The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

BAMBOO Town MP Renward Wells is facing severe backlash from his former constituency branch after his “unceremonious” departure from the Progressive Liberal Party on Wednesday.

In a scathing rebuke of Mr Wells, PLP Bamboo Town Branch Chairperson Patricia Deveaux said the MP had proven himself to be “selfish” and “unreliable.”

Ms Deveaux also accused the former PLP member of “rank hypocrisy” for his decision to abandon the party without notice to constituency generals, officers or branch members.

She accused him of pulling the “proverbial victimhood card” as he crossed the floor to join the Free National Movement, despite his own admission that he had signed a $600m letter of intent as parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Works without written authorisation from his superiors.

“In his personal statement to the House on Wednesday,” she said, “it is both baffling and ironic that Mr Wells freely admits that he signed a letter of intent (LOI) without proper authorisation. His actions created problems for both the government and the party, yet (he) pulled the proverbial ‘victimhood’ card in his departure.

“I hasten to point out that the LOI matter, which the FNM no doubt fully planned to use as the centre piece of their smear and slime campaign against Wells, has been permanently tossed into the sea of forgetfulness as if the event never happened.”

Ms Deveaux added: “With ‘bleach’ handshakes, ‘ammonia’ hugs and ‘Pine-Sol’ backslaps and high-fives, Dr Minnis and his colleagues made sure that Wells went from being a seedy PLP politician to a ‘brave warrior’ and a young meritorious FNM leader.

“That FNM crew had Wells ‘all fresh right up’ in record time, careful not to leave one spot, stain or wrinkle on the young brother. The FNM shamelessly splashed cheap generic Drakkar Pour Homme cologne on Wells from head to toe, pinning a rose on him to top it off.”

Mr Wells signed the controversial letter of intent in July 2014.

After the issue was made public, FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis repeatedly called for Mr Wells’ resignation after it was revealed that he had signed an unauthorised LOI for a $650m waste-to-energy facility at the New Providence landfill.

The crux of the controversy was that with senior government officials denying that they gave Mr Wells, a junior, instructions to sign the LOI, Mr Wells breached Westminster protocols by signing the document.

Mr Wells was asked to resign but refused, and was later terminated by Prime Minister Perry Christie months later in October 2014.

On Wednesday, Mr Wells made a passionate address in which he reflected on his time in the PLP and called his signing of the LOI a “teachable moment,” using the phrase frequently used by Mr Christie.

He explained that he took responsibility for the LOI signing “notwithstanding the words and actions of senior politicians”, admitting that he proceeded without written approval.

Yesterday, Ms Deveaux said the branch was committed to identifying a new candidate for the 2017 election, and will depend on Golden Gates MP Shane Gibson as their shadow representative.