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The Tribune

Volume:117 No.25, DECEMBER 27TH, 2019

Established 1903

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OBITS OFFICIA

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INSIDE

SPORT: THE TANK ANNOUNCES HIS AFRICAN CHALLENGE

L SOUR CE

HARBOUR ISLAND HIT

BY MAJOR POWER CUT

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

HARBOUR Island residents suffered a power cut this week that lasted more than 48 hours, disrupting business and the Christmas celebrations of hundreds of locals and visitors.

In a statement last night, Bahamas Power and Light said mechanical defects knocked the on-island rental generation offline, prompting the replacement of the generators.

“Our initial investigation into the incident appears to indicate that the cables connecting Harbour Island to the mainland at the Three Island Dock site failed sometime after the generators came offline,” BPL said.

SEE PAGE SIX

Valley Boys take Junkanoo crown REPORT AND MORE PICTURES - SEE PAGES 2&3 AND 9-13

STRACHAN: TRANSFER ‘UNLAWFUL’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE VALLEY Boys on Bay Street at this year’s Junkanoo Boxing Day parade.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police Kendal Strachan wants the Supreme Court to declare that the forced leave he took this year was not vacation time and that his transfer to the Ministry of Social Services is unlawful.

He is seeking punitive damages, according to a lawsuit his attorney Wayne Munroe, QC, filed on Tuesday.

His lawsuit argues that his transfer as chief of security to the Willie Mae Pratt School for Girls and Simpson Penn Centre for Boys equates to a dismissal from his post and a demotion.

SEE PAGE SIX

BOYFRIEND ACCUSED OF MURDER

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A LAWYER was unsuccessful in her bid on Tuesday to have a Grand Bahama man, accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death three months ago before jumping from the third floor of an apartment allegedly in an attempt to kill himself, not committed to prison because he is now confined to a wheelchair.

Miranda Adderley tried

BOYFRIEND: Kenrick Hanna to convince Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle-Davis

that Kenrick Hanna is not prison-worthy because he suffered a broken pelvis and other injuries after allegedly jumping from an apartment balcony after killing Monet Darville on September 24.

However, Ms Adderley later submitted that her client’s condition is even more “egregious” because, based on her instructions, members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) may

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE SEVEN

DIANE PHILLIPS TIME WE SHOWED OUR HARBOUR SOME RESPECT

SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Friday, December 27, 2019

BOXING DAY JUNKANOO 2019

THE TRIBUNE

PHOTOS: SHAWN HANNA/TRIBUNE STAFF

THE VALLEY Boys wowed judges and spectators alike with the African theme: Wildlife on the Great Serengeti.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 27, 2019, PAGE 3

BOXING DAY JUNKANOO 2019

Valley Boys bring Serengeti to life

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net THE VALLEY Boys stampeded to victory as the unofficial winner of the 2019 Boxing Day parade, wowing judges and spectators alike with its exotic African theme: “Wildlife on the Great Serengeti”.

According to the unofficial results read by parade management team chairman, Anthen Mortimer, the Valley Boys won by a total of 81.44 points. The Saxons Superstars, with its theme “Join In The Fight Against Cancer”, finished at a close second with 80.01 points.

Genesis, with its theme “The Wedding: A Road To Forever”, finished third with 77.66 points. Last year’s winner, One Family fell to fourth place with 68.19 points. The group’s theme was “Video Games Madness…Get Your Game On”.

Roots came in fifth place with 64.31 points. Its theme was “Dream Vacations: A World Of Beauty”.

In the B-Group category, Colours Entertainment was declared the unofficial winner with a total of 80.86 points. The Original Congos came in second with 65.21 points. In third place was the Redland Soldiers with 57.92 points, followed by Body of Christ with 56.30 points.

The Fancy Dancers came in fifth with 55.97 points; Conquerors for Christ came in sixth with 48.74 points, while The New Vikings came in seventh with 34.77 points.

The Valley Boys won three major categories en route to its victory on Thursday, namely best offthe-shoulder; best banner; and best music.

One Family won best free-dance, best choreograph and best overall performance. The Saxons won the best step-down and best lead costume categories.

The Valley Boys’ victory came during a parade that was repeatedly threatened by wind and rain. The festivities were originally due to start at 10pm on Christmas Day, but was later delayed to midnight due to the inclement weather.

At one point during the parade, spectators were forced to flee the stands and scramble under whatever shelter they could find to escape a downpour of rain that persisted for upwards of 10 minutes.

Junkanoo Corporation New Providence (JCNP) chairman Dion Miller told reporters at the time that “several things” were going

through his mind as the showers kept falling, especially given that at least one more squall was expected.

Fortunately, however, that never happened, and the night continued as planned. There were some notable breaks between groups, but none too egregious, at least according to Mr Mortimer, who told The Tribune that notwithstanding the delay, all of the groups were moving “pretty good”.

Former parliamentarians participated in Thursday’s activities, such as former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Minister of Sports Dr Danny Johnson, who

rushed with the Saxons.

Meanwhile, former St Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman rushed with One Family.

Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest, who was seated in Rawson Square and had to flee for shelter like many others when the strongest shower of the night came down, said that didn’t spoil his evening. He said the parade appeared to be “well-managed”, and although the “gaps” in between groups were noticeable, he suspected that had “a lot to do with the weather”.

Mr Turnquest, who has gone on record as saying

he supports the Valley Boys “all the way”, was initially critical of that group’s performance, stating: “The performance, the Valley first out, eh I think (it was) a little bit lacking on the performance side and music side, but hopefully it’ll pick it up on the second lap.”

