By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

The government’s Disaster and Reconstruction Authority (DRA) appears to be working with an unregistered organisation over the burial of Abaco’s unidentified Dorian victims.

Iram Lewis, minister of state for disaster preparedness, management and reconstruction, said in Parliament on Wednesday: “The Disaster and Reconstruction Authority has asked members of the Bahamas United Funeral Homes and Morticians Association, and the Bahamas Christian Council, to take carriage of the organisation and the burial of the remains of the unknown deceased in conjunction with the DRA.”

Tribune Business was subsequently advised that there is no group called the Bahamas United Funeral Homes and Morticians Association. There is a Bahamas Funeral Directors Association (BFDA) whose president, Kirsch Ferguson, confirmed it was the body working with the government. “Yes. That is the intent to have the bodies interred in individual graves,” he added.

However, following a tip-off, this newspaper discovered that the BFDA is not a legally registered employer association. A Department of Labour representative, where all employer and employee associations are supposed to be registered, said no such group under this name was registered with it

When confronted on the issue by Tribune Business, Mr Ferguson replied: “On that matter, I wish not to comment until this exercise is completed. But I am going to take note of it and will contact you back. We will issue a complete press release once this whole exercise is completed. Once we have a confirmed date from the DRA we should now exactly how we are proceeding.”

Mr Lewis, meanwhile, praised the BFDA in the House of Assembly, saying: “The group has been strategic with its preparation. Assessments are underway to determine the exact location for the burial on the site already determined.

“During this process, the Christian Council and Morticians Association (BFDA) will meet with family members of people presumed deceased to discuss any special consideration and concerns there may be regarding the burial.

“There will be no mass burial, and I repeat: There will be no mass burial. The remains of the unknown will be placed in individually-marked graves. We will soon announce the date of the national service for the families.”