By DANA SMITH
Tribune Staff Reporter
dsmith@tribunemedia.net
THE government is investigating incidents of tourists on arrival at Festival Place at Prince George dock being solicited by drug dealers and persons engaged in prostitution, Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe said yesterday.
Calling it “more than embarrassing for the country” if it is not stopped, Mr Wilchcombe also said the solicitation “speaks to the deterioration of some of the morals of our society.”
He also noted that the prostitution is reportedly involving boys.
“I’m dealing with matters now over at the Festival Place, because we’re hearing about some incidences that we believe if we don’t arrest, will be more than embarrassing for the country,” he said.
“But it also speaks to the deterioration of some of the morals of our society and the things we believe in and when your social values deteriorate, then you have some serious issues.”
He said he’s hearing about “a lot of solicitation taking place” at Festival Place, which is located downtown, attached to Nassau’s cruise ship port.
“We’re hearing about a lot drugs being sold and we’re hearing also a very troubling situation about prostitution involving boys,” Mr Wilchcombe said.
“It’s something that has me troubled because that’s not what we’re supposed to be all about... I think it’s a lack of guidance here when you’re talking about boys or you’re talking about young people. Of course, the drug situation is always something troubling that we have to deal with and so we’re addressing that right now and the police are doing the best they can.”
Comments
B_I_D___ 11 years, 6 months ago
Isn't it also sad that that strip of town is one of the most, if not THE most policed section of the country, with polie on almost every street corner...yet it continues. I guess all the police down there gettin' their share of the drug and prostitute pie to turn a blind eye!!
proudloudandfnm 11 years, 6 months ago
Man this has been going on for decades on Bay St.
ThisIsOurs 11 years, 6 months ago
I wondered the same thing...nobody in the administration seems to know knows what's going on in the country...
lazybor 11 years, 6 months ago
what's new about it?
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TalRussell 11 years, 6 months ago
The minister needs stay out the media unless he is presenting a positive tourism image for Bahamaland. Such negatives are best left to the Commish and the minister of security.
justthefactsplease 11 years, 6 months ago
Yeah Tal ... just dress up the corpse and present it as a bride ... don't deal with the issues, pretend they are not there and they will go away (SMT). We need to stop pussy-footing around with these issues and hit them head on if we expect to bring resolution.
TalRussell 11 years, 6 months ago
Comrade not sure how much pussy-footing can be go'in on, when the players are males?
I guess you and i see totally opposite roles for our minister of tourism to be playing. Not sure what to make of a tourism minister who of late has been media hyping our Nassau Town, as a tourism destination, totally infested by circling sharks.
justthefactsplease 11 years, 6 months ago
@ Tal ... Don't see what the term "pussy-footing" has to do with gender ... it is a reference to tip-toeing around or quietly skirting the issue.
I know the fact that the minister has chosen to face the facts and speak the truth is very novel in our society, but it is also quite refreshing to some of us who hope that this will lead to actual action that could restore the sector's image.
TalRussell 11 years, 6 months ago
Absolutely, skirting around the docks is a perfect description?
Oh yeah.Tribune readers are now getting a much better picture of what you're been trying to describe. Excellent.
justthefactsplease 11 years, 6 months ago
I guess sarcasm is your way of showing your maturity in discussing national issues. I expected a little better from such a prolific "contirbutor", but then again ...
PKMShack 11 years, 6 months ago
@justthefacts...... you give Tal too much credit, you forget who TAL represents who???? Da PLP.....Where you @ TAL on the NIB news,,,,oh hiding behind this story
TalRussell 11 years, 6 months ago
Well Comrade the perception of the go'in on's at NIB, including while Hubert was its minister, ain't looking so pretty. Now, was it
I swear you people act like you never were in power for 5 of the previous 6 years?
guyfawkes 11 years, 6 months ago
@Tal your dripple always tickles me. Okay, so the FNM was the government for 5 of the last 6 year. Since you like numbers so much, let be give you some and we will see how it works out: The PLP was the government 6 of the last 11 years. The PLP was the government for 31 of the last 46 years.
PKMShack 11 years, 6 months ago
@ Tal please tell me thats not how you defending ya folks, you are the weakest link. Keep hiding from yourself.
B_I_D___ 11 years, 6 months ago
@ guyfawkes...it is that 31 year figure you quote that caused the most damage to the moral fibre of this country, poor education, free flowing cash from the drug trade, you don't need to educate people, you got tons of cash in a booming drug economy...now we have generations of under-educated people that still think they are going to get their meal for free and live the high life. The sad thing is the parents of the newer generation don't care either. Education is not taken seriously by government, not taken seriously by the government run schools, and not even taken seriously by the parents, your schools these days are more of a day care for kids then any sort of education. So regardless at this point as to which party is in power, you still have the uneducated populace that are going to cause endless problems and not take the responibility, or the steps to 'do better'...and I don't mean just do better financially, do better as an individual, be a better person, take pride in having a good moral base. Instead, it's all about the pride of...oh man I just spent 200 on a pair of Nike's, or a Grand on a set of 24" rims that are gonna get dented up after driving down the road for a block, or getting the latest cell phone (or stealing it). Very sad state of affairs and yes, I do blame the PLP for that 31 years of BAD rule that sunk our people to the depths they are at now.
TimeForChange 11 years, 6 months ago
This country has no morals left in it. I drive around or go out to the malls or other places and just the way "young women" are dressed or acting its just disgusting. But this seems to be fashion trend these days. What I would like to see is how their parents at least mothers are dressing maybe even worse than them. So if Wilchcombe wants to talk about morals deteriorating then I think its a little to late for that. Cause these things are happening all over Nassau not just downtown he is only concerned about it cause downtown is where the tourist frequent the most but I think the Minister needs to take a drive around Nassau and see what the morals in this country really looks like!
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