Meanwhile, he said the Original Congos played “beautiful music” and was “very impressive”.

In terms of security and policing, Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson told reporters that police reported no major matters during the parade, or through wider New Providence.

However, The Tribune observed several men, at various points during the parade, being escorted by police through the crowd on their way to the nearby Central Police Station.

One of those men, dressed in a white t-shirt and white jeans, was covered in blood, with blood staining his shirt and pants. He held his head as he was being escorted by officers, suggesting that he had suffered a head injury.

“We’re always happy when we do not have any incidents,” the commissioner said. “People are comfortable and can enjoy themselves when they come

out to these cultural events.

And that is why the police are here, to ensure there is peace and tranquility during this cultural event.”

The police chief said he expects the same level of effort from his officers in the upcoming New Year’s Day Junkanoo parade, which is just five days away.

“It’s going to be the same thing,” he said. “We’re going to be out in full force and police these events. It is mandated that we police these events, and it’ll be no letting up on it. And while we’re policing the event, we will also police the communities in the inner cities.”

THE VALLEY Boys show the way at the Boxing Day Junkanoo

FOR MORE BOXING DAY JUNKANOO COVERAGE - TURN TO PAGES 9-13

PAGE 4, Friday, December 27, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

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From depression to Parkinson’s disease: The healing power of dance WHY do we stop dancing when we grow up? Why do we disconnect and alienate ourselves from the body? It is surprising to me that dance/movement therapy (DMT) is not more popular within the fields of psychology and psychotherapy globally.

For a couple of decades, I devoted my attention as a researcher in behavioural neurobiology and psychiatry almost exclusively to the brain and mental health, neglecting the rest of the body.

I was trained in the late 1990s, the decade of the brain. I have been mesmerised by the complexity of the brain, completely forgetting that it is part of the entire organism, intimately connected and reciprocally interacting with the entire body.

Dance/movement therapy goes beyond simply dancing. DMT uses dance and movement to promote insight, integration and well-being, as well as to diminish undesirable symptoms in various clinical populations.

Unlike mainstream talk therapies, DMT uses the entire body to approach the client primarily on a non-verbal and creative level. The body in motion is both the medium and the message.

DMT recognises the moving body as the centre of the human experience, and that body and mind are in constant reciprocal interaction.

Just like with more traditional psychotherapies, DMT can be applied in a wide range of ways. It may involve talking, different types of music or no music at all. It can be done in groups, with individuals or with couples. Therapists sometimes dance with their clients and at other times observe.

A group therapy session may involve a warm-up and check-in as to where we are at emotionally, mentally and physically. It may be followed by the development of a theme, which emerges spontaneously or has been prepared by a therapist (for example, working with difficult emotions). It ends with grounding (reconnecting with our bodies and our selves in the present moment) and closure (for example, a gesture, a sound, a word).

All of this is done with our bodies in motion or stillness, but some verbal sharing, journaling, drawing and other elements may be added.

One of the main reasons people dance is to modify their emotional state; typically, they strive to feel more joy and happiness and to reduce stress and anxiety. Since its inception dance therapy, similar to somatic psychotherapies, has emphasised the reciprocal interaction between body and mind, and the ability to regulate emotions via changes in body postures and movements.

The exploration of new movements can evoke novel perceptions and feelings. It may also facilitate seeing a wider range of possibilities in a given situation.

Some new or old movement patterns may evoke repressed material and enhance better understanding of oneself and one’s environment and history.

One of the most compelling studies supporting this idea examined complex improvised movements, and identified unique sets of movement components that can elicit the feelings of happiness, sadness, fear or anger. The associations between emotions and specific motor components have been used in the past for diagnosis or emotion recognition. This study goes further and proposes specific techniques for modifying emotions.

A recent systematic review of research on dance/movement therapy specifically found it to be effective in the treatment of adults with depression. Dance typically involves learning sequences of steps and movements in space, in coordination with music. In other words, it requires substantial physical and cognitive engagement and, as such, it should improve not only muscle tone, strength, balance and coordination, but also memory, attention and visuospatial processing.

When comparing relatively longterm dance interventions (of six and 18 months) to conventional fitness training, several studies have found improvements in attention and verbal memory and neuroplasticity in healthy older adults. In addition, a recent metaanalysis of seven randomised controlled trials comparing the effects of dance therapy to non-dance interventions in Parkinson’s disease found that dance was especially beneficial for executive function, the processes that help us plan, organise and regulate our actions.

Dancing engages extensive areas of the cerebral cortex as well as several deep brain structures.

A recent descriptive systematic review included eight well-controlled studies, all of which demonstrated changes in brain structure following dance intervention.

These changes included: increased hippocampal and parahippocampal volume (involved in memory), increased gray matter volume in the precentral gyrus (involved in motor control) and white matter integrity in the corpus callosum (involved in communication between the two hemispheres).

New ways of moving and dancing may produce new ways of feeling and perceiving the world. This is one of the most exciting and profound aspects of DMT and it is shocking that the body, movement and dance have been almost entirely ignored by mainstream psychotherapy. It is time to change that!

Adrianna Mendrek is a professor in the Psychology Department, Bishop’s University. This article first appeared on The Conversation

Not enough foot soldiers EDITOR, The Tribune OH, dear Lord, spare us from these hypocrites!

