By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said the government is using Ministry of Works Parliamentary Secretary Renward Wells as a “fall guy” by asking him to resign amid reports that he breached government protocols by signing a letter of intent with a company proposing a more than $650m waste-to-energy deal.
Dr Minnis said the Bamboo Town MP is being “thrown under the bus” in an issue that goes deeper than it appears.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works Philip “Brave” Davis and Environment Minister Kenred Dorsett have both reportedly expressed surprise that Mr Wells signed a letter of intent for the waste-to-energy plant at the New Providence Landfill with Stellar Waste to Energy Bahamas.
Yesterday Mr Davis suggested that if Mr Wells does resign from his post, it will not be a blight on the Christie administration.
“Our party and a government is always larger than any one individual and so the conduct and act of one, though it may have some consequences, ought not to reflect on the party or the government,” he said.
The minister added that he is open to meeting with Mr Wells again about the controversy.
“From all accounts there ought to be concern but the question is whether he did anything wrong or anything that is contrary to established protocols,” he said yesterday.
As questions over the issue remain unanswered, Dr Minnis said yesterday: “Renward Wells did not sign (the letter of intent) without some higher authority speaking to him. The investor from Stellar Waste Management has said he has the support of the prime minister. That opens a lot of questions that need to be answered, whether he was acting alone or under the direction of someone. Stellar was just incorporated in February of this year. If you want the exact date on February 25 this company was incorporated. It would be very important to know who was the law firm that incorporated it.”
Dr Minnis reiterated that the issue highlights the government’s disorganisation.
He added: “This government is acting in a totally undisciplined manner, acting like rogues. We have Wells signing something the deputy prime minister says he knows nothing about, you have Obie (Wilchcombe) talking about regulating web shops and then the prime minister later said it was the first time he heard of it.”
Despite reports that Mr Wells has been asked to resign, Dr Minnis said he doubts Prime Minister Perry Christie will take substantial action with regard to the issue.
“The prime minister has always allowed things to just fester, I don’t know if he would have the testicular fortitude to make the right the decision,” he said.
He added: “It seems like Wells is being thrown under the bus. In Parliament, the parliamentarians call Wells ‘Einstein’. He is intelligent and methodical. Einstein would not go and sign things independently, especially Wells who has worked in the government system before and knows how it works.
“I am convinced that Wells spoke with someone in high authority and was told how to proceed, but Wells will be the fall guy. We cannot have a rogue, self-serving government in this manner. There are too many rogue decisions and rogue statements being made and its bad for the country.”
Attempts to reach Mr Wells yesterday for comment were unsuccessful.
Comments
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 3 months ago
PLPs man.... Bunch of rabid dogs. Eating their own once again....
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
All of the PLP Cabinet should resign immediately ...... they have ALL failed the Bahamian people
ohdrap4 10 years, 3 months ago
The road project balooned to 200 million, and much is said about it.
Now this novice takes it upon himself to sign a 650 million dollar contract. That in itself tells me he is stupid, not to even ask.
PLP newbies are not to speak out of turn.
mangogirl01 10 years, 3 months ago
He didn't take it upon himself, he was instructed to do so!! He ain that stupid!! I read on social media that he just bought a home behind the gate so he's already reaping the benefits!!
HarryWyckoff 10 years, 3 months ago
Time for another judicial review, perhaps?
This government needs to be reminded laws are in place, and they are not above them.
TalRussell 10 years, 3 months ago
Puzzled by the Comrade Red Party Leader not dealing with what sure appears to be a much larger and most troubling picture, that of an internal PLP challenge to the Prime Minister's authority to the PM's calls for his permanently secretary Renard to demit his office?
mangogirl01 10 years, 3 months ago
Who's in charge man!! The PM said he must resign, Brave said hell no!! Our country is up shit creek!!!
jujutreeclub 10 years, 3 months ago
TalRussell. That is not of national importance. Don't have to get to the level of the other party's chairman. Let their infighting remain a concern of their own.
TalRussell 10 years, 3 months ago
Comrade JujuTreeClub you can interpret this a few ways but the most likely to be true is the one where we both agree that both the PM and his cabinet colleagues and the red party's leader Minnis along with his party executives and MP's have all so badly underperformed to even the lowest of the expectation levels of Bahamalander's. Just so you know, my opinions on this subject are not faulty, cause they come directly from the disappointments I hear expressed in the voices of many PLP's and FNM's.
