The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE Bahamian people should know that real leadership is on the way and that the FNM will once again be the home of real leadership, although it is in a state of flux, confusion and no leadership today.

So, last week, somebody by the name of Kevin Evans wrote a letter in defence of FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis. So, I called a spade a spade and spoke about Minnis’ shortcomings, this fella attacked me and referred to me as a pseudo-FNM, which I found hilarious. He also said that I am not a real person and that my last name is not Bahamian, or something like that. Firstly, I went on Facebook to check out this Kevin Evans only to discover that his profile has no pictures and that led me to conclude that maybe this is a pseudonym. Everyone reading this letter can go on the most popular FNM Facebook page and see for yourself!

Listen, Mr Evans, my descendants are from Canada and have been here since the 1800s. I’m just as much or more Bahamian than you, sir, and I’m definitely redder than red — I am straight-up FNM, if you must know! I don’t run on with foolishness,

Mr Evans, so please evaluate yourself, sir, and stop attacking a truth speaking messenger! Keep it real Kevin — all you have to do is check the voter’s register for my name.

With the Court of Appeal having now ruled against the web shop operators, one was stunned and utterly shocked that Dr Hubert Minnis was inviting the police to invade people’s homes and engage in tactics that violated our civil liberties. In his own words, Dr Minnis is seen as giving carte blanche to the police, stating: “We urge a forthright and immediate course of action by the police to obtain Search Warrants; to close down all illegal gambling and lottery operations, and to confiscate all computer terminals, servers and the ATM machines which are being used to facilitate illegal gambling, and illegal money transfers, whether that gambling takes place in the Web-shops themselves, or in private homes; so that the Law of the Bahamas, the sound and well-considered Ruling of the Chief Justice, and the administration of justice generally are not brought into disrepute by what appears to be lame excuses, and no action by the Police and the Minister of National Security.”

Dr Minnis, while you may have meant well, I think you ran right out with this statement. How can you wish for police officers to infringe upon Bahamians like that and enter our private homes just like that? Is this North Korea? Mr Opposition Leader, under which law will the police be executing a search warrant and can you point to any police force in the world that has the kind of manpower to execute all those warrants? And, what happens to the real criminals when the police are so consumed with the task of raiding people’s homes and confiscating their computers?

If everyone remembers, it was only when former PM Hubert Ingraham — my leader — openly opposed the gambling referendum was it defeated. Having put his finger in the wind and flip-flopped from one position to another (Minnis said he first supported the legalisation and said his mother played numbers), Dr Minnis was all over the map and could not come up with a definitive position on the referendum questions.

Mr Ingraham told the populace to “ VOTE NO”.
At the rate the PLP is going, and with no serious opposition, Bahamians will soon cry out for Ingraham’s return just as Frenchmen cried out for the return of Charles de Gaulle and the Americans cried for the return of Franklin D Roosevelt even after four terms as President.

On February 11, Pope Benedict XVI stepped down and today one feels that Dr Hubert Minnis and Perry Christie should free the Bahamas and their parties, the FNM and the PLP respectively, of the collective albatrosses that they have both become.

At this point, I have already concluded that like Minnis said about Ingraham, the Minnis era is already over. As May 26th approaches, and Dr Minnis’ first year in office as FNM leader is marked, one can only conclude that he get a big, fat zero point zero grade point average for being an abysmal failure. Almost just as dreadful as the PLP’s governance has been so far, so has Dr Minnis’ ghastly wannabe leadership and the poor performance of the Opposition. Anyone who wants to write letters and attack me for speaking the truth and telling it like it is just a bootlicker who Minnis should be very careful of as they will mislead you, sir.

FNMs are being victimised and treated like second-class citizens in their own country. What did Minnis say when 150 Urban Renewal officers fired by the PLP? What has he said since that time?
What did Minnis say when Johnley Ferguson was victimised? When Debbie Moxey victimised? When his cousin Floyd Wilmot victimised and nearly lost his business as contracts were either cancelled or stalled?
Mums the word, that’s what Minnis said! Nothing.
Dr Minnis, the good book says that the truth shall set you free and today, I’m merely doing that. And, Dr Minnis, happy belated birthday!

PETER HAMMERMILL

Nassau,

April 17, 2013.