The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

In The Nassau Guardian, December 23rd, 2016, Prime Minister Perry Christie says “Acts of God caused negative S & P action.” Mr Christie said, “We’re talking about a country that has been devastated not by the decisions of the government, but by the allowance of God.”

In The Nassau Guardian, January 18th, 2017, the National Review says: “A desperate man with a burgeoning god complex . . . Last month the Prime Minister tried to shift the narrative after the credit ratings agency Standard and Poor’s downgraded our country’s sovereign credit rating to sub investment grade. He blamed it on acts of God ‘not the decisions of the government’ saying the hurricanes of 2015 and 2016 triggered the state of affairs that led to the downgrade.

There have been many devastating hurricanes in the past and no Prime Minister in either government during those years has ever blamed God for a downgrade until now and for you, Mr Christie, to blame God - this is blasphemy. Be very careful how you handle Almighty God’s Holy Name. You are treading on dangerous grounds. This is the first time in the history of the Bahamas, that every island was hit. This is a wake-up call.

In The Nassau Guardian, October 8th, 2012, in the National News, the Prime Minister said, “They could have the best intention in the world. They can pray and say ‘Oh God, I want to do this.’ But God has spoken. God made me the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. But guess what? Do you know who the Prime Minister of the Bahamas is? You could go to Hubert. You can go to Greg Gomez. You even could go to Minnis, but then they got to call me.”

If the Prime Minister sees fit to blaspheme God’s Holy Name by stating that God caused the Bahamas to be downgraded due to the hurricanes then from a spiritual standpoint, perhaps God is showing HIS displeasure with the corruption and inadequacies of the governance of the PLP. However, regardless of this accusation by the Prime Minister, remember the economy of the Bahamas was trending downward and was downgraded prior to either hurricane.

We have had devastating hurricanes in the past and no downgrades. How could you now, Mr Prime Minister, blame God for the downgrade?

Mr Christie, you said you are the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and God put you there through the people. But remember, just as you said God put you there, HE can also remove you from there.

If you believe that you are so great and powerful and foolish enough to challenge the Almighty God, know now it’s a fight you will never win because no man can fight against the Almighty God and win. You are high and exalted but God is able to bring you down.

Mr Christie, it seems that you are putting yourself high on a pinnacle. Remember King Saul, King Nebuchadnezzar, his son King Belshazzar, King Herod they were all high in power, but Almighty God brought them all down.

As I mentioned earlier, be very careful how you handle Almighty God’s Holy Name. You are treading on dangerous grounds.

Do we now have demigods in the government?

More to come on the downgrades.

In The Tribune dated October 30th, 1991, Fred Mitchell, who was the leader in the People’s Democratic Force, wanted Prime Minister Lyden Pindling to give an account of his trip to Africa, and Mr Mitchell said: “It is our view that this trip was largely a waste of time, at GREAT PUBLIC EXPENSE. We are reliably informed that some 19 persons were in the Prime Minister’s party.”

Several government ministers have already visited Africa, and you, yourself, Mr Mitchell have done so on several occasions. With all due respect, Mr Mitchell, you wanted Prime Minister Lynden Pindling in 1991 to give an account of his trip to Africa. Shouldn’t you and all the ministers that went to Africa give an account of their trips also? After all, you are all traveling on the taxpayers’ money and the Bahamian people have a right to know what you are doing with their money.

That’s why the Bahamian people need “The Freedom of Information Act” to see how their money is being spent. The Bahamian people need the government to provide the “Freedom of Information Act” Legislation to show transparency and accountability. The spending of the taxpayers’ money on trips all over the world and the VAT tax in the millions could alleviate the national debt. STOP UNNECESSARY SPENDING AND OVER SPENDING.

The government is accountable to the Bahamian people in all they do. The Bahamas is a country of laws. These laws must be respected.

Mr Halkitis in The Nassau Guardian dated January 25th, 2017, said they have received over one billion dollars in VAT tax since January 2015. He is quick to say how much of this money went to different ministries or departments, but how much of this went to the national debt? The Bahamian people have a right to know. The intention back in 2015, all the VAT tax collected was supposed to go to the national debt.

The VAT tax, isn’t this supposed to decrease the national debt? It’s increasing instead of decreasing. Where is the money going?

Back in 2012, The Tribune dated December 15th, reads “Radio host slams political parties after credit rating downgrade. Talk show host Darold Miller yesterday chastised both the Free National Movement and the Progressive Liberal Party administrations for excessive and unnecessary spending after the country’s credit rating was downgraded.”

What about Moody’s warning “6 months to avoid downgrade” recorded in The Tribune January 8th 2014?

Also in The Tribune, August 26th, 2015, “Credit rating downgraded by Standard & Poor’s”. This was before the hurricane hit the Bahamas in October.

What about the corruption recorded in The Nassau Guardian, August 19th, 2015: “Bishop Gomez agrees system is corrupt – Backs son’s concerns that corruption being ignored”.

Also in The Tribune August 26th, 2015 - “PM told to tackle corruption claims. Former Immigration Minister Loftus Roker yesterday urged Prime Minister Perry Christie to address the corruption and conflicts of interest claims made by State Minister for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez.”

The Tribune dated October 26th, 1974, reads “Corruption rocking PLP to foundation says Roker”.

Also in The Tribune dated November 21st, 1991, “Corruption forced Roker’s resignation. Former National Security Minister Loftus Roker resigned from the PLP when he was convinced that Prime Minister Lynden Pindling was ‘not prepared to rid his government of crooks’.”

The Tribune dated November 27th, 2015, reads “Gomez stands by pledge to tackle government corruption. Both Loftus Roker and Damian Gomez have stated that there is corruption in the government.”

There must be some truth in what Mr Gomez said about corruption in the government because his father Bishop Gomez backed him on that and furthermore, according to The Punch dated January 3rd, 2017, “The Prime Minister and his Cabinet dumped Gomez for his anti-corruption stance”.

For example, whatever happened to the $47 million lost at Road Traffic, recorded in The Tribune May 10th, 2016? Whatever happened to the disappearance of $25,400 at the Freeport Passport Office, recorded in The Tribune, November 5th ,2015.

And what about “Theft fears at Post Office” recorded in The Tribune dated February 4th, 2016? Has anyone in government investigated the above to find out what happened and who is responsible?

With all of the above, this is why Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s are downgrading the Bahamas to “Junk”. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure this out. A blind man can see that. Anyone with common sense should know that many politicians do not usually tell the truth, especially during election time. The agencies will not downgrade you because of the hurricanes, but will downgrade you on foolish spending of the taxpayers’ money and corruption.

In the Living Bible, Psalm 118. Verses 8-9 read: “It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in men. It is better to take refuge in Him than in the mightiest king”.

Also in the Living Bible, Psalm 75. Verses 6-7 read: “For promotion and power come from nowhere on Earth, but only from God. He promotes one and deposes another”.

Mr Christie, may Almighty God continue to bless and protect the Bahamas and its people is my sincere prayer.

Sincerely in Christ,

TONY G ZERVOS

Nassau,

February 5, 2017.