The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

PLEASE allow me a little space in your column to express my views on a distasteful and rather unfair situation that was brought to my attention early in May.

This letter has no political significance, but is simply one of moral and principles.

The previous government commenced a road project that widely affected and affects the entire Bahamas and its motorists.

The situation today as was then is due largely to the poor public relations campaign that allows only for a few days or hours to inform the motoring public and the business owners of the changes that come into effect immediately following the information being disseminated to the public.

To date, the MOPW has not yet informed the general public that there are No Bahamian engineers employed on the project. The project has one African engineer whom the project coordinator has been agitating to be promoted to a senior engineer status for the past three years even though he is hired on a contractual basis and there are other engineers who are senior to him in the ministry.

The environmental specialist is acting in the capacity as the public relations officer the voice and face behind the road project since Charlene Collie's resignation.

Is there no one in the ministry or in the Bahamas government that is suitable for that position either?

Questions:

1) Are there no suitably qualified Bahamian engineers out there who are able to work on the road project here in the Bahamas?

2) We have many qualified engineers within the ministry, a few with international designation, why aren't any of them the special projects coordinator?

3) Is twelve thousand dollars a month a little too much to pay a Bahamian, plus added perks for the job of coordinating a Bahamian project? Are our own not worthy of being compensated for their hard work and professional qualifications locally?

4) Junior engineers previously hired on the heels of the resignation of another senior Bahamian engineer, one of African decent and the other of Jamaican decent who are young and can be trained.

Bahamian engineers, where are you? Have you been silenced by the foreigners that have pushed you in a corner and not allowed you to show your talent and professional abilities.

A concerned Bahamian Engineer

Bahamas for

Bahamians,

Nassau,

May 18, 2012.