.

Thank you for protecting the people you represent by not restricting their freedoms.”

A 79-year-old at the same meeting dissented.

“This Constitution I hold in my hand here won’t protect you against the virus,” he said. “It is killing people. The virus is not going away. This is not a political thing.”

The audience laughed.

The older man reportedly adjusted his mask, shook his head in frustration, grabbed his cane and hobbled out of the meeting.

Offended Neighbouring Bedford County council members were also offended by Northam’s measures. They were reportedly mulling passage of a resolution that would have withheld public funds from the local sheriff if he attempted to enforce the governor’s public health mandates.

In the state capital, meanwhile, the state’s Democratic attorney general reminded reporters that local officials such as Cline and Watts are not charged with enforcement of the governor’s mandates. (State health agencies have that responsibility).

“We do not expect that political statements by local officials will make a practical difference in terms of enforcement,” the attorney general said.

Let’s hope so.

PARENTS PULL THE PLUG ON TEACHER’S LESSON

D

onald Trump racked up his biggest vote percentage margin in any state four years ago in West Virginia. He improved that margin by a whopping ten percent last month, winning 79 percent of the vote.

West Virginia is not a liberal hotbed.

Still, the recent report of the tribulations of a respected middle school civics teacher is a bit surprising.

Greg Cruey is that teacher. He lives and works in McDowell County, the southernmost county in West Virginia and a place where statistics do not paint a rosy picture. In 2013, McDowell County had the lowest average life expectancy in the US. Two years later, with the opioid epidemic still devastating the US, this county recorded the highest rate of drug-induced deaths in the nation.

The demise of the coal mining

industry has ravaged McDowell, and its 20,000 residents and 535 mountainous square miles are served by only two full grocery stores.

But McDowell’s residents consistently reject the Democratic Party of big government and a more secure social and economic safety net. They, and apparently their children, strongly favour Trump and the Republicans.

Teacher Cruey told reporters recently that he has never in 20 years before now experienced such resistance to understanding and accepting the results of an election.

A few days after the US election, Cruey was sharing with students Joe Biden’s acceptance speech. He was startled to learn that the parents of some of his students who are still learning virtually from home had disconnected their computers from his lessons. No more Cruey classes.

“One parent sent me a message to

say that her child was not going to be listening to any stuff about Biden and Harris,” Cruey said.

Someone asked the teacher if he feared threats of retaliation like those recently directed at officials in Georgia and Michigan.

Cruey said he feels he has been indemnified to some extent by the fact that “I’m a church musician and my wife and I work at a Christian camp in the summer. I think people who disagree with my Democratic politics reserve judgment because they know me.”

Like any good teacher, Cruey tries to encourage a search for the truth.

He recommends that his students try to verify all the internet myths and conspiracy theories they see on their computers.

One of his favourite suggestions for objective news and reporting is the BBC’s website.

TRUMP CONTINUES TO DOUBLE DOWN

W

US President Donald Trump.

hile Cruey and countless other conscientious school teachers are trying to make sense of what is happening in American politics in these waning days of Trump, the president continues to double down on a bad bet.

Even with sycophant in chief and presidential lawyer Rudy Giuliani now sidelined with the coronavirus, the US president continues to rant on about how his rightful reelection was stolen from

him. He has now even managed to involve the Supreme Court, which this week to hear his latest bogus lawsuit.

It’s hard to say how his appearance over the weekend at a largely unmasked rally in Georgia will affect the pivotal US Senate runoff elections there in less than a month.

But it’s difficult to make the case that he is helping the two incumbent GOP candidates whose success will determine control of the Senate for at least the next two years.

The last word on

democracy should go to American author and commentator H L Mencken, who died 70 years ago.

“As democracy is perfected,” Mencken wrote prophetically, “the office of the president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people.

“We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, December 10, 2020, PAGE 9

We need good ideas more than ever - and the PM knows that N EAR the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis presciently convened a National Economic Recovery Committee (ERC). The ERC was charged with offering his administration recommendations to help the country’s recovery during and after the pandemic.

The pandemic led to the worst downturn since the Great Depression, causing the collapse of tourism, record unemployment, the unprecedented slashing of government revenue, the need to feed approximately 100,000 Bahamians on a regular basis and other massive economic and social dislocation.

FINANCIAL Secretary Marlon Johnson.

The committee, cochaired by Financial Secretary Marlon Johnson and noted businessman Ken Kerr, was designed as a public-private committee to offer advice on economic reform and recovery measures during the worst public health crisis in a century.

Individuals like Securities Commission Executive Director Christina Rolle, who has an impressive record at the Commission, and wellknown businessman Franklyn Butler, younger thinkers in their 40s, helped to populate the ERC. The committee also had a number of subcommittees. One member of the Creative Economy Subcommittee, a cultural entrepreneur, noted to this columnist how excited she was about the work and recommendations of her subcommittee.

In his House of Assembly Communication tabling the ERC Report on October 20th, the Prime Minister noted: “I also thank those who served on the various subcommittees, as well as the general public and the many stakeholders who offered their enthusiasm, ideas and specific recommendations.

“In addition to virtual town hall meetings, there were many written submissions from citizens, union officials, general contributors, businesspeople, experts in various policy areas and leaders of non-profit agencies.

“The committee harnessed a number of ideas from the collective wisdom of the Bahamian people.”

Dr Minnis also stated: “The committee has proposed a broad range of reforms. They are intended to seed new industries and economic opportunities or to expand existing ones; make The Bahamas more attractive for domestic and international investment; and to make certain bureaucratic systems more efficient and less burdensome for citizens and businesses.

“There are many other policy changes and initiatives contained in the report that can be implemented and that will help to make our recovery and our country more resilient, dynamic, inclusive and sustainable.”

Like Dr Minnis, other heads of government around the world similarly asked the public and private sectors for ideas and measures to boost economic growth after the collapse of most economies caused by the virus.

Dr Minnis quoted the Trade and Industry Minister of Singapore, who stated: “The world has changed irrevocably” and that there will not be a return to “the familiarity of the old normal.”

Many leaders recognised that in addition to longstanding national plans, there was a need for other measures because of the pandemic emergency.

From China to Singapore to Canada, governments asked the public and private sectors for ideas for economic stimulus, including updating existing ideas.

In Barbados, Prime Minister Mia Motley proposed a series of immediate and mediumterm measures to help dig her country out of its economic malaise, which was further exacerbated by the virus.

In criticising the ERC and its work, here at home, some immediately indulged in the typical light-minded and unserious false equivalence that is the comfort of those often incapable of holding several propositions in their minds simultaneously.

Ideas Some said that the ideas proposed by the Committee are not “new”, yet another cliché. There are often ideas that may not be “new” but which may not have been developed or implemented in a country or jurisdiction.

By example, while there is legislation for the establishment of a sovereign wealth fund, such a fund has not yet been realised in The Bahamas, and the legislation needs updating, which is apparently now in the works because of the work of the ERC. Moreover, there are novel and innovative ideas on how a small island developing country like The Bahamas may capitalize such a fund in contrast to more developed nations which often capitalise such funds utilising their reserves from income.

Some critics, with a penchant for knee-jerk criticism could not see beyond their petty grievances and lack of insight to appreciate that the world is changing and that there is a need to go

beyond and update previously proposed ideas.

