By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Deputy Chief Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has committed to awarding the Bahamas Christian Council Crown land to build a “proper” headquarters following a meeting with the organisation last week, Press Secretary Anthony Newbold announced yesterday.
He could not reveal the size of the land to be given to the group of clergymen or a timeline when this would be done. However, Mr Newbold said the BCC would have to do some things before getting back to the government with more specifics to their request for land.
He told the press yesterday: “(The) prime minister is constantly meeting with various groupings. I know he met with Citibank yesterday.
“He met with the Bahamas Christian Council last week. The prime minister committed to providing some land for the Christian Council so that they could build the proper headquarters.
“(The) prime minister says it’s a group for which he has the highest respect and admiration. He respects them as the earthly representatives of God. He’s not going to judge them as some people do. He has no problems working with them.
“I know the ministers have been in the news recently. He says he won’t judge them. He will leave that to God.
“The Christian Council, they probably have to do some things themselves before they come back to the government and say ‘this is the amount of land we need or this is where we would like to have the land if possible.’
“And the prime minister again has said he is committed to working with them hand in hand,” Mr Newbold explained when he was asked about a timeline for this transaction.
Mr Newbold said the only way the BCC will be given the go ahead for the Crown land was for them to provide assurances the land will be used for its headquarters and no other purpose.
“It’s the only way. The prime minister again speaking about land and he said it, ‘if I find that there is some land that was allocated for a certain purpose and is not being used for that I am going to take it back and put it in the land bank for the Bahamian people.’”
He added the prime minister is a “church man” so it was not a stretch for him to consider the BCC’s request.
In June, the prime minister pledged to take back Crown land from people who are using it for purposes outside the “original intent,” particularly those hoarding it for future investment.
After touring the Department of Lands and Surveys, Dr Minnis said: “People will not be receiving the people’s land just to sit on it, believing that they can use it as investment later, just hoarding the land for speculation.
“That won’t happen, so those who got land and are not utilising it and doing what they are supposed to, I will take it and put it in the bank of the people so it can be given fairly,” Dr Minnis said previously.
The leasing and granting of Crown land has been a notoriously non-transparent process.
Dr Minnis vowed that as the minister responsible for Crown land he will ensure both transparency and “that land is placed in the hands of the people and used for what it is supposed to.”
Comments
kairosmatt 7 years, 4 months ago
The only land BCC leaders should get is a cell in Fox Hill.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
Ah Boy!!!!!!....... Let them put up a $10 million building complex that can take over the broad supervision of all of the activities that Hanchell and the other Bishops are doing to take care of the poor, needy, abused and homeless ....... Start with the people who just got bulldozed ......... Could be a good thing for the Church
Sickened 7 years, 4 months ago
This group of people getting free land is sickening!
Economist 7 years, 4 months ago
The Christian Council will take money from Bahamians to build themselves a headquarters.
Then they will waste time (read spend more of their parishioners money as the Bahamian church goer pays their salaries) preaching about everything but the real issues.
A waste of the peoples land.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
DO NOT TOUCH THE LORD'S ANOINTED ........ WORDS OF KING DAVID
FreeportFreddy 7 years, 4 months ago
Really??
Get a grip!!!
FreeportFreddy 7 years, 4 months ago
PS words of a person who heard it from someone ... who heard it from someone...then it was edited and the edited and then revised to suit someone else.... and that's where the Bible FICTION comes from!!
Wake up!!
realfreethinker 7 years, 4 months ago
More bullshit.
DDK 7 years, 4 months ago
I'd like some land too!!!
TalRussell 7 years, 4 months ago
Comrades! Crown Land is "It's The People's Public Land." Minnis, never promised that the BCC would be the first to be invited to jump to the front of the line with the Preacherman's list how much acres crown lands you wants specifics in hand?
Comrades PM Minnis's election promises are starting to resemble the shape of Corkscrew the way he doing things to the people. Anything shaped like a Corkscrew going hurt like hell... To soften the hurt.... Vaseline highly recommended.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
Do you remember how much Crown Land the PLP gave out to their pastor buddies days before the 2017 election????? ...... I watched it LIVE on ZNS.
TalRussell 7 years, 4 months ago
Comrade Sheeprunner12, you keep watching and hearing them ZNS TV voices - you're going start believing ZNS is a credible news source.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
Well Tal, ....... what is your news source for Bahamian information???? ..... Whatsapp....... The Punch........ NG ........ CBL.......? U tell me
banker 7 years, 4 months ago
Doesn't ANYONE in the Bahamas understand the concept of separation of church and state? Doesn't anyone realise that all religions are bull excrement? Churches are for low IQ people who can't think for themselves. Apparently the Bahamas is full of those.
TalRussell 7 years, 4 months ago
Comrade Banker, you does needs be wearing spectacles or hearing aid - cause to the contrary the vast majority professing to be Christians are never heard or seen from via the need be in or in media. They go about the Lord's works without need for fanfare? A free gift Crown lands are not on their places of worships Bucket List.
You only need look around you Comrade Banker to spot the saving graces if you think it's bad now - try imagining how bad the Bahamaland would be today - had there been no Churches, or faith-based schools?
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
Private religious schools should be outlawed in The Bahamas ...... bad for the public educational system ........ bad for freedom of religion ......... bad for the Treasury
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