Just the facts.
Publius 10 years, 3 months ago
Clearly Minnis knows zero about governance in our system though he used to be part of a government. I find it very curious that Minnis, while claiming Wells is a fall guy, is not calling for the resignation of the Minister responsible, who is Brave Davis. First of all, Wells is not member of the Cabinet and did not have lawful or Constitutional authority to sign that letter of intent with an investor, so he must go regardless of the facts behind it. Secondly and more importantly, the truth to fact is that whether Brave Davis knew or didnt know what happened, under the Westminster System, he is responsible for all matters that occur under his portfolio whether they occur with or without his knowledge, and so it is actually him who should be removed from office whether Wells goes or not, yet Minnis is not calling for the Minister's resignation.
afficianado 10 years, 3 months ago
Maybe the government should rethink their position with Stellar Energy. Their value proposition is weak with no pipeline projects displayed on their website.
http://stellarenergyltd.com/
TalRussell 10 years, 3 months ago
Comrade there's nothing to rethink. The "Letter of Intent" signed by a Parliamentary Secretary for $600 million - above their pay scale - might as well be ripped up by Stellar Energy, as it amounts to no more than a worthless piece of taxpayers paper.
licks2 10 years, 3 months ago
This whole government seems outta control!!! BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT MR W SIGNED DAT LETTER ON HE OWN!! NAW THE QUESTION IS DID NUMBER ONE OR TWO GEE HIM INSTRUCTIONS AND DEN ASKED HIM TA "TAKE THE FALL" AFTER ERRYTHING LEAK-OUT INTO DA PUBLIC? I wonder how much it will cost dese days ta let "da bus" run over you to save da big boss!!! DIS GOVERNMENT EEN GER MAKE IT TA THEY RIGHTFUL FIVE YEARS TERM. . .PC RUNNING THEY RIGHT INTO A WALL!!!
Tarzan 10 years, 3 months ago
Poor Renward. They showed him the view from the exclusive "executive floor" and then pushed him out the window.
mangogirl01 10 years, 3 months ago
They pushed him alright but their asses should have been right behind him!!
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 3 months ago
When contacted on Sunday, Wells told The Guardian that he already met with Christie and Davis on the matter, but he did not discuss the details of that meeting. But Davis said yesterday he will meet with Wells so that he can explain his actions. “I just got back into town,” Davis said. “And as you know, I am reviewing this matter and at the appropriate time I will make a statement.
Confusing. On Sunday Wells says he met with both Christie and Davis. On this matter. On Sunday Christie asks wWells to resign. But on Monday Davis says he has to meet with Wells to find out if he did anything wrong. Who incorporated the company? And who is Prime Minister?
TalRussell 10 years, 3 months ago
Comrades a "Letter of Intent" committing $600 million of taxpayers money doesn't happen to just drop from the damn ceiling onto the desk of Parliamentary Secretary Renard - before someone at the highest pay scale level had so instructed it to be drafted for Renard's signature. PM this is much too serious a matter for you for days now to have put the blame ball into the the shoulders of Renard when you may be done too damn late in having ceased upon these past days to have come really with taxpayers, regardless of who or whom has to be axed over "someone very high-up" attempting sneak by a $600 million commitment of taxpayers hard-earned dollars. PM this $600 million "Letter With Lots of Unanswered Questions" done sneak up on threatening whether or not your PLP administration is to remain in office to fulfill its full 5-year mandate? PM be careful cause too much disrespect by your cabinet for voters and taxpayers has done preceded this $600 million thing.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
I agree ...... Renward is not that fool to draft a letter and sign with a foreigner behind Cabinet's back................. the bosses had to know something.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 3 months ago
Renward's statement that he already met with Davis and Christie and Davis saying he has to meet with Renward to see if Renward did anything wrong is also telling. Could the meeting be about assurance on what story will be told? After all Christie was out of town when this happened the Prime Minister #4 was in charge and Christie never knows what's going on anyway.
mangogirl01 10 years, 3 months ago
Unbelievable the shit this administration doing and trying to pull the wool over the peoples' eyes!! Sorry Mr. PM and DPM and the whole damn PLP govt., today's electrorate do not have the mindset of our grandparents and parents who fell for any and everything that Pindling, Christie and the PLP told them!! We are watching you with eyes wide open and ears to the ground! You cannot hide anything anymore!!!
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