One commentator breezily and simplistically opined: “Although the Prime Minister could have continued to follow the recommendations of the National Development Plan, which was his initial intention, he chose instead to pursue the half-baked proposals of the Economic Recovery Committee replacement.

These appear to have led nowhere.”

What is half-baked is the analysis of some who long ago traded serious reflection for clichés and who often swipe with generalisations.

Such analysis is unreflective and unserious.

“The Bahamas needs as many good ideas and recommendations as possible to restore our economy, whether these arise from the NDP or the ERC or elsewhere.”

The Prime Minister did not conceive or state that the ERC was a replacement for the National Development Plan, which was initiated before the pandemic. It is not an either/or proposition. It is both/and. Recommendations and ideas from both the NDP and the ERC may be utilised.

The ERC was designed also to complement, augment and prioritise ideas from various plans, which could be fast-tracked.

Indeed, members of the ERC studied a variety of plans.

In discussing the ERC’s proposals, one could have gone into some detail about them, critiquing various ideas put forward, including: a new domestic

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis delivered his national address on Sunday.

(BIS Photos/Yontalay Bowe)

and foreign investment process, a hemp industry and more thinking on small business development. One could propose additional ideas for economic recovery.

But a sweeping and halfbaked indictment of the good work of the many well-meaning and talented Bahamians who offered ideas for economic recovery and structural reform, and the many other people who offered suggestions during numerous consultations, is unfortunate, unbecoming and sad.

It is also disingenuous.

Work This past Sunday, the Prime Minister, who is now also the Minister of Finance, signaled that the work of the ERC is going somewhere and indeed much further than some critics may have imagined.

He stated in his National Address: “To help guide our economic recovery, I will be guided by an economic team that will continue to consult widely with business, labour,

religious leaders and civil society.”

The Prime Minister spoke of “structural reform and bold ideas for diversification, the ease of doing business and the ongoing transformation toward a digital economy”.

He said: “We are committed to the implementation of a number of the recommendations of the Economic Recovery Committee, including rolling out a new and more nimble domestic and foreign investment process to get more money flowing into our economy.”

The Prime Minister appointed Nathaniel Beneby as a “Special Advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister, who will help to drive the recommendations made by the Economic Recovery Committee and to focus on the ease of doing business.”

The new Minister of Finance noted: “My economic and financial team will meet regularly to help chart and guide our economic recovery.

“We will augment this team as necessary with

individuals and expertise from across the economy, including various members from the Economic Recovery Committee.”

Returning as head of government of Malaysia in his then early 90s, former Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad warned his party of the need for new thinking and the evolution of plans depending on the circumstances of the day.

Responses A number of the suggestions from the ERC are responses to the great circumstance of the times that is the COVID-19 pandemic, which will be with us for many more months.

The Bahamas needs as many good ideas and recommendations as possible to restore our economy, whether these arise from the NDP or the ERC or elsewhere.

We should be grateful for the work of both, and for those who make helpful suggestions unlike those who are mostly given to bitter complaint and little sense of hope for the future.

READY TO MAKE A SPLASH

PAGE 10, Thursday, December 10, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

PRIME MINISTER Dr Hubert Minnis toured the construction site of Baha Mar’s water park yesterday.

The $250m water park is part of Baha Mar’s Phase II development.

Work started in November 2019 but was temporarily suspended in March 2020 due to COVID-19 before restarting.

The tour was led by Baha Mar president Graeme Davis.

Between 350 and 400 Bahamians have been employed daily since the restart.

It is expected about 400 new jobs will be created following the opening of the water park - due to be in July next year.

$250 FINE FOR FAKE LICENCE PLATE

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who was caught driving around with a fraudulent license plate was fined $250 in court yesterday.

Walker Bazile, 35, appeared in Magistrates’ Court before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes after he was accused of using a fraudulent license plate on December 4.

The court heard officers were on patrol on Key West Street when they observed a group of males standing around a Honda vehicle.

The prosecution said when the officers attempted to approach the group, all of the men fled. Officers then gave chase and caught the accused, who identified himself as Walker Bazile.

He was then taken to his black Honda Accord vehicle where officers contacted

their control room to make checks of his license plate.

It was then that they discovered the license plate attached to Bazile’s car was reported lost. The accused was subsequently arrested and taken to the Grove Police Station. When he was questioned there, he told officers he bought his car from a man in Exuma and received the license plate from his neighbour.

Bazile’s said he attached the plate to his car because he knew that he would not be able to drive it without one.

In response, Magistrate Forbes said he found it “troubling” that Bazile understood that he would not be able to drive a car without a license plate, but didn’t know that the license plate had to come from the Road Traffic Department.

He subsequently fined Bazile $250 or two months in custody.

$600 FINE FOR ATTACK ON WOMAN

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 30-YEAR-OLD man who last week punched and choked his friend’s mother was yesterday fined $600.

Jerome Joseph was arrested after he assaulted a woman in her home on December 7.

He pleaded guilty to one count each of threats of harm and assault during his arraignment before Assistant Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain yesterday.

The court was told on the day in question, the complainant was at her home when the accused came over. The prosecution said when the woman asked Joseph to leave, he refused to do so and then threatened to punch and kick her. The court heard the defendant then choked

the woman and pushed her against a wall. As a result of her complaint, Joseph was arrested.

In an interview with police, he admitted to the offences.

During the hearing, Joseph told the magistrate he only committed the acts because the complainant was drunk and had spit in his eye at the time of the incident. He claimed after she spit on him, he pushed her against a wall, but she continued to follow him.

Joseph said he then told the woman: “If you don’t stop, I will jump kick you because you already spit on me and sickness going around.”

After listening to his explanation, Magistrate Swain accepted the defendant’s guilty pleas and fined him $600 or 30 days at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, December 10, 2020, PAGE 11

Who owns the past?

By MARJOLEINE KARS University of Maryland, Baltimore County THE consequences of 400 years of the Atlantic slave trade are still felt today. Untangling the power structures and systemic racism that came with slavery is ongoing, with police brutality, memorials to slave owners and reparations forming part of the discussion.

But as the United Nations honoured the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery last week, a practice it notes “is not merely a historic relic,” modern society also has to reckon with another question: Who has access to the records about slavery’s past?

I was struck by this question recently as I gave a Zoom talk in Guyana on my new book Blood on the River: A Chronicle of Mutiny and Freedom on the Wild Coast about a slave rebellion in Berbice, now Guyana, that took place in 1763-1764.

During the revolt, former slaves organised a government and controlled most of the colony for almost a year. The Dutch either fled altogether or holed up on a well-fortified sugar plantation near the coast.

A regiment of European soldiers sent from neighboring Suriname mutinied and joined the rebels they had come to defeat.

But obligated by treaties, indigenous peoples such as Carib and Arawak fought on the side of the Dutch.

The revolt ended when the rebels, out of food and arms, were overpowered by enemies who had received an infusion of men and supplies from the Dutch Republic.

The uprising, unusual among Atlantic slave rebellions for its length, size and near success, is barely known outside Guyana.

But even Africandescended Guyanese, it turns out, know less than they would like.

Almost 13,000 people, intrigued by new information about a foundational chapter in their history, had tuned in to watch my presentation on Facebook and Zoom.

A RARE CACHE First colonised in 1627 to trade with Amerindians, Berbice passed into the hands of an investment company 100 years later that exploited the colony, which was growing coffee, cacao and sugar.