PLP leader Philip “Brave” Davis must indeed have a short memory to even attempt to enter into the current dispute between Assistant Commissioner Kendal Strachan and his superiors — a dispute predicted as eventually inevitable as far back as May 2017 when the PLP government promoted 851 police officers to the upper ranks just a few days before the police were to go to an early poll to vote in a general election. The PLP lost the election, and the FNM inherited the problem, which has now come to roost.

I think, if he were wise, Mr Davis would hide his

face in this current dispute when Bahamians recall that he too was a part of creating the problem — apparently with the object of getting some votes — which must have backfired because the Christie government — with Mr Davis as part of the baggage – was voted out of office as the government. Mr Davis, however, retained his seat and now in Opposition seems to want to make us believe that he suffers from amnesia. Oh, dear Lord, do spare us from these two-faced politicians!

At the time – May, 2017 – 851 police officers were promoted. If I recall rightly 76 assistant superintendents were made superintendents, 90 inspectors became assistant superintendents while 107 sergeants were turned into inspectors,

and so on and so on down the line! All chiefs and few Indians — no wonder there is so much crime! Not enough foot soldiers on the streets and in the communities! Could this be a major part of our current problem?

Yes, Mr Davis, this was the decision of your government that sowed the seeds for this current dispute within the police force.

Please don’t insult us by assuming that we all suffer from poor memories. And so unless you can contribute to the solution, you would be wise to sit quietly in your corner, say your prays, and hope for peace in our time!

FED UP Nassau, December 23, 2019.

Humans left in the dark EDITOR, The Tribune AS THE Christmas season is with us and the new year is approaching, I always think about the future. The world is in flux.

The struggle for global hegemony will intensify.

The United States and China have made a phase 1 trade deal. It is a mere ceasefire and the struggle for global dominance will intensify after the US presidential election regardless of whomsoever wins. The Caribbean and the Bahamas were caught up in the cold war. The Bahamas sided with the United States and was spared the ravages of the cold war like Jamaica, Grenada and Guyana. This situation is very unlikely today because there have been a mixing of the two economic systems.

Modern Capitalism has existed for about 300 years.

It started in England and spread to western Europe, North America, Japan and then the World. Today it’s the world’s dominant economic system. s1 Capitalism has both strength and weaknesses.

It produces rapid economic growth and creates an abundance of goods and services faster than any other economic system.

It produces technological dynamic development. It is a system that has brought the world together. Globalisation through business (multinational enterprises)

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net and politics (the United Nations). One weakness is that it produces great inequality. The economic system is unstable because about every 10 years you have an economic recession or depression. It has the form of democracy (we vote) but only a few have influence on real policies. Generally, democracy ends at the polls. It has been supported by a strong government. There are capitalists who attack the government but this is only smoke. There has not been capitalism without government support. The laws have to be made by government. In 2008, we saw the role of government was to bailout the corporations. Supporters of capitalism always criticises crony-capitalism, but capitalism cannot exist in any other form, similarly socialism cannot exist without an ultra powerful government.

I see Capitalism and Socialism as capitalism – one where means of productions are controlled by government (socialism) and capitalism where means of productions are controlled by private individuals. Governments control money in every capitalist and socialist society. The European government took control of

other countries and allowed individuals to profit in colonialism.

To get government out of capitalism or socialism is an utopian fantasy.

Both capitalism and socialism organise society with a few employers and many employees. I view both capitalism and socialism as outdated. I discussed mainly capitalism because it is the dominant system.

I propose the democratisation of work by workers making decisions about means of productions and direct democracy to create more freedom from government control. This social change has become urgent because of artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology and 3D printing which will displace workers. This is the first time in human history where machines replace humans for cognitive tasks.

The industrial revolution replaced man in physical task; now machines will eventually become smarter than humans with artificial general intelligence.

Humans have dominance over the Earth mainly because of intelligence. Will humans remain dominant, will augmented humans become dominant or will non-human intelligence be dominant? The future is up to us.

BRIAN ELLIS PLUMMER Nassau, December 17, 2019.

We need testing ground EDITOR, The Tribune THIS government loves make announcements for this and that new IT programme but they have seemingly not tried them out let alone tested them so the once exciting programme is a total failure.

The Beneficial Ownership programme chaos and chaos at Registrar’s office at the seasonal time when Annual Fees have to be processed so you can get a Business Licence for 2020…who cares.

That Customs

programme…Click2Click… boy you click okay but that’s all so at busiest business time of the year importers are frustrated to the hilt and consumers simply rush to Miami or on-line because the local retailers have not been able to clear those favourite items.

Where is the trumpeted Over the Hill programme?

Money from that Lyford Cay donor run out? Why hasn’t the improvements so fan-fared for the Recreational Grounds been completed…promised months ago…again fanfare

big noise and what else… silence!

Buy at Home…Wow, Chamber advocating that but they support that cruise ship ‘shopping in Miami Cruise’ - dah dis place crazy. Millions could be bought here…put hundreds to work but we want to shop in Miami and South Florida Malls and Finance supports that and taxes local business to the hilt!

ABRAHAM MOSS Nassau December 21, 2019.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 27, 2019, PAGE 5

PM Minnis serves up Christmas lunch for Abaco team PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis thanked officers of the Royal Bahamas Police and Defence Forces serving in Abaco for their hard work, courage and sacrifice during a lunch held at the island’s RBDF base on Christmas Day. Dr Minnis, his wife Patricia Minnis, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and North Abaco MP Darren Henfield served 100 officers their Christmas Day meal after the nation’s leader carried out an inspection of officers at the base.

