The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Chairman Darron Cash is demanding that Prime Minister Perry Christie explain the circumstances surrounding Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells’ unauthorised signing of a $650m letter of intent with a waste to energy company that led to his firing as an official in a government ministry.

Mr Cash yesterday further called for the findings of the probe, ordered by Mr Christie into the matter, be made public.

He said the removal of Mr Wells as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Urban Development was not “remotely enough” because too many questions continued to linger regarding the signing of the letter with Stellar Waste Management since July.

This comes following the prime minister’s decision to fire Mr Wells from the post on Tuesday evening. News of the termination came in a brief press statement that did not include any details that shed light on the situation.

“There are several appropriate ways to describe the Prime Minister’s statement and action: Too little too late. Not nearly good enough, and a bad joke,” Mr Cash said in a press release.

“However, the most appropriate description is arrogance and contempt for the Bahamian people.

“It must be arrogance and contempt because as out of touch with reality and his people as Prime Minister Christie is, even he must know that after dragging this Stellar Waste Management scandal out as long as he has, the act of terminating Mr Wells is not remotely enough.

“After allowing this matter to degenerate into the muck of name calling and innuendos by his own PLP side, there are far too many unanswered questions out there for this matter to be laid to rest with merely a firing.”

Mr Cash said Mr Christie must live up to his word and speak to the Bahamian people as he several times promised. He insisted that Bahamians are entitled to the full report and all of its details.

”It is arrogance for the PM to think for a moment that he can sneak away with merely a firing and not comment to the people,” said Mr Cash. “His action is pure arrogance and contempt and cannot stand.

“The last time this PM fired someone he went on TV and cried with the scandalised fallen minister. He had more to say when the MP for Fort Charlotte hurt his feelings in Parliament. He stood on the floor of the House and for an extended period of time engaged in a political tirade threatening the young PLP MPs. Why is it that he now feels that the Bahamian people are not entitled to some meaningful explanation from him?

“This is a Prime Minister with a larger than life complex and he feels no need to answer to anybody. His powers as Prime Minister have apparently gone to his head.”

On Tuesday evening a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister was released which read: “The Cabinet Office advises that the Governor General, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, has directed that the office of parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Works and Urban Development become vacant.”

Mr Wells could not be reached yesterday. However, in the moments leading up to his termination he did not seem bothered by reports that Mr Christie had made a decision.

He said he remained grateful to the Prime Minister for the chance to serve.

The controversy over the matter took flight in July because the multi-million dollar letter of intent bore Mr Wells’ signature. It was for Stellar Waste to build a plant at the New Providence landfill.