The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE Free National Movement is set to ratify an additional three “agents of change” Tuesday night, and among them is embattled Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells.

According to well-placed sources, Mr Wells will take the stage to be ratified for the constituency he currently represents, alongside talk show host Jeffery Lloyd, and community activist Rueben Rahming for the South Beach and Pinewood constituencies respectively.

Last night, FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis remained tight-lipped over the identities of the candidates.

“We are ratifying three candidates,” Dr Minnis said, “and I am certain that you will be very pleased with the candidates we bring forth. Those candidates will be working along with the FNM to bring about this change. People are requesting a change, it is inevitable.”

“A Minnis government will lead that change with candidates who believe in change, new vision, new leadership, a new Bahamas. They will assist in building this new Minnis-led government of transparency, honesty, and integrity.”

Dr Minnis did not give any further details, but noted that the Killarney area, which he represents, and the St Anne’s seat were not among those areas to see candidates ratified this week.

“As leader,” he said, “I’ll be one of the last to be ratified.”

Mr Wells’ ratification comes a full year after he crossed the floor with Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins in the House of Assembly to join the Free National Movement on November 5, 2015.

Dr Rollins had quit the Progressive Liberal Party in June 2015, while Mr Wells announced he left the governing party the day he joined the Official Opposition.

Prior to Mr Wells’ political crossover, Dr Minnis had repeatedly called for the Bamboo Town MP’s resignation and for the Christie administration to fully disclose all elements related to the contentious letter of intent (LOI) scandal.

In October 2014, Prime Minister Perry Christie fired Mr Wells from his post as parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Works and Urban Development following months of controversy sparked by his reportedly unauthorised signature on Stellar Energy’s $600 million waste-to-energy proposal in July 2014.

Several times since the incident became public, recommendations were made to a probe into the matter. The results of that investigation have not been made public, although government officials have said it was complete.

In November 2014, Mr Wells broke his silence and said he signed the LOI – without Cabinet approval – for the “good of the people.”

In January 2015, he told the House of Assembly that he signed the LOI with Stellar Waste to Energy in order for the company “to carry out studies” free of charge to present to Cabinet.

Stellar is currently seeking $727.364 million in damages against Mr Wells, the government, ex-Cabinet minister Algernon Allen and his law firm, and businessman/accountant Frank Forbes and his Sigma Holdings entity, the latter duo having acted as “advisers” to the project.

The group is also seeking declarations that the government both “honour” the LOI and not award a waste-to-energy contract to any other company until damages are paid, on the grounds that it was the victim of fraudulent and/or negligent misrepresentation.

Meanwhile Mr Lloyd, an attorney, told The Tribune last month that he was under “active consideration” to represent the FNM but had yet to receive an official offer. At the time, there was speculation that he would run in the St Anne’s seat after Hubert Chipman, the sitting MP, had withdrawn his name from consideration amid differences with the FNM’s leadership.

According to senior sources in the FNM, the South Beach Constituency Association met FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis and was informed of Mr Lloyd’s candidacy for that constituency last Wednesday.