“Like so many others serving across out archipelago, these men and women represent the highest levels

of professionalism and patriotism,” Dr Minnis said.

Following the lunch, Dr Minnis and Mrs Minnis spent time meeting and chatting with officers.

The base, located just outside of Marsh Harbour, houses 40 Royal Bahamas Defence Force and 40 Royal Bahamas Police Force officers.

The Christmas lunch also included officers stationed in other areas of the island.

The prime minister, his wife and Mr Henfield also visited the temporary housing domes being erected at the Spring City subdivision.

Each dome houses four to five people.

HUBERT MINNIS, his wife, Mrs Patricia Minnis and Minister of Foreign Affairs and North Abaco MP, Darren Henfield visited officers of the Royal Bahamas Police and Defence forces serving in Abaco on Christmas Day. Photos:Yontalay Bowe/BIS

WE’RE READY TO GO HOME, SAY HURRICANE VICTIMS

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

WHILE Hurricane Dorian may have destroyed the majority of Abaco’s infrastructure, the storm has failed to crush the spirits of some of the island’s most resilient settlers.

Almost four months after Dorian tore through their island, Naomi Miller and Delrosa Hepburn told The Tribune they are ready to return home and hope other Abaco natives will follow to speed up the island’s restoration process.

Packing heavy rainfall, severe storm surge and sustained winds of over 180-miles per hour, the Category Five storm left thousands displaced with nothing more than the clothes on their backs.

Mrs Hepburn and Mrs Miller were among those who lost everything. Still, the mother-daughter duo said they consider themselves to be some of the fortunate ones.

Mrs Miller, a diabetic confined to a wheelchair, said she weathered the brunt of the storm at Island Breeze Hotel with her family.

Initially, she said, the group felt that they would be safer there since her home bordered the sea.

Still, when water began to fill the room of their hotel, they realised that they had to leave.

“I was sitting down on the bed when someone said, ‘It looks like water is

NAOMI MILLER, left, and Delrosa Hepburn, above coming through the door.’

My nephew tried to open the door, but it was stuck.

By that time the water had started to come in heavier, so he tried to break one of the windows open.

“When he did, a flood washed through the window. By the time as they lift me up and try to get me out of the window, the water was up to my stomach. They started to tote me in my wheelchair, but it got caught in the floods and I had to paddle with my hands so I wouldn’t go down.”

Mrs Miller said at the time, she was fully convinced that she would drown. Luckily, they were able to find shelter at a nearby house where the family stayed for four days.

Describing the scene after the storm she said: “Everything looked awful. Things was bad because the storm carried my whole house and everything I had.”

“Marsh Harbour get mash right up (sic),” her

daughter Mrs Hepburn added. “We saw dead dogs in the road and dead bodies lying all over the place. At one point I said I wasn’t looking nowhere else, because I didn’t want to see no more dead people.”

She explained that her mother’s poor health made it possible for the two of them to get on one of the early evacuation flights to Nassau.

Here, she said, they were housed by Island Luck for two months as her daughter was an employee of the web shop.

In early November, Mrs Hepburn said the family struggled to find accommodations, but eventually managed to secure a two bedroom apartment where they currently reside. As far as a job goes, she has had difficulty finding employment in New Providence and as of now, Mrs Hepburn’s daughter is the only one working.

“My daughter’s job may reopen in Abaco next

FORM B Notice of Intended Marriage (Section 7(3))

Sally Ann Pratt Registrar of Marriages

month and she said if she goes back, we’re going back,” Mrs Hepburn said.

“I’m not working, so I might as well go back home.

For me to save money, I would rather go back because we don’t have to be paying rent out of our pockets. We’re only waiting for my daughter’s boss to confirm her transfer back to Abaco then we’re going to pack up and send our things ahead.”

When asked if she believed things would be better back home, she admitted that while it will

take some time for Abaco to “get back on its feet,” it will also take a joint effort from its people to “make the island what it was.”

“Everybody can’t stay in Nassau saying, ‘Man they gotta fix up Abaco.’ It takes all of us to come to help fix the island. I look at it that way. We need to go home and help ourselves.

“I know when the word came back to us that we lost our home I accepted that I had to start all over. I thank God because I’m still alive so when I go home, I will work, save my money (and)

try and get somewhere I can call home,” Mrs Hepburn said.

With similar sentiments, Mrs Miller also urged other storm victims to consider returning home to assist with development.

“The only way where things could change is if all the people who gone away to Nassau and the States decide to come back to Abaco and rebuild,” she said. “We’ll get back where we’ve been, but it will take us a long time if nobody wants to come and do nothing.”

PAGE 6, Friday, December 27, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

HARBOUR ISLAND HIT BY MAJOR POWER CUT from page one

“The two incidents are not connected and investigations into the cause of the failure of the cables is due to be completed by Friday of this week,” it continued.

“Ultimately, it was the breakdown of the rental generation, combined with the failure of the cables, which caused the power supply difficulties on the island over the last few days. However,

when the cables at the Three Island Dock site went down, BPL was able to take advantage of a new cable recently installed at our Whale Point Crossing site to bring back supply back to portions of the island. In addition, a technician for the rental company was able to get to the island by 2pm Thursday to assist in bringing the new rental generation online. As of about 5.15pm Thursday, BPL was reporting all customers were back on our

system, with some being supplied through Whale Point and others being supplied from the power station.”