Berbice became British Guyana in the early 19th century and gained independence as the English-speaking Cooperative Republic of Guyana in 1966. Modernday Guyanese view the slave rebellion as the origin of their republican inclinations.

Yet, all of the records related to the rebellion – in fact, most of the country’s historical records – are in archives in London and The Hague.

The sources for the uprising are extensive.

There are the usual

colonial records, such as the colonial governor’s daily journal, letters from officials and merchants and military reports. They are tainted by self-interest, Euro-centrism and racism.

More rare in the history of Atlantic slavery are letters sent by rebel leader Kofi to his Dutch counterpart. An African from the Gold Coast who had been forcibly taken to Berbice as a child, Kofi sought to end the military conflict through diplomacy.

And then there are the extraordinary testimonies of 900 suspected rebels and bystanders. They were taken as part of the Dutch kangaroo court to investigate guilt in the rebellion and condemn people to the rack, the pyre and the gallows.

These records, too, are problematic. The people on the stand feared for their lives. A Dutch clerk translated their answers from Creole into Dutch, summarised them, and put them in the third person. Using them requires, like most historical records, great care.

Still, the testimonies represent the voices of African-Guyanese ancestors. But the manuscripts have lain in the Dutch National Archives since the 19th century.

They are in standard Dutch rather than the Creole language of Dutch Berbice likely more prevalent among the enslaved population at the time, and their existence was heretofore unknown in Guyana.

DODGING REBELLION The copious records reveal not only the political course of the rebellion but how people felt about it. Many young men joined enthusiastically.

Older people and Creoles (people born in the colony) had more to lose in terms of family and meager possessions and were more reluctant.

To remain on the sidelines, they lived quietly on their plantations, dodging anyone, whether Europeans, rebels or Amerindians, or by hiding in the savanna or rainforest until the coast was clear. They were motivated by a desire not only to survive but also to remain masterless and ungoverned.

In his letters to the Dutch, Kofi proposed dividing the colony in two. It seems likely that he intended to keep several sugar plantations in production, perhaps with forced labor, in order to participate in the world market.

Some 30 years later, Haitian revolutionary Toussaint L’Ouverture, too, would force self-emancipated Haitians to work in the cane fields for similar reasons. Many ordinary Guyanese were not up for this.

Many revolt narratives would have us believe that people are eager to rebel, sharing a common vision of freedom. This is not always the case. It was not in the

STATUE of the Berbice slave revolt leader Kofi in Georgetown, Guyana.

Photo: David Stanley - Flickr/WikiMedia American Revolution, nor was it in Berbice.

AN ACT OF EMANCIPATION At my Zoom lecture on November 24, listeners asked many questions.

But they were particularly interested in the court testimonies.

Why, some asked in the chat, were these records still housed in the National Archives in The Hague? Shouldn’t they have been gifted back, or better yet, transcribed and translated?

That way, African-Guyanase would be able to interpret the records for themselves and tell their own stories.

As it happens, the Dutch National Archives recently put all of Berbice’s records online – but that does not solve the language problem. I was able to put my Guyanese host in touch with a staff member at the National Archives who seemed receptive to the idea of publishing a translation of the investigations in English.

Reckoning with slavery requires having access to the records of the past.

After all, writing one’s own history, too, is an act of emancipation.

• Originally published on www.theconversation.com

PAGE 12, Thursday, December 10, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Golden Girl to tell her tale after book deal PAULINE Davis, the Bahamian icon who once conquered the sprinting world, is about to get her own book with a major US publisher.

This country’s original “Golden Girl” signed a book deal with US publisher Rowman & Littlefield earlier this week, a move that will bring her remarkable story of resilience, determination and Olympic glory to the world.

Dramatic and unflinching, Ms Davis’ upcoming memoir, entitled “The Girl Who Ran Sideways: The Story of an Olympic Champion”, will be co-written with Canadian author TR Todd, who recently penned the award-winning “Pigs of Paradise: The True Story of the World Famous Swimming Pigs”.

Raised on Fleming Street, in Bain Town, Ms Davis would defy the odds to not only become a double gold medalist, but the first woman from the Caribbean to take home the ultimate Olympic prize.

Her book will tell the story of a girl who was plucked from obscurity to become one of the most decorated female sprinters of her generation, and the first woman of colour to join the World Athletic Council, the international governing body Track and Field — formerly known at the International

PAULINE Davis became a double gold medalist, and the first woman from the Caribbean to take home the ultimate Olympic prize.

Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF).

“It is with absolute excitement that I can announce the upcoming publication of my book,” Ms Davis says, who won her two gold medals at the Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia in 2000 — and a silver medal in Atlanta in 1996.

“At the end of the day, I am a product of Bain Town in Nassau. I was never meant to make it this far.

From The Bahamas to the

world, I hope my story inspires Bahamians and people from all walks of life to reach for their potential and never give up.”

With an expected release date in early 2022, The Girl Who Ran Sideways describes in raw detail Ms Davis’ upbringing in Bain Town, without power or electricity. Every day, she carried the family’s buckets to the government tap to fetch fresh water.

It was there she learned to run sideways, sprinting

barefoot from bullies —it was the only way to get the buckets of water home, without spilling.

Neville Wisdom, a seasoned track coach with the Bain Town Flyers Track Club, couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw this poor little girl, barefoot, sprinting down the track sideways on a grainy video tape recording. But he also saw something else. He saw the heart of a champion.

“Pauline’s story is truly stranger than fiction,” Mr Todd, the book’s ghostwriter and former Nassau Guardian business editor, explains. “While we’ve known each other for years, it was only recently we finally came together and decided to write this book.

“Every aspect of her life is incredible and defies expectation. I hope this book is something the entire Bahamas can be proud of. But beyond that, it’s an opportunity for the whole world to know The Bahamas on a more intimate level, through the eyes of the original Golden Girl.

In these challenging times, this is a story of perseverance that we all need.”

Ms Davis, who competed in five Olympic Games, first burst onto the international track and field scene in 1982 with her historic run at the Central American and Caribbean Junior

Championships (CAC) in Barbados, capturing four gold medals in the 100M, 200M, 400M and long jump.

Later, in 1984, she forever endeared herself to the Bahamian public with her legendary performance at the 1984 CARIFTA Games in Nassau.

Despite a serious hamstring injury just months before, she won the 100M and 200M. Then, as the anchor of the 4X 400 relay team, she flew past her competitors in dramatic fashion to secure the gold and defeat the Jamaicans in the CARIFTA games, on route to winning the Austin Sealy Award for Most Outstanding Athlete in the Caribbean.

It would only be the beginning of a decorated track and field career spanning 20 years, ending on September 30, 2000, when the “Golden Girls” — Eldece Clarke, Debbie Ferguson, Chandra Stirrup and Pauline Davis — defeated the Americans to win the 4 X 100 relay, bringing home the country’s first gold medal.

“I could not have accomplished what I did without my Golden Girl sisters,” Ms Davis adds. “While we did not always agree, they pushed me and together we made history. So I want to share this book with them.

This story needs to be told.”

It was an historic year of firsts for the Bahamas.

In that same Olympics, Davis would also win the silver in the 200M, which would later be upgraded to the gold after American sprinter Marion Jones was stripped of her medals for doping. Years later, she would make history again as the first woman of colour to be elected to the World Athletic Council.

While inspiring and exhilarating, The Girl Who Ran Sideways is also a candid portrait of Ms Davis’ personal struggles to become the best in the world.

