The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

The Minister of Health, the Hon Renward Wells (FNM-Bamboo Town) said the other evening at Holy Trinity Activities Centre that once the PM rings the bell that the FNM party is ready to take flight. I view Wells as a reasonably intelligent individual perhaps not the Einstein that he reputed to be by self-promotion, but a modicum of common sense.

I hold myself out to be a prophet of sorts and while Wells may not have meant that the FNM was ready to take flight in the literal sense I submit that that party will indeed take ‘flight’ from the vengeance and wrath of a majority of right thinking Bahamians. It is to be recalled that the last time a political flight took place was way back in the day under the piloting of the late great and deeply lamented Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling. It was Flight 738. It ended badly and the rest is history.

Now Wells and his leader say that it ain’t long now and that regardless of whether or not the PM rings the bell in the long or short run that they in the FNM are ready to take flight. I submit that Wells unconsciously was acting like a junior prophet and merely predicting how they will break off running to evade the disdain and scorn of the electorate sooner or later.

As a seasoned and long time political observer on the ground it is almost beyond comprehension to understand why and how the FNM could reasonably be expected to be returned for a second term. With the way the PM and his administration reacted to Dorian and the ongoing pandemic one would almost have to be a Sandilands patient, with all due respect, to even contemplate such a scenario.

A series of ads on the internet and Face Book, paid for and sponsored by the FNM, by its own admission, seek to portray the Hon. Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, QC, (PLP-Cat Island) as corrupt and worse. Mind you, there is not a single piece of public evidence to suggest that Brave is/was ever linked to or had direct knowledge of any corrupt practices while he served as Minister of Works and Deputy Prime Minister. These ads are a bogus part of a miserable attempt to demonise Brave’s character and integrity. Point blank.

Minnis has long ago burnt all political bridges and alliances. From the very first days of his ill fated administration Minnis insulted the Rt Hon Hubert A Ingraham the second best PM next to the aforesaid late great and deeply lamented Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling. His administration has made almost all Bahamians dead mad about something. His campaign promises to remain unfulfilled and it is not likely that they will ever see the light of day.

The FNM tried mightily to pin the corruption label on the PLP generally and in particular instigated criminal charges against four senior PLP former ministers and the Grand Bahama Chairwoman for Urban Renewal. Two of those ministers were acquitted and discharged. The other former minister, the Hon. Kenred Dorsette, has remained in a legal limbo for over three years and counting.

It would appear that the AG’s office is dead scared to losing yet another high profiled case. In respect to the female former Chair of the GB Urban Renewal’s office no one seems to know the status quo of her matter. Taking flight? The Competent Authority has awarded multiple contracts, without bidding as far as I know, under the Emergency Powers Act. No one, except the PM and a handful of his people them know who all received contracts; the value of such contracts and the terms and conditions.

Charges and allegations of public corruption are capable of being brought by any incoming administration by an incoming one. No, I am not suggesting a witch hunt once the New PLP comes into office, but what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Taking flight or talking out of one’s head?

ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr

Nassau,

July 16, 2021.