The Progressive Liberal Party released a statement questioning BPL’s initial revelations about the incident, which said that a “major fault on the cable supplying power to Harbour Island resulted in the island having partial power for the past 48 hours,” prompting load shedding exercises.

“The residents in that community that rely heavily on tourism are questioning what the member of Parliament for North Eleuthera, Ricky Mackey, knows about this prolonged power failure and why he has not spoken out publicly on this matter and taken aggressive steps to address this in the middle of Harbour Island’s busiest season,” PLP chairman Fred Mitchell said.

A source who wished to remain anonymous

told this newspaper Mr Mackey owns a barge that accidentally ran up on the bank where BPL’s submarine cables are located.

The source said it took two hours for the barge to escape the area. Cuts to the cable were observed and it is suspected that this caused the cable failures.

Mr Mackey would not discuss the incident directly when contacted yesterday but said the outage was the result of a multitude of

problems. He said the island’s replacement generators were down for weeks and that he corresponded frequently with BPL’s CEO “to get everything up and running”.

“Two replacement generators were brought down (Wednesday) morning at my insistence,” he said yesterday. “I am currently at the BPL site now monitoring and ensuring we have full coverage, which we now have.”

• For further coverage, see Tribune Business

Most workers have received lump sum, says Turnquest B y NICO SCAVELL A Trib ne u Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net THE government has, “for the most part”, met its obligation to pay government workers the $1,400 sum promised to them by the end of the year, Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest said yesterday.

Mr Turnquest, in an interview with The Tribune, said most civil servants have been “settled” with their payments. He said while there may be a “few stragglers here and there”, the government is “working those out”.

Meanwhile, Mr Turnquest could not give any indication as to what the new proposed minimum wage would be, much less a date when the Minnis administration would make an announcement on the amount.

The finance minister explained that the government hasn’t progressed those discussions to that point, and would need to

further dialogue with the private sector and the labour movement.

However, Mr Turnquest insisted that the government does not want to risk causing a retraction in employment nor stunt the growth of the economy in raising the minimum wage.

“So we have to weigh out all of these things and ensure that when we come, we come with a fact-based position that we can defend and that the economy can support,” he said.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis revealed that elevated wages for government workers were on the way with a minimum wage increase on the horizon and $1,400 lump sum payment by the end of the month.

Dr Minnis told reporters that immigration, customs, police and defence force officers, as well as teachers, doctors and nurses from the Public Hospitals Authority were due to receive the lump sum payment in their pay cheque.

However, when asked if there are any plans to increase the minimum wage in the private sector, Dr Minnis said that area’s minimum wage could not be increased without more consideration.

Shortly after Dr Minnis’ announcement, Labour Director John Pinder said the government is looking to raise the minimum wage in the public sector to at least $300 a week.

However, Tribune Business later reported how National Tripartite Council Vice-Chairman Peter Goudie said he has “no clue” where Mr Pinder’s assertions about a $300 weekly minimum wage originated from.

When questioned on the issue on the sidelines of the Boxing Day Junkanoo parade however, Mr Turnquest said: “We haven’t progressed those discussions to the point where we can give a date or what it (a new minimum wage) might look like. Of course that’s going to be a conversation that’s going to be

DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest had between the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation, the labour unions, to see what is a reasonable thing, to see what we can afford from a governmental point of view and what that may mean to the economy as we look out.

“Because what we don’t want to do is to increase the minimum wage and then cause a retraction in

employment or to stunt the growth of the economy. So we have to weigh out all of these things and ensure that when we come, we come with a fact based position that we can defend and that the economy can support.”

Concerning the lump sum payment, Mr Turnquest explained: “Most people have been settled in respect of that lump sum payment. There might be

a few stragglers here and there for whatever reason, and we’re working those out, but for the most part, the commitment has been met.”

He added: “Of course we couldn’t afford to give everybody in terms of the contract workers who are on a contract, because they operate on a different scale.

“And so we believe that we’ve covered as many public servants that we could, within the budget that we set for ourselves.”

The Tribune understands that some junior doctors, some nurses and other health staff were not paid their $1,400 lump sum up to Christmas Eve, but the Public Hospitals Authority confirmed that they are expected to be compensated before the end of 2019.

PHA Deputy Managing Director Lyrone Burrows said officials have sent the information for payment to the Ministry of Finance to be processed not only for junior doctors but for various nurses and other health staff.

STRACHAN CLAIMS FORCED JOB TRANSFER ‘UNLAWFUL’

from page one

The suit also argues that the acts of the commissioner have been inconsistent with the appointment, removal and disciplinary procedures under statute law and the constitution. According to his affidavit, he told Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson in March he did not agree with the direction that he take the 36 weeks of vacation he had accumulated. He consulted Mr Munroe and was told not to submit a request for time off if he had no desire to take vacation leave.

Some of the officers not forced to take vacation leave had more accumulated holiday time than he did, he says. His affidavit says Commissioner Ferguson has more than 63 weeks of accumulated vacation, Assistant Commissioner Samuel Butler has more than 40 weeks, Assistant Commissioner Ismella Delancey has more than 75 weeks and Deputy Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle has more than 36 weeks of vacation.

“During my time on the Royal Bahamas Police Force I was unable to take the annual vacation leave allowed to me,” he says. “This was not unusual as it has always been represented that the manpower and operational needs of the force generally militated against officers taking annually

the leave allowed to them.

This accumulation of leave was addressed at the time of my enlistment with the force by officers exhausting accumulating leave as preretirement leave.”

