The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

It seems that all the noise in the market place is indeed factual; the prime minister finds some of his strongest supporters amongst foreign sponsors interested in buying influence with his Government. These types made no headway with FNM Governments led by Hubert Ingraham and so it should not come as a surprise that they would throw their support, including crucial financing for political campaigns, behind the malleable PLP led by Perry Christie.

Prior to the 2012 general elections Mr. Christie admitted to the media that he had been the paid consultant of the Petroleum Company seeking to obtain oil exploration licences from the Bahamas Government. After the election he quickly promised to schedule a referendum on oil drilling in Bahamian waters and his Minister responsible for oil announced that licences for oil exploration could be issued ahead of any referendum.

Mr. Phil Ruffin, an old client of Mr. Christie, declared himself to be a “Christie man” in the local media just ahead of the last general elections. Of course Mr. Christie’s last Government permitted Mr. Ruffin, the former owner of the Crystal Palace Resort and Casino, to sell off his Bahamian resorts and leave The Bahamas owing the Public Treasury substantial tax dollars – a debt written off by the Government. I guess Mr. Ruffin would be a silly man if he were not a “Christie man”. The fate of Bahamians engaged in Mr. Ruffin’s resorts has not been bright.

Now, Mr. Christie’s latest endorsement comes from Mr. Peter Nygard, a man who claims to have known Mr. Christie for 30 years and a man with a keen interest in stem cell research according to Mr. Christie’s own assertions. The Prime Minister recently told the news media that he had held discussions with the Canadian fashion mogul concerning his interest in attracting stem cell researchers to The Bahamas as long as two years ago – ahead of the general elections.

The only Bahamians who seem to maintain employment with Mr. Nygard are the bevy of young men and women whose main purpose appear to be to amuse the wealthy fashion mogul. So much for Mr. Christie and his Party’s election slogan of “Believing in Bahamians”!

We should take very little comfort from knowing that the leader of the Government is more dedicated to satisfying the sometimes questionable wants and desires of foreign investors than in pursuing policies beneficial to the substantive and sustainable development of the Bahamian people.

In this PLP Government’s haste to satisfy Mr. Nygard’s interest in bringing stem cell research to The Bahamas its members have not even paused to get their stories straight. So, while the prime minister has acknowledged to the media that Mr. Nygard had given him an undertaking to attract stem cell research doctors to The Bahamas two years ago – sold as a big plus for the development of health tourism; the Minister of Health gave an interview to the media in which he is heard to say that such a proposition would be ridiculous.

What is more, seeking to dispel allegations that the PLP were pursuing stem cell legislation to pay a debt to Nygard, the Minister claimed that he had not visited Nygard Cay since the election but seemed to recall attending a barbeque there with a number of PLP MPS-to be prior to the elections. Who to believe?

What we can believe is what we all saw and heard on the professionally filmed video entitled “Nygard Takes Bahamas Back”. The 8 minute long piece was uploaded to the internet by Mr. Nygard himself. The video showcases Mr. Nygard’s personal victory party on the night of the general election but it also includes footage from a daytime celebratory party at Nygard Cay during which Dr. Gomez is introduced to Mr. Nygard as the new Minister of Health by the Minister of Labour, Shane Gibson. And Dr. Gomez is also seen in discussion with an Asian man who seemed to have a stethoscope around his neck while Mr. Nygard is seen injecting himself with something on film.

Mr. Gibson, apparently an acquaintance of Mr. Nygard’s, made all of the introductions of the new PLP cabinet ministers. Among those appearing on camera are the Deputy Prime Minister, Brave Davis, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, Alfred Gray, Minister of Education, Jerome Fitzgerald (reportedly a personal favourite of Mr. Nygard), Minister for Housing and the Environment Kendrick Dorsett and Minister for Grand Bahama, Michael Darville.

When the Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Hubert Minnis asserted on the floor of the House of Assembly that the rush to enact stem cell legislation was an effort by the Government to repay a debt to Mr. Nygard PLP members vociferously denied the allegation. Given what we now know, I am inclined to believe that those PLP Members protested too much.

KEEN OBSERVER

Nassau,

16 July, 2013.