Whether it was the separation of her parents, the racism she experienced at the University of Alabama, her two lifetime suspensions (both rescinded) from Bahamas Athletics, or the classism and political victimisation she endured along the way, her path to success was also littered with hardship.

“In this book, I want to speak truth to power,” Ms Davis adds.

“There were many things that happened to me in my life. I’ve experienced my fair share of tragedy and struggle. When people read this book, I hope what they take away from it that success is not an accident. It takes work —hard work — and perseverance to reach your dreams.”

MITCHELL BLASTS SCOTT AGAIN

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Chairman Fred Mitchell continues to call for the resignation or dismissal of Michael Scott, QC, from his government appointments on grounds of conflict of interest.

Mr Scott fired back at the calls this week, saying Mr Mitchell should “mind his own business and clean up his own act.”

Mr Mitchell first called for Mr Scott’s resignation or firing last month, when the latter’s law firm filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court that accused then Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest of alleged fraud.

Mr Mitchell said Mr Scott appeared to be in a conflict of his public and private duties due to his roles as chairman of the Hotel Corporation and Lucayan Renewal Holdings Ltd. This week, Mr Mitchell claimed Mr Scott is conflicted again, saying the Hotel Corporation chairman’s views on the close of the Grand Lucayan hotel’s sale does not coincide with those of Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar.

“In the wake of a revised proposal by the ITM/Royal Caribbean Consortium on the sale and development of the Grand Lucayan Hotel, the minister of tourism is insisting that the Grand Lucayan deal is a good deal,” Mr Mitchell explained in his statement.

“The conflict is, just last week Hotel Corporation Chairman Michael Scott was in the news saying that it was a bad deal as the government awaited the results of an independent review by the KPMG accounting firm. How are these two men supposed to coexist when the Hotel Corporation chairman, who is subject to Cabinet policies and decisions, is publicly at

odds with his boss over this controversial hotel deal?”

Mr Mitchell said this is the second time Mr Scott has got himself embroiled in conflicts.

“Just recently he was in a fundamental conflict between his personal business interest and public duty when in his capacity as a private attorney, he filed a lawsuit on behalf of a client against a sitting government minister, effectively accusing him of fraud,” the statement read.

Asked to respond to Mr Mitchell, Mr Scott said, “Tell Fred Mitchell for me that the FNM is a different political organisation than the Progressive Liberal Party which specialises and capitalises on all of its members towing the party line and does not tolerate (having) sense.”

He added: “Tell him (Mitchell) that he should clean up his own act first before he criticises me.”

Mr Mitchell has also quipped that Mr Scott seemed to have missed the lesson on conflict in law school.

To this, Mr Scott said: “Tell him to mind his own business. Tell him that if I missed the course on constitutional law, he overlooked the course on ethics.”

In his statement, Mr Mitchell said he wonders what kind of government Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis is running.

“In light of the foregoing, on what ethical grounds, precedent or convention does Michael Scott continue to serve as a public official?” he asked. “For the PLP’s part, when Gregory Moss and Dr Andre Rollins, both political heads of public corporations, came into conflicts with ministers over policy matters, both chairmen were summarily dismissed. I again call for the resignation of Michael Scott and barring that, his summary dismissal by the Prime Minister.”

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, December 10, 2020, PAGE 13

NASA REVEALS 18 ASTRONAUTS - AND ONE WILL BE NEXT PERSON ON THE MOON

FIVE of the astronauts that will be part of the Atremis missions, from left, Jessica Meir, Joe Acaba, Anne McClain, Matthew Dominick, and Jessica Watkins.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida Associated Press NASA has named the 18 astronauts — half of them women — who will train for its Artemis moon-landing programme.

The first woman and next man on the moon will come from this group.

Vice President Mike Pence introduced the astronauts yessterday at the close of his final meeting as chairman of the National Space Council. The announcement was made at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, beneath one of only three remaining Saturn V moon rockets from the 1960s and 1970s Apollo program.

Pence noted that the last of the 12 men to walk on the moon, the late Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan, wanted nothing more than to remove “last” from his title. Cernan’s final lunar footsteps were on December 14, 1972.

“He spent the rest of his natural life advocating for America to go back to the

moon, and we are going to honour Gene Cernan’s memory,” Pence told the small crowd, seated several feet apart from one another.

Five of the astronauts — the only ones in attendance — walked onto the stage, waving and wearing masks.

The two astronauts who performed the world’s first

all-female spacewalk last year made the cut: Christina Koch and Jessica Meir.

It’s a fairly young group, with most in their 30s or 40s. The oldest is 55, the youngest 32. Only two — Joe Acaba and Stephanie Wilson — flew on NASA’s old space shuttles.

The other experienced members on the list include

Photo: John Raoux/AP Kjell Lindgren, Anne McClain and Scott Tingle, all former space station residents.

Among those yet to rocket into space: Kayla Barron, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Woody Hoburg, Jonny Kim, Nicole Mann, Jasmin Moghbeli, Frank Rubio and Jessica Watkins.

Tensions rise over masks in US MISSION, Kansas Associated Press ARGUMENTS over mask requirements and other restrictions have turned ugly in recent days as the deadly coronavirus surge across the US engulfs small and medium-size cities that once seemed safely removed from the outbreak.

In Boise, Idaho, public health officials about to vote on a four-county mask mandate abruptly ended a meeting on Tuesday evening because of fears for their safety amid anti-mask protests outside the building and at some of their homes.

One health board member tearfully

announced she had to rush home to be with her child because of the protesters, who were seen on video banging on buckets, blaring air horns and sirens, and blasting a sound clip of gunfire from the violencedrenched movie “Scarface” outside her front door.

“I am sad. I am tired. I fear that, in my choosing to hold public office, my family has too often paid the price,” said the board member, Ada County Commissioner Diana Lachiondo. “I increasingly don’t recognise this place. There is an ugliness and cruelty in our national rhetoric that is reaching a fevered pitch here at home, and that should worry us all.”

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PROBING THE TAXES OF HUNTER BIDEN WASHINGTON Associated Press THE Justice Department’s investigation scrutinising Hunter Biden’s taxes has been examining some of his Chinese business dealings, among other financial transactions.

The investigation was launched in 2018, a year before his father, Joe Biden, announced his candidacy for president, but it isn’t clear which entities might be tied up in the probe, and the inquiry was not disclosed to Hunter Biden until Tuesday.

The younger Biden has a history of international affairs and business dealings in a number of countries, and the revelation of a federal investigation puts a renewed spotlight on the questions about his financial dealings that dogged his father’s White House campaign.

Federal investigators served a round of subpoenas on Tuesday, including one for Hunter Biden, according to another person familiar with the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing probe.

The tax investigation centers on his business dealings, the person said.

Investigators did not reach out in the weeks prior to the election because of a Justice Department policy surrounding elections that prohibits overt investigative acts, one of the people said.

In a statement released by the president-elect’s transition office, Hunter Biden said he learned about the investigation on Tuesday, but he did not disclose specifics about what was being scrutinised.

“I take this matter very

seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors,” he said in a statement.

He has long been a target of President Donald Trump and his allies, who have accused him of profiting off his political connections. Trump and his supporters also raised unsubstantiated charges of corruption related to Hunter Biden’s work in Ukraine at the time his father was vice president and leading the Obama administration’s dealings with the Eastern European nation.