His leave ended on December 9. He was informed in a letter of his transfer to head security at the juvenile detention facilities. He says he told the commissioner on December 10 that he would not report to the Ministry of Social Services but to the “permanent secretary of national security as there is no linkage with social services in the terms and conditions of my employment.” He says two days later, he delivered a letter to Commissioner Ferguson; Mr Munroe in that letter questioned his transfer and requested a response from the commissioner.

ACP Strachan says he was denied access to police headquarters: his access card was deactivated, his assigned radio was disabled and he was removed from the automated platform, AS400, and the force email platform, Lotus Note.

Officers from the communications department told him they were instructed to deactivate his access card and radio, he says.

“Access to the AS400 platform is a tool on which every interaction with the police is recorded,” he said.

“It is a vital tool in checking on the background of

any of interest. I am aware in the course of my career that all active police officers would have some live access to the AS400 system as well as selected civilian staff of the police force, I am aware of this as I was involved in the implementation of the system.”

He says he met Acting Permanent Secretary of National Security Eugene Poitier and Under Secretary Cheryl Darvile on December 10. Mr Poitier, he says, told him the commissioner could place him wherever he chooses. He says he received no information regarding protocol nor a detailed briefing.

His affidavit says in 2017 he was elected past president of the FBINA Latin America & Caribbean Chapter, but was unable to complete his presidency term because of what happened to him this year, causing business under his presidency to go unfulfilled.

“I am seeking exemplary damages on the basis that the commissioner of police is abusing a power, which should be discouraged by the awarding of exemplary damages,” his affidavit notes.

According to the lawsuit, he wants the Supreme Court to declare that the mandatory leave from the Royal Bahamas Police Force imposed on him is “not properly to be classified as vacation leave” and should be considered administrative leave.

ONE MAN DEAD, TWO IN SERIOUS CONDITION AFTER 1AM CRASH A MAN is dead and two others are in hospital after the car they were in crashed into a concrete wall yesterday morning.

Shortly after 1am, three men were travelling west on Robinson Road in the vicinity of Washington Street in a black Honda Accord when the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed, police said.

The front seat passenger sustained

serious injuries and was pronounced dead on scene, while the driver and another male were transported to hospital and are listed in serious condition.

Purported surveillance video of the incident was shared on social media yesterday, showing the car travelling at a high rate of speed before it crashed.

An investigation is ongoing.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 27, 2019, PAGE 7

SANDS URGES PEOPLE TO HAVE FLU VACCINATIONS

By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands. from page one have been responsible for his injuries. She further submitted that based on the Disabilities Act, the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services is not equipped to properly facilitate Hanna, whom she said has a bone protruding on his spine, has suffered “long-term” injuries and is expected to be on bed rest for at least another month.

For that reason, said Ms Adderley, although the prison has beds, they are not suitable for her client.

She referred to another of her clients, who, she says, because of his paralysis, is being kept in the Princess Margaret Hospital as opposed to the prison because of the lack of facilities to accommodate his condition.

Therefore, Ms Adderley said, the place to house Hanna on remand would be the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre.

However, Magistrate Rolle-Davis said he saw no provisions in law that would allow him to assist

HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands is urging Bahamians to get vaccinated to avoid catastrophic health risks related to the flu.

The virus has been noted to be worse this holiday season compared to last year by US-based Centres for Disease Control.

“We agree with the international assessment and prediction that this is going to be a bad flu year. Anecdotally, we have heard stories of a lot of people with the flu, but anecdotes don’t really help unless people present themselves to a doctor, a clinic, a hospital for evaluation and treatment,” he told The Tribune.

“…You have some high-risk people and all of those persons that are high-risk, (including) healthcare workers and people that work with children and people with chronic medical illnesses, the elderly, the young…. (they) should get the flu shot. Now, I would suggest that every adult get the flu shot unless you have a particular reason or allergy to it, but you should get it and if you’re a healthcare worker, you should definitely get it.”

This is not the first time the health minister has stressed the importance of having flu vaccinations as the flu season usually peaks around mid-winter.

Symptoms of the flu often include the fever, cough,

POLICE Commissioner Anthony Ferguson said he supports expunging the records of persons convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday during a walkabout in downtown Nassau, Commissioner Ferguson said he believes everybody deserves a second chance.

“I think the simple thing is I supported (the saying) Jesus forgave people. And so why can’t we forgive people particularly (of) those things that would hinder people from progressing?” he told reporters.

When asked whether police will continue to arrest persons found with the drug in their possession in view of the Bahamas National Commission on

vaccine in the Bahamas tends to be low because one thing we are scared of is needles. We’ll talk about all sorts of reasons why we shouldn’t take flu vaccine even though you have 70,000 people (in the US) that died of flu last year,” he continued.

“With that said, we have this way of modifying our view of life and the world and we’re deadly afraid of needles so we ain’t for that.”

Dr Sands could not confirm whether the flu season is worse in the Bahamas this year than that of last year as “it is too early to tell.”

However, with a high number of international visitors frequenting the Bahamas this Christmas season, Dr Sands suggested that there is still

a high chance of the flu also becoming a problem for Bahamians.

“Whether it’s worse than last year or the same as last year or better, it’s too early to tell because we don’t track the numbers that way…. (but) what we can confirm that there have been documented verified cases of influenza of people hospitalised,” he added.

According to Acting Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health Dr Phillip Swans, there have been seven persons hospitalised for the year as a result of the flu.

