The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Minnis administration’s refusal to fully drop colonial awards was yesterday slammed as a “regressive step” by National Heroes Committee chairman, Reverend Canon Sebastian Campbell.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Rev Campbell urged the government to halt its plan to reintroduce several segments of the colonial awards system rejected by the Christie administration with its National Honours Act.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis tabled the National Honours Regulations 2017, which, among other things, aimed to refocus the government’s position in the national awards discussion by setting provisions for the establishment of an advisory committee.

According to the new legislation, the new advisory committee would make recommendations to both the prime minister and governor general of those who are worthy of a national award.

Additionally, the new legislation allows for the use of several schedules ended by its predecessor; with only small aspects of those awards adjusted.

The schedules proposed by the new National Honours Regulations include the Order of National Hero, the Order of the Nation, the Order of The Bahamas, the Order of Excellence, the Order of Distinction, the Order of Merit, and the Order of Lignum Vitae.

However, according to Rev Campbell’s statement, he and other members of his committee were of the understanding that all aspects of the former schedules would be retired, and several new schedules would be introduced as early as 2018.

“Our National Awards received unanimous support by all parties, in Parliament in 2015. We, of the National Heroes Committee, as with all patriotic Bahamians, had every reason to believe that such a system would have been in full bloom by now.”

He continued: “We therefore urge our beloved prime minster to resist reintroducing the colonial awards on the following grounds: The march from issuing these awards is already in place, as it has been more than four years since they were last awarded.

“The policy of not continuing this colonial habit is well noted and accepted by many Bahamians. To revive this system of awards will only slow down our march towards ever again trying to march away and into our own. Not issuing them again will show that government is continuous and will bring a greater sense of unity in our nation.

“Continuing to award colonial honours will stagnate the growth and will definitely belittle the importance of our National Honours. We must be honest with our cultural reality where we as a people accept that foreign is better.

“The National Awards are to be seen, accepted and felt as the highest award our nation will award her citizens. Let us give our new awards a chance to get off the ground and running without a paralysing and intimidating competition.

“Let this be seen as truly an ongoing step in our liberation as a people and therefore leaving the past in the past.”

Rev Campbell insisted the time was now for Dr Minnis and his Cabinet to take a “bold” step with this issue, continuing the march of liberation started in 1834.