The disclosure of the federal investigation, led by the US attorney’s office in Delaware, comes at an awkward moment for the incoming president, who is assembling his Cabinet.

His pick for attorney general could have oversight of the investigation into the new president’s son if it is still ongoing when Biden is sworn in on January 20.

The transition team said in a statement: “President-elect Biden is deeply proud of his son, who has fought through difficult challenges, including the vicious personal attacks of recent months, only to emerge stronger.”

It could also add weight to Trump’s broad accusations that Biden was weak on China. Trump took a tough line on China during the campaign as he tried to deflect blame for the coronavirus. Biden has rejected the characterisation that he was weak and said, that unlike Trump, he would rebuild global coalitions to check China’s power.

Boise police said three arrest warrants were issued in connection with the demonstrations at board members’ homes.

In South Dakota, the mayor of Rapid City said City Council members were harassed and threatened over a proposed citywide mask mandate that failed this week even as intensive care units across the state filled with COVID-19 patients.

The tensions are flaring amid an epic surge in US deaths, hospitalisations and infections over the past several weeks.

Deaths are running at more than 2,200 a day on average, all but matching the level seen during the last spring’s peak in and

around New York City. New cases per day have rocketed to more than 200,000 on average, and the number of patients in the hospital with COVID-19 stood at almost 105,000 on Tuesday, another all-time high.

Protesters in Montana’s Gallatin County have gathered for two consecutive weeks outside the Bozeman home of county health officer Matt Kelley to decry health regulations, including a statewide mask mandate. They have carried signs that read, “We refuse to be your experiment” and “Oxygen is essential.”

Last week, around 80 people lined Bozeman’s Main Street to support Kelley and other health officials.

In Montana’s Flathead

County, where officials recorded 17 coronavirusrelated deaths over 18 days and resistance to masks runs strong, the interim public health officer is resigning when her contract is up at year’s end, citing a lack of support from local authorities for measures to control the scourge.

In Helena, Republicans who control both chambers of the Montana Legislature denied a request by Democratic lawmakers to require masks be worn inside the Capitol during the legislative session next month.

In Missouri, Greene County officials recorded 51 COVID-19 deaths in the first eight days of December as hospitals overflow and hundreds of health

care workers are quarantined. The area’s two major hospitals asked the city of Springfield, the county seat, to renew the city’s mask mandate before it expires in January. The county itself does not have a mask mandate, nor does the state.

As the deaths pile up, Springfield Mortuary Services owner Brian Simmons is overseeing the embalming and cremation of COVID19 victims as his own 48-year-old daughter battles the virus. She spent the past week hospitalised on a ventilator in one of the city’s overwhelmed hospitals.

“You are just helpless,” he said. “There is nothing you can do about it. We haven’t seen her since she’s gone in.”

PAGE 14, Thursday, December 10, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

THE TRIBUNE

RELIGION SECTION C

RELIGIOUS NEWS, STORIES AND CHURCH EVENTS

D

R Felicia Archer is a minister, entrepreneur, international speaker, author and television show host - all by the age of 27 and describes her newest book venture as a hot and timely piece about the world of “dating and waiting” for a young single preacher.

Dr Archer digs deep and shares her struggles with dating, personal experiences and expectations for her lifetime partner.

The Single Preacher is Dr Archer’s third book. She is also the author of the book entitled “She found Herself” parts 1 and 2.

In the new book, Dr Archer said women will learn how to set boundaries, discover their worth, and stay productive and purpose driven while waiting.

“The motivation for writing this book came from the Holy Spirit. Having served for the last decade in the church in numerous leadership capacities I noticed that there is a need for women to know and understand how to do relationships God’s way. When I sit on panels not only in The Bahamas, but around the world I am constantly asked about how do I date as a single preacher and public figure, what are some of the challenges and advice I would give to single women based on those questions, that is where the inspiration for the name of the book came from,” said Dr Archer.

A lover of life, God and people, Dr Archer grew up as a child in poverty said she spent a lot of time reading

The Single Preacher

BY ALESHA CADET | TRIBUNE FEATURES WRITER | ACADET@TRIBUNEMEDIA.NET Dr Felicia Archer shares her latest book about the world of “dating and waiting” for a young single preacher.

books in the public library.

As a result, she developed a passion to become an author herself.

“I can recall telling my peers that one day I will be an author, however many of them laughed at my dreams and considered it to be impossible because I was from the ghetto or inner city community. However, against all odds and by the Grace of God I was able to succeed,” said the young Minister.

She said this book is different for her because this is the first under her

new publishing compan, True Vine Publishing and Marketing. The entrepreneur said this was a major accomplishment to not only be in the position to write books, but to also publish

them herself.

“My book is 100 percent realistic and transparent. I believe that God has called me to change the status quo and break barriers. I want my single ladies to feel empowered after reading my book and to understand that contentment is not found in the destination but in the journey and wherever your journey takes you embrace it,” said Dr Archer.

Reviews are already coming in, with one minister in the US: “The author Dr Felicia Archer (aka the ‘Firestarter’) partially pulls back the veil of her life and allows us, the reader, to peak into her experiences and feelings of being single. Her transparency is gripping. Though she is anointed, she was not afraid to reveal that she also human. We also see her growth as a person and

how she resolves the issue of dating with her faith. It is mainly written for single ladies, but I encourage the single ‘bruhs’ to read it as well.”

Dr Archer said it is interesting to note that 80 per cent of people buying the book are men. She said even though the book is designed for women, men can still be empowered from the book as well. She is looking forward to hearing a lot of her readers become inspired and empowered by learning how to date “God’s way”.

“It took me 27 years of life after resigning from my full-time job amidst a lethal, uncontrolled pandemic during a colossal leadership failure to understand that life is not always fair but it’s still awesome and worth fighting with every ounce of your fortitude to remain a part of. It took me 27 years to truly understand that creativity is birthed in a crisis whilst your character is being developed,” she said.

“In times of uncertainty and during this COVID19 pandemic, if I can be honest, this has impacted us all and has tested my faith.

But I am grateful to God for a strong community of people. I remain focused and inspired by: prayer; listening to daily messages from my Pastor Bishop Neil Ellis; exercising; and surrounding myself with my community of friends virtually. I encourage everyone never to give up because life is still worth living.”

The Single Preacher book is now available on Amazon. Hard copies are also available and can be delivered. For details, contact 525-6847, connect with Felicia Archer via Facebook or Instagram, or email freshfireministries2010@ gmail.com.

A virtual book launch is set to air via the Felicia Archer Facebook page on Saturday, December 19, at 7 pm.

God Is Real

BY CARLOS SPENCER I HAVE experienced We should demonstrate, and observed the awesome express and defend our faith power of God at work in at every possible opportudifficult and challenging cir- nity. This is the duty of a cumstances, both in my life believer and should never and the lives of others. Con- be relegated to a minor sequently, my relationship responsibility. By their fruits with our Heavenly Father we shall know them. (Matis sacrosanct and steadfast. thew 7:20 & Matthew 7:16).

James 1:17 (KJV) tells us There are some impor“Every good gift and every tant signs that reinforce my perfect gift is from above, faith in the existence and and cometh down from the reality of our living God. Father of lights with home My first thought relates to is no variableness, neither the birth of an infant child shadow of turning.” Believ- and the incredible wonder ers in Christ understand that and DNA of human life. It our God is real, He is tried is certainly awe-inspiring and tested, and we have and nothing short of a miralearnt to rely upon his grace, cle, in my view. King David mercy and faithfulness. wrote in Psalm 139:13-14 However, some individu- (KJV) “For thou hast posals have not developed a sessed my reins: thou hast relationship with God, and covered me in my mother’s maybe they never will. womb. I will praise thee; for That is their right and if it I am fearfully and wonderis truly their current fully made: marvelous reality it should are thy works; be respected… and that my even if one soul knoweth takes right well.” exception.