People with severe flulike symptoms are urged to see a doctor as they may be given antiviral drugs or other medications to ease their symptoms.

Boyfriend accused of murder is denied bail in that regard. He further said that the issue of the conditions or modification of said conditions at the prison is a matter for the government to deal with. And as to the alleged police brutality, the senior magistrate said that is an issue for trial.

He consequently ordered Hanna to be remanded into custody.

Ms Adderley then stated that the wheelchair Hanna was using in court has to be returned to Princess Margaret Hospital, presenting “another issue” for her client.

However, Magistrate Rolle-Davis said the difficulty in that issue is that the “system does not provide for wheelchairs”. He said while the situation is

KENRICK Hanna.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune staff “unfortunate”, the wheel- he does not know what prochair may remain with visions can be made for the Hanna until he secures his accused in that regard.

Nonetheless, he advised own personal wheelchair.

Until that time however, Ms Adderley to take her Magistrate Rolle-Davis said issue up with the ministers

COMMISSIONER SUPPORTS EXPUNGING RECORDS OF SMALL USE MARIJUANA

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

runny nose, head and body aches and fatigue.

While some people also suffer vomiting and diarrhea as a result of the flu, others develop pneumonia and or other severe complications.

Last year, the CDC reported that 80,000 persons in America died as a result of the flu. And so far, this year, the CDC noted that there have already been 1,800 deaths.

Despite these alarming figures coming from the US, Dr Sands said there are persons who will still refuse to take the necessary precautions.

To avoid the potentially deadly viral infection, he is urging Bahamians to take the flu more seriously and get vaccinated.

“The intake of the flu

Marijuana’s preliminary report he stated: “Until we get the direction from the law, (the public should understand that) you ought not smoke marijuana.

“Those persons who don’t understand that (should understand that) you ought not be smoking dope, or you’ll be arrested.”

The preliminary report, produced by the commission and leaked this week, calls for the decriminalisation of marijuana and for adults 21 older to be allowed to have a maximum of one ounce of the drug in their possession without prosecution. The report also recommends that medicinal cannabis be allowed for adults 18 and older.

It recommends that a committee of people with knowledge of medicine determine who can cultivate cannabis for medicinal use. Those permitted would

be allowed to cultivate up to five mature plants.

The report has also endorsed the economic potential of a cannabis industry in the Bahamas as robust. The commission’s report notes that wages in the sector are among the highest in the world, with starting wages for workers being $15 an hour and “a master grower’s” salary starting from around $100,000 annually.

Last month, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said he favours decriminalising possession of small amounts of marijuana and making the substance legal for medicinal and/or scientific purposes. Becoming the first sitting prime minister to publicly support some form of marijuana decriminalisation, he said he hopes the decriminalisation process will happen before the end of this term.

POLICE HUNT ARMED SEVEN IN HOSPITAL ROBBERS WHO STOLE AFTER TWO SEPARATE CHRISTMAS PRESENTS STABBING INCIDENTS POLICE are searching for two armed men who stole a couple’s car and Christmas presents.

The incident occurred on Christmas Eve, shortly after 7pm when a man and a woman arrived at a home on Twynam Avenue, off Mackey Street. They were approached by two armed men who robbed them of cash, gifts, jewelry and a 2003 Toyota sports utility vehicle before escaping.

Meanwhile, police in Abaco were able to seize two illegal firearms off the street on Tuesday.

Shortly after 4pm, police in Abaco, acting on information, conducted a search of an area located Danm’kya Boulevard, Marsh Harbour and recovered a semi-automatic machine gun and a 910 semi-automatic rifle. No one was arrested in this incident.

Investigations are ongoing.

SEVEN Grand Bahama men are in hospital after two separate stabbing incidents, police said. The first incident happened shortly before 1am on Christmas Day. Police were told that a fight broke out between a group of men at an establishment in West End, Grand Bahama. Three men were taken to hospital as a result, with stab wounds. Two of the men have non-life threatening injuries and the other man is being guarded in hospital.

The second incident occurred shortly after 1am on Boxing Day. A group of men were at Smiths Point, where four of them received stab wounds about the body. They were all seen by a doctor at Rand Memorial Hospital where they are listed as being in serious but stable condition.

One male is in police custody in connection with this matter.

of health, national security and social services, as the issue is one that “we will all at some point have to address”.

According to initial police reports, on the date in question, officers were called to an apartment at the King’s Bay Apartment Complex in South Bahamia, Grand Bahama, shortly after 9pm on September 24, where they found Monet Darville’s lifeless body with multiple stab wounds.

Assistant Superintendent Terecita Pinder reported that officers also found a man at that apartment complex attempting to jump from the third-floor balcony.

“Officers spoke to the male in an attempt to prevent him from harming

himself, but to no avail. The man jumped from the third floor to the ground,” the senior officer said.

EMS personnel assisted the man at the scene, and then took him to hospital, where he was detained in critical condition. ASP Pinder said at the time police were handling the matter as a murder-attempted suicide investigation.

On Tuesday, Hanna was not required to enter a plea to the charges and the case was adjourned to March 2020 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment.

Bail was denied and he was remanded to BDCS in the interim, or until such time as he is successful in securing bail from the Supreme Court.

PAGE 8, Friday, December 27, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

It’s time we showed our harbour a little respect

THE SORRY sights around Nassau Harbour

LIKE most older cities, Nassau owes its place in history to its harbour. Ships, people, goods and supplies, legal or otherwise, sailed from nearly every corner of the globe into the warm waters and welcoming harbour to unload, and berth in a safe haven. While air transport eased getting to and from The Bahamas over the last 70 years, Nassau harbour remains a vital link to the economy, the lifestyle and the experience of Bahamians and visitors.

