The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Thanks for allowing me this space in your newspaper, I read an article (Letters, May 10) and was totally flabbergasted as to the title “the government boots on the necks of the GBPA and the Grand Bahamian people”. My intentions are every time there is an article in your or any publication highlighting the good of the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) and its groups of companies, it’s published, if someone has another view it’s not.

I plan to offer a different perspective; counter offer, describing the devastation caused by the GBPA to give the general public not familiar with them (GBPA) facts to form their own conclusions in the interest of being fair and balanced.

First let’s look at the history of the so-called founder of Freeport City, one Wallace Groves. From Wikipedia, Wallace Groves was a prominent financier, who, after his release from federal prison in 1944, moved to The Bahamas and there founded and operated the free trade zone, resort, and casino development Freeport on Grand Bahama island. Investigators of US organised crime associated him with the Meyer Lansky syndicate operating offshore casinos from Miami Beach. These ties notwithstanding, he is credited with being a driving force in the development of the modern Bahamian economy. On December 1, 1938, the United States indicted Wallace Groves, his brother George S Groves, Ernest B Warriner (fugitive in Canada) and de Ronde (fugitive in France) on 15 counts of mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud.

The case attracted considerable attention in financial circles, where Groves was socially prominent. After lengthy, contested proceedings, on February 21, 1941, the two Groves brothers were convicted. Wallace got two years in federal prison at Danbury, Connecticut. George got eight months. They were each fined $22,000. After his release, Wallace Groves moved to The Bahamas.

This is just a small fraction of the alleged allegations against Mr Groves, moving here (The Bahamas) and seeing the prime property that Grand Bahamians have he, along with the attorneys and politician that was trusted, together they allegedly used the same tactics that he (Mr Groves) used in the United States causing him to spend time in prison.

Now that we know that Mr Groves spent time in prison and the UBP, which was the government at that time, allowed them to establish a company here called the GBPA and its group of companies.

Under an agreement call the Hawksbill Creek Agreement as the writer alluded to their responsibility was to develop and provide jobs for Grand Bahamians. Also comprised in that agreement the residents of Grand Bahama, especially those in Freeport, shouldn’t have to pay the full amount for no utility services. Yet all of our political leaders and leading attorneys turned a blind eye to what’s been and is still going on.

It baffles the mind that after 1973 the Bahamas has developers (GBPA), a private business entity, that do not speak with a Bahamian accent, clueless about the customs and cultures basically are not sons or daughters of the soil but have the responsibility to develop and create jobs for the city and no other Bahamian private entity will ever have the same opportunity to develop Freeport as the GBPA did. In my subconscious mind the words of the great Marcus Mosiah Garvey rings out loud and clear. He emphatically says “Any leadership that teaches you to depend on another race is a leadership that would enslave you”. And yes, Mr Garvey was under the tutelage of Dr Robert Love, a great Bahamian.

Can someone ask Glenys Martin Hanna, Minister for Education, why the University of the Bahamas (UB) has not added to its syllabus the impact of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement and/or the relevancy of the GBPA/Hawksbill Creek Agreement to the modern-day Bahamian society; The Pindling administration made Bahamianisation a focal point during his time as Prime Minister. In my opinion the GBPA has always gotten the benefit of the doubt and no other private Bahamian business could be the attention from the government that they have gotten throughout the years in Grand Bahama.

The GBPA and its groups of companies turned its back on the Grand Bahamians after the bend or break speech by the late Sir Lynden, and they further drove a nail though our hearts when they sold majority of their company shears to Hutchison Whampoa.

In order for us to get things in order we must first ask ourselves is the agreement between the government and the GBPA and its groups of companies a law or is it just a contract between two entities?

If it’s just a contract that makes the GBPA and its group of companies a private company meaning they’re subject to the guidelines of the laws of the commonwealth, and they shouldn’t be able to make or set laws for the residents. Yes they can set policies for their employees, not the general public.

I agree that the government shouldn’t have to develop our airport, that’s the responsibility of the GBPA and its group of companies and Hutchison Whampoa. Since Hurricane Dorian in 2019 they did nothing to the airport, yet you’re stating that the government shouldn’t step in and rebuild and make the GBPA and its group of companies along with Hutchison Whampoa reimburse with interest. Failing to comply then they will not be able to continue operating in The Bahamas.

In closing, my family along with others has first hand involvement with the GBPA, Hutchison Whampoa and some of the unethical attorneys in the country.

I can go on and on to say why these two entities in my opinion are not good for Grand Bahama. Unless the Grand Bahamians get keen knowledge of the agreement between our government and those companies we will continue to catch hell.

ZENDALL U ROBERTS

Nassau,

May 22, 2023.