When I Ultimately we must Believers consider all give an account to the beauare called upon to our Creator when this tiful and spread the diverse earthly life is over. good news array of of Christ flowers that to nonexist, I know believers but that a higher we must also be power is at work respectful of differing to make it happen. views and opinions.

Most of these many species Ultimately we must all of flowers are inedible, and give an account to our Crea- they simply exist to beautor when this earthly life tify our landscape and make is over. (Hebrews 9:27) In the planet more pleasing particular, believers should and enjoyable for us. Their remember the important various shapes, sizes and point proclaimed by the aromas are unlikely to have Apostle Peter in 1 Peter just mysteriously developed 3:15 (KJV) “But sanctify the by happenstance. “O Lord, Lord God in your hearts: how great are thy works! and be ready always to give and thy thoughts are very an answer to every man deep.” (Psalm 92:5 KJV) that asketh you a reason Other important facof the hope that is in you tors to consider include with meekness and fear:” creation itself. The Apostle

Paul wrote in Romans 1:20 (KJV) “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” Our planet earth is the precise distance from the sun necessary to support life on earth. Only God could have designed this. The fact that the Bible has a familiar message in both the Old and New Testaments, written many centuries ago by a diversity of writers, clearly speaks volumes.

The birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is a powerful testimony.

The Apostle John saw the risen Jesus and scripture records that John touched His hands which had been pierced with nails. John tells us in 1 John 1:3 (KJV) “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

Perhaps the strongest evidence that I have of the existence of God is based upon my personal relationship with Him. I have lived through many twists and turns along life’s path numerous peaks and valley - yet I am not ashamed to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ because I know whom I have believed.

(2 Timothy 1:12) Amen.

Thanks be to God for the sharing of His Word.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, December 10, 2020, PAGE 15

Light up your world

THIS YEAR’S CHRISTMAS TREE AT THE MALL AT MARATHON.

BY REV ANGELA C BOSFIELD PALACIOUS

T

HESE are dark times for many.

It is as if the world has gone into the shadows: 1. The bright light of education has been compromised until every child is able to master virtual learning, and education adjusts its approach to cope with the “new norm” that is fast becoming our only norm.

2. The appeal to stop the spread of COVID-19 using tactics many countries are introducing has fallen on too many deaf ears. What we witnessed during the spikes were choices to be selfish and ignore protocols, to be corrupt and gouge customers with exorbitant prices, and choices to make the family home a place of violence and abuse.

3. The economic instability and insecurity has led to joblessness, homelessness, hunger fear, anxiety, and distress for too many of our people.

The Cancer Society of The Bahamas has been lighting a Christmas Tree on the Marathon Mall grass next to the bank for 30 years. It is a 40ft tree that serves as a beacon of hope.

It says: we care, we share, and we bear your burdens

NANCY KELLY SPEAKS DURING TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY.

with you. More than ever, these lights are so important as a reminder that darkness does not have the last word in God’s world.

The Christmas tree is precursor of the Calvary Tree, the cross of salvation opening the door to eternal life for everyone who believes. The cross is our motivation to love, to pray and reach out. The mercy of God teaches us to be merciful; God’s peace shows us how to be peaceful; God’s joy inspires us to be joyful; God’s love transforms us to be more loving.

It is the love of God which flows like a fountain from our hearts when we embrace the true meaning of Christmas. Through prayer and service, it

increases and manifests itself as kindness instead of violence, as peace in place of war, as sensitivity rather than indifference.

When we consider what all of our front liners and essential workers have been doing for us over the last nine months we see what love looks like in action.

Our medical teams have been phenomenal in the face of a sudden pandemic.

The Cancer Society has been holding the fort with reduced donations and postponed fundraising events as with every

Attacking altars

BY AYANNA IN THE past I have read CLARKE about altars, and I realised early on (although not understanding its significance) that each altar was And, named. No matter how believe me I great, or how small, the could go on. building of an altar signiThese are a few fied an event of import. of my personal altars For example, our Creator but what about yours?

Himself built the very first I think the men of old altar of sacrifice and then got it right. We can only throughout scripture, the recognise and revere altars, sacred rite continued. Patri- (or destroy them) when archs and Prophets alike we name them. When we raised altars to the name of know what they are and can God – Ebenezer, Jireh, comidentify the habits, pracmemorating His Favour. tices and thought patterns As we wrestle with the that threaten to destroy the idea of building altars in our own lives, we must be first future God has for us, then willing to name ideals and we are able to move beyond beliefs to which these altars them in victory.

David faced his altars in have been raised. In our this battle and came out the main text, we see two men – victor.

I was totally floored as dissimilar in appearance as they are in experience, when I realised what was but both standing in their happening in 1 Samuel 17:28: own issues.

He faced rejection when Goliath: Hatred, bigotry, his eldest brother outrightly arrogance...

David: Rejection, slander, asked him, “Why are you even here?” being marginalised...

Now Eliab his oldest Both men, with so brother heard much to prove – when he spoke and whether they were to the men; able to and Eliab’s admit it anger was or not, aroused the against altars David, in their and he lives said, speaking “Why did volumes you come to their temdown here? perament and And with actions. whom have What are you left your altars?

What are the those What are events, patterns... few the events, sheep that may be attacking memories, in the and destroying experiences wilderto which you God’s ideal plan ness? have built for your life?

I know commemoyour pride rative ideals? and the Here are a few of insolence of mine: your heart, for you • Lack of Trust from have come down to see the being bullied and lied on • Rejection from battle.”

Then again, he was marbeing passed over and ginalised in the inquiry, “... marginalised • Self-Loathing and Low with whom have you left Self Esteem from being those few sheep?”

And look at the open and molested • Bitterness from being vicious slander in the statemisused, mishandled and ment: “...you’re only here to see the battle...” misunderstood

Oh, it doesn’t end there, In the second act of this drama, David must face Saul, and another set of familiar altars: • Denunciation ... “David, you cannot do this...”

• Insignificance ... “David, you are only a boy...”

• Comparison... “David, you’re not like him (or your brothers, for that matter)” • Lack / Debasement...

“David if you’re going, you’ll need my stuff...”

Lessons far beyond the worshiper and King that we have often touted David to be, in this tale, David emerges an overcomer and a winner even before he steps onto the battlefield.

With each step toward Goliath, David gains greater strength because he destroys so many altars on the journey there. Each one with a name, each one a signifier of some emotional trauma that he has gone through.

Before he faces Goliath, David experiences and destroys every altar that would have compromised his victory. So, I’ll ask you again: What are your altars?

What are the events, patterns of thinking, false beliefs and ideas that you have built inside and around yourself that may be attacking and destroying God’s ideal plan for your life? I have found that winning a battle is about two things: knowing the enemy and knowing YOURSELF! We can emerge winners - victorious in all the fights that we face...we can win with wisdom, knowledge and understanding about who we are, what we have been through and what effect it has had on us.

Whatever it is – negativity, slander, poor decisions... time out for Naming and Claiming...