So you’d think we might

show it at least a little bit of respect.

But if you ever want to see a mixed bag of beauty and disaster, take a good look at the harbour that is the heartbeat of the capital of The Bahamas.

From one end to the other stretches much of the pulse of the nation – from the cruise ship port where millions disembark annually to the famed resorts of Paradise Island, from the rooflines and distinctive

architecture of historic Nassau to the newest highrise buildings of the city.

On the north side lie the almost fairy tale-like residences of Atlantis and the remnants of the old Porcupine Club, more recently a dining hall for the once prescient Club Med. Further west on that northern harbour coastline are more homes of the rich and famous including one that belonged to the late Richard Harris now on the market for well north of $10 million. Further east along the northern coast sprawls Ocean Club Estates where one home is currently for sale for pennies under $40 million.

A number of small to mid-size marinas with expensive yachts dot the waterfront.

In the harbour itself, just out of the way of the channel, leisure vessels lie at anchor or are tied to moorings, some perhaps for a day or two, others on a slightly longer basis.

Across the harbour on the southern side, the lights of cruise ships docked after dark at Prince George Wharf create a dazzling display of night lights outlining the outsized slides, toys and features onboard the megaships that live up to their name. Nearby at another dock is the newly rebuilt Pirate ship Blackbeard’s Revenge, its powerful hull and tall mast

dominating that section of waterfront.

Yet between the concrete pier where Blackbeard’s Revenge is tied up and where the underwater blue lights of The Pointe and Margaritaville shimmer in the night just half a mile away lies what qualifies as a national embarrassment, the rusty, rotting hulls of work boats that will never see another day’s labour.

Historic Nassau harbour – a place that deserves to be revered, a heartline to the spirit and the pocketbook of the entire Bahamas – is being trashed and no one is doing a d----- thing about it. How little respect we have for what we so depend upon and have, by our neglect, turned it into a dumping ground.

No one seems to claim responsibility for the wrecks that pepper the southern coast of Nassau harbour.

One of the vessels, perhaps a former mail boat or fishing boat, now partially submerged and best recognized by its pock-marked rust bucket appearance, was allegedly home to a woman who retreated to its bowels after completing her nightly profession. There seems to be some confusion as to whether she was on board when fire broke out. Nearby is another forsaken work boat, also partially resting on its side.

Smaller vessels, engine and

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boat parts, debris from oil cans to plastic crowd little cubbyholes in the harbour and along the damaged seawalls.

We hear the hue and cry of those who rightly complain about abandoned vehicles on land, but what about the abandoned, neglected, derelict boats all along the harbour? From Arawak Cay east all the way down to past Potter’s Cay, we have allowed those who want to trash their boat to just do so. Aside from rotting hulls and jutting life rails, the sunken vessels act as trash catchers, gathering plastic, debris and detritus adding to the disgust. Is not the Receiver of Wrecks supposed to deal with these situations? Is not the owner of the vessel supposed to be responsible? Every boat has to have a registration number. It is not as though who owns it is a mystery.

Find the culprits and fine them.

Aside from the appearance which brings shame to what many consider the most naturally beautiful harbour in a major city in the Caribbean, what is this debris and abandoned vessels doing to the marine environment? Were batteries removed, oil drained, fuel spent or did it all just dribble into the water along with rusting hardware?

The situation would be even more appalling if Nassau harbour were not so forgiving. Running from east to west with wide entries at both ends, the harbour enjoys an amazing natural tidal flow twice daily that helps to cleanse the water. It’s remarkable, really, by comparison to far more congested harbours that do not enjoy the rapid flow and exchange of fresh sea water.

Surprisingly, there are areas of the harbour, particularly from Montagu east, that are still swimmable. To this day, cruise passengers who view the harbour from their balconies are in awe of the clarity of its waters.

We are luckier than we have the right to be.

THE TRIBUNE

PHOTOS: SHAWN HANNA/TRIBUNE STAFF

Friday, December 27, 2019, PAGE 9

BOXING DAY JUNKANOO 2019

Saxons

PAGE 10, Friday, December 27, 2019

BOXING DAY JUNKANOO 2019

THE TRIBUNE

PHOTOS: SHAWN HANNA/TRIBUNE STAFF

Genesis

FORM B Notice of Intended Marriage (Section 7(3))

Sally Ann Pratt Registrar of Marriages

Prodigal Sons

THE TRIBUNE

PHOTOS: SHAWN HANNA/TRIBUNE STAFF

One Family

Roots

Friday, December 27, 2019, PAGE 11

BOXING DAY JUNKANOO 2019

PAGE 12, Friday, December 27, 2019

BOXING DAY JUNKANOO 2019

Colours

Redland Soldiers

FORM B Notice of Intended Marriage (Section 7(3))

Sally Ann Pratt Registrar of Marriages

THE TRIBUNE

PHOTOS: SHAWN HANNA/TRIBUNE STAFF

THE TRIBUNE

PHOTOS: SHAWN HANNA/TRIBUNE STAFF

Friday, December 27, 2019, PAGE 13

BOXING DAY JUNKANOO 2019

Original Congos

Fancy Dancers

Conquerors for Christ

FORM B Notice of Intended Marriage (Section 7(3))

Sally Ann Pratt Registrar of Marriages