The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party backbencher Dr Andre Rollins single-handedly out-manoeuvered the opposition on the Rubis matter in one single swoop, by calling for a Select Committee of The Bahamas Parliament to investigate the circumstances surrounding the 2012 underground gasoline leak in Marathon.

As I witnessed first-hand this phenomenon of an MP challenging the governing party of which he is a part, I felt a sense of hope.

I was hopeful, in particular, that Minister Jerome Fitzgerald, the Member of Parliament for the Marathon constituency, would ultimately welcome the opportunity to act in the best interests of the very people that elected him. That was not to be the outcome.

When the vote was passed, 15 Members of Parliament voted against the formation of the Select Committee, outnumbering the five opposition members that were joined by Rollins and Renward Wells in favour of the probe. In my opinion, Dr Rollins was handing the government a clear chance at vindication on their handling of this very serious environmental matter that may have directly affected the health and safety of fellow Bahamian citizens. If the delayed action by the government was simply a matter of course, as some from within the party suggested, then how is it possible that findings of this magnitude took this long to enter the public domain?

Rollins adopted the words of political pundit Larry Smith’s article in his presentation. Here’s an excerpt from Smith’s article (published in The Tribune on Wednesday) that offers some background on the matter: “A 20-year-old corroded dispensing pipe at the Rubis station led to the escape of thousands of gallons of gasoline into the ground from November 2012 to January 2013.

“The fuel accumulated at the water table and spread out in a subterranean plume that swept past the Cable building beneath Robinson Road and into the residential neighbourhood of Marathon. The spill forced dozens of people working in the area to seek hospital treatment, and one Cable employee was left with serious on-going health issues.

“Many nearby residents were exposed to contaminated well water and toxic fumes for over 18 months, and Cable Bahamas says the commercial disruptions it faces are costing big time. So Cable is suing Rubis for $15m in damages. And the government, which did little or nothing to advise residents of their potential health risks, and which sat on an environmental report for over a year, now faces mounting public outrage over its studied indifference.”

In what I imagine was an attempt to prick the consciousness of his fellow parliamentarians, Rollins singled out each Member of Parliament present, and asked them to vote in favour of the investigation.

The 15 members of the governing Progressive Liberal Party listed below did not heed that admonition and instead voted against:

Jerome Fitzgerald, Khaalis Rolle, Gregory K Moss, Cleola Hamilton, Renardo Curry, Dr Bernard Nottage, Frederick Mitchell, Philip Davis, Shane Gibson, Damian Gomez, Hope Strachan, V Alfred Gray, Melanie Griffin, Arnold Forbes, Leslie Miller.

These numbers outweighed the votes of the opposition members that were present plus Rollins and Renward Well’s votes in favour.

The dismal results clearly indicate that our government is not concerned with the accountability of which they so often speak. Today’s events demonstrate that the best interests of the citizenry is no longer a priority for those whom we elected to govern us.

It’s high time we rise, Bahamas.

TERNEILLE BURROWS

aka TaDa

Nassau,

April 29, 2015.