Let’s name and destroy the negative altars!

God bless you this week!

other charity in the country. Love is always in the air at the Cancer Caring Centre which offers accommodation and assistance to Family Island patients.

God created Christmas for us as a time to celebrate the Light of the World coming into our lives. God has called us out of darkness into God’s marvelous light of Love: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being

through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life,[a] and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.(John 1:1-5).

Love was nailed to the tree, and rose from the dead, ascending into heaven to intercede for us at the right hand of the Father.

The wreath of Christmas reminds us of the crown of thorns that pierced the brow of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. The wrapped gifts

speak of the gift of undeserved forgiveness and new life in Christ at Easter time.

How loving are we?

How bright is our light?

The world needs us to be like our Lord. It needs us to love sincerely, give generously, and bring light wherever we are.

• Rev Angela Palacious, a motivational speaker and author of several devotional books, is an Anglican priest. She may be contacted at 393-9000 or by e-mail at angelapalacious@ gmail.com.

PAGE 22, Thursday, December 10, 2020

SPORTS

THE TRIBUNE

Like teams, NBA refs have new health and safety protocols

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer NBA referees will have to adhere to many of the same new health and safety protocols as coaches and players are this season, all part of the league’s plan to try to keep everyone safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

Referees will be tested daily, just like players and coaches, and will have to comply with new league rules about avoiding bars, lounges, clubs, public gyms and many other indoor gathering spots.

The league is also coming up with methods designed to reduce referee travel, some of which is still evolving.

“Obviously, we won’t be able to eliminate all travel,” said Monty McCutchen, an NBA vice president who oversees referee development and training. “As much as we would like to, that won’t be possible. But just like the league took into consideration many scheduling issues for the teams to significantly reduce travel,

we’re going to look at as many possibilities on a oneyear basis to reduce travel so we can effectively serve the game while still living in this pandemic.”

It’s not uncommon for NBA referees to work two or three games in a week, but teams rarely see the same referee more than once every few weeks. That may change this season, though the specifics on how remain unclear.

“We want to be good stewards to both the game and those that serve the game,” McCutchen said.

“That’s the balance we’re trying to find.”

Referee hotels will be limited this season to ones that the NBA deems compliant with its protocols, and there are policies in place for how to react if a referee becomes ill or tests positive while on the road.

Even the way referees get from hotels to arenas is changing: instead of all travelling together in a van, referees will now have individual car service — a decision made with social distancing and preventing

MIAMI Heat coach Erik Spoelstra smiles as referee Eric Lewis (42) wraps his arms around Spoelstra during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on October 2, 2020. NBA referees this season will have to adhere to new health and safety protocols, just like teams will in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

(AP Photo/Mark J Terrill) potential exposure in mind.

And the mileage maximum that referees can drive if they choose to go that route

from one city to the next has been raised as well.

The on-court way referees go about their business

is not expected to change much. Referees added a protective cloth bag over their whistles — a move

made to limit how much spittle could get strewn about — when last season resumed in the bubble at Walt Disney World; the baggie is being replaced now by more of a hard plastic shell that has shown to be more effective.

Points of emphasis from last season such as travelling, regulating illegal contact initiated by offensive players both on- and off-the-ball, freedom of movement on the offensive end and respect for the game will remain top priorities for referees this year.

There are no substantial rule changes.

“The game is in a really good place right now, and since it is a good place and with short cycle between last season and this season we thought it best to reinforce and continue on with last season’s points of emphasis,” said McCutchen.

He led a four-day slate of virtual preseason meetings with all NBA referees that ended earlier this week.

“And those will continue for this year.”

Giannis won’t say whether he will sign supermax offer FROM PAGE 24 else he will be eligible to become a free agent after the 2020-21 season.

Antetokounmpo said he is letting his agent handle any contract discussions.

“I’m not going to lie to you,” Antetokounmpo said.

“I’m not the type of player who talks with his agent five times a week or seven times a week.”

The Bucks spent the offseason trying to upgrade their roster, with mixed success, after they posted the NBA’s best regular-season record in each of the last two years only to fall short in the playoffs.

The Bucks acquired veteran guard Jrue Holiday as part of a four-team trade in which they gave up guards Eric Bledsoe and George Hill and a package of picks.

But a widely reported signand-trade with Sacramento that would have brought sharp-shooting swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic to Milwaukee fell through as the NBA investigated whether

the teams reached an agreement earlier than allowed by league rules.

Milwaukee followed that up by re-signing guard Pat Connaughton and agreeing to terms with free-agent guards D.J. Augustin and Bryn Forbes and forwards Torrey Craig and Bobby Portis.

“I think their moves have been amazing,” Antetokounmpo said.

“All the guys we got, they can help the team, they can defend. Having Holiday on the team is big time.

He’s a great leader. He’s a great human being. He can defend. He can score the ball. He’s going to bring that edge that we need. The rest of the guys, I think they’re going to help us, too.”

The Bucks lost to the Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs last season after blowing a 2-0 lead to Toronto in the 2019 Eastern Conference finals.

The Bucks struggled to adapt to the Walt Disney World bubble and never regained the form they

showed before the pandemic-imposed hiatus.

“Last year, we weren’t ourselves,” Antetokounmpo said. “What we showed in the bubble wasn’t ourselves and wasn’t even close to what we can do. Going into this season, our focus is obviously the championship, but before that we’ve got to get better as a unit. We’ve got to create good habits. We’ve got to be the toughest, the nastiest, the team that plays together.”

He added that he doesn’t believe “it’s a championship-or-bust situation.”

“I want to win a championship. Nobody wants to win a championship more than me,” he said. “But there’s steps to that. You’ve got to keep improving.

You’ve got to keep getting better. Hopefully we can get that this year.”

Milwaukee is chasing its first NBA title since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the Bucks to the championship in 1971. Abdul-Jabbar demanded a trade and was

MILWAUKEE Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) celebrates after a dunk against Orlando during the first half of a first round playoff game in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on August 29.

(AP Photo/Ashley Landis) dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975. Now the Bucks are trying to make sure their biggest star since Abdul-Jabbar also doesn’t leave town.

The Bucks say the uncertainty surrounding Antetokounmpo’s future hasn’t impacted the team’s focus as it gets ready for the season.

“It’s obviously a big thing for the team, a big thing for him, and we want him

to make the right decision, what’s best for him,” centre Brook Lopez said. “But I think we’re all professionals obviously and we all just come in and work.”

Teammates have responded to the situation by showing their sense of humour. When Antetokounmpo celebrated his 26th birthday on Sunday, each of the Bucks gave him a pen as a gift. All-Star forward Khris Middleton said at

the time that “hopefully he enjoys it and uses it.”

“At first, I didn’t get it,” Antetokounmpo said.

“Khris came in and gave me a pen and I was like ‘What is this?’ But after thinking about it, I realised it was for me to sign the contract.

I laughed the first time, I laughed the second time and then I got like 20 pens so it got a little bit old. But I’ve got 20 pens sitting in my locker.”

ESPN to showcase Bahamas in Bowl slot FROM PAGE 24 that the 2020 Bahamas Bowl was one of 17 of its postseason NCAA football bowl games to be cancelled due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions.

“We are disappointed that we aren’t able to stage events at these premier destinations this year,” said Pete Derzis, ESPN senior vice president of college sports programming

and ESPN Events, “We are committed to bringing both games back in 2021, and we thank our conference partners, sponsors and the local communities for their ongoing support and understanding.”

The Bahamas Bowl traditionally features teams from the Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference. The game was sponsored by Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen from 2014 - 2016 followed by Elk Grove Village and its business slogan “Makers

Wanted” came on board as title sponsor in 2018 and 2019.

The Bahamas Bowl has also produced a total of 26 alumni chosen in the last six NFL Drafts.

Additionally, a total of nine undrafted free agents who participated in the Bahamas Bowl have gone on to play at least one NFL game.

In July 2019, the MAC announced a continuation of its tie-in with the bowl through the 2025–26 football season.

Nesbitt returns to help Rebels win FROM PAGE 24 over McNeese State and a 70-53 victory over Kansas, the Rebels have an average margin of 42.7 points per win this season, but McPhee-McCuin said she continues to keep her squad grounded because of a challengening conference schedule ahead in the SEC. Ole Miss completes its non-conference schedule against Mississippi Valley State, Jackson State, George Mason, Jacksonville State before the travel to Colombia, South Carolina to face the No.5 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks.

“I think these games give us the opportunity to get a consistent balance that we can trust in big games,” McPhee-McCuin said.

“I’m trying to get players to embrace these moments and focus on what we need to focus on.

“At the end of this month, we play the No. 5 team in the country. That’s how we open SEC play.

“These games are extremely important for us, and I hope it helps us get the balance we need.”

In the win over Alcorn State, they also recorded the second-best shooting percentage in Ole Miss women’s basketball history at 62 percent from the field.

After she missed the season opener against McNeese State, Nesbitt made her debut with four points, four assists and three rebounds in 17 minutes of the win over Kansas. In the offseason,

Nesbitt, a general business major, was named to the SEC First Year Academic Honour Roll and was also an M-Club Student of the Month for July.

As a junior, she led the SEC in steals at 3.2 takeaways per game and had six games with at least four.

She was the Rebels’ second-leading scorer at 11.3 points a game and was also second in minutes played at 24.3 per game.

This season, McPheeMcCuin welcomed the No.1 recruiting class in the SEC and No.13 class in the nation.

The class was highlighted by five-star signees Madison Scott and Jacorriah Bracey, and the addition of ESPN’s No. 1 rated transfer in 2020, Shakira Austin.

SPORTS PAGE 24

PRO PICKS, Page 21

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020

Kadeem Coleby posts triple double

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

adeem Coleby continues to post career numbers this season in the Japanese B-League and recorded another milestone in his fourth season with the Akita Northern Happinets.

Coleby finished with a triple double - 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists - in the Happinets’ 89-70 win over league defending champion Alvark Tokyo last night in Akita, Japan.

He shot 9-11 from the field and also added a game high four blocks as the Happinets extended their winning streak to three games and improved to 11-8 on the season.

K

Coleby leads the team in scoring and rebounding at 14 points and 8.4 boards per game. He is shooting 69 percent from the field and is also averaging 1.5 blocks and 2.5 assists per game.

Lashann Higgs has moved into a starting role and has taken on a greater scoring load for her struggling Embutidos Pajariel Bembibre PDM in Spain’s Liga Femenina Endesa.

Higgs scored a game high 27 points and grabbed six rebounds in her team’s 81-64 loss to the undefeated Perfumerias Avenida (14-0).

In her rookie season of pro basketball, Higgs has emerged as the team’s leading scorer at 14.8 points per game and is also leading in steals at 4.5 per game. She is

also shooting a team high 52 percent from the field and is second in rebounds at 4.5 per game. Embutidos is just 2-11 on the season.

Tavario Miller finished with another double double for Boca Juniors in Argentina’s Liga Nacional de Básquet.

Miller led his club to an 88-66 win over the bottomranked H.Americano. He totalled 14 points and 16 rebounds in 26 minutes as Boca Juniors got above .500 at 4-3, third in the South group.

In his second season in Argentina, Miller has had an immediate impact with his new club, averaging 15.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.

Travis Munnings continues to post impressive numbers

for U.D. Oliveirense in the Portuguese LPB League. He finished with eight points, eight rebounds and eight assists in 23 minutes of his club’s 102-54 win over Barreirense. Munnings is averaging 13.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game through seven contests.

Robert Nortmann returned to Germany after his appearance with the Baha Mar senior men’s national team at the AmeriCup Qualifiers in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Nortmann finished with nine points and nine rebounds for Romerstrom Gladiators Trier in their 104-77 loss to Phoenix Hagen in the German ProA League.

Nortmann is averaging 9.3 points and seven rebounds per game this season.

KADEEM COLEBY, in his fourth season with the Akita Northern Happinets in the Japanese B-League, finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists last night in a win over league defending champion Alvark Tokyo in Akita, Japan.

Giannis won’t say whether he will sign supermax offer

By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo praised the “amazing” moves the Milwaukee Bucks have made to improve the team, but the two-time reigning MVP stopped short yesterday of saying he would sign a supermax contract extension offer.

“Right now I’m not focusing on that,” Antetokounmpo said during his first preseason discussion with reporters. “I know my agent, Alex (Saratsis), and (general manager) Jon Horst and the Bucks

ownership are focusing on those discussions. I’m just trying to focus on myself and how I can get better, how I can help my teammates be better, how I can be ready Saturday to play our first preseason game.”

Antetokounmpo, who turned 26 last week, would be able to receive up to 35 percent of the salary cap with an eight percent escalation each year of the deal under a supermax extension. The Bucks were able to offer a five-year deal worth over $220 million.

He has until December 21 to sign the extension, or

SEE PAGE 22

Nesbitt returns to help Rebels win

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net COACH Yolette McPhee-McCuin’s Ole Miss Rebels continue to post historic numbers early in the season and after missing the first game of the year, Valerie Nesbitt returned to provide even more depth to the roster.

Nesbitt finished with a team high six assists and added six points in just 15 minutes of the Rebels’ 104-48 victory over Alcorn State at The Oxford Pavilion in Oxford, Mississippi.

Ole Miss starts the season 3-0 for the first time since 2016-17.

Nesbitt led the team to 26 assists on the night

VALERIE NESBITT which ranks as the most by a Rebels team since they posted 31 against WinstonSalem State in 2009.

It was three Rebels with at least four assists in the game. With a 99-44 win

SEE PAGE 22

ESPN to showcase The Bahamas in Bowl slot

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net WHILE the 2020 Bahamas Bowl was cancelled due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, ESPN will still showcase the Bahamas in the game’s traditional time slot.

ESPNU and ESPN Caribbean will re-air the inaugural 2014 Bahamas Bowl game at 7pm on December 24, the lone bowl game of the Football Bowl Association’s “Bowl Season” broadcasted in that time slot.

The inaugural Popeyes Bahamas Bowl between the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Central Michigan Chippewas was the first FBS-level bowl game outside of the United States

or Canada since 1937. The Hilltoppers held on for a 49-48 win in one of the most memorable bowl games of the 2014 season. The high scoring matchup drew in an estimated 1.5 million live viewers.

The improbable finish in which Central Michigan scored a 75-yard, threelateral touchdown as time expired also advanced to the Finals for the 2015 ESPY “Best Play” award.

Since its inception in 2014, the Bahamas Bowl has been a platform for several programmes to achieve their first win in school history and brought postseason football to the Thomas A Robinson stadium. In October, ESPN Events officially announced

SEE PAGE 22