EDITOR, The Tribune.
I have read the 58-page report on Bahamas Cultural Development by the talented young Ian Poitier that is being attacked from many quarters including the present Minister of Tourism, on grounds of excessive cost – either $400,000, or “over $1m” , depending on what you read.
It contains a great many good ideas, some previously stated, and others brand-new. Some are for specific projects, others for organisational structures, both private and public. Its implementation is bound to be expensive, time consuming, and demanding of good-will and ingenuity. It may well be considered too all-inclusive and too superficial to be an effective programme.
Whether it represents “value for money” cannot be answered in the abstract but only in reference to realistic plans and intentions. The problem is that it was contracted by the previous Government, apparently at the direct urging of Prime Minister Christie, who was well known for making grandiose announcements of public projects and then doing nothing to follow up or refine the details.
It is not even clear whether Mr Poitier was to be paid a one-off sum to write a report, or whether he was being hired at a salary of $400,000 per annum to lead a cultural department, or being given a departmental budget, or something in-between, or whether there was any assurance that other Government agencies would cooperate with his recommendations. Mr Poitier was naïve in being surprised that the dollar amounts raised startled eyebrows.
It is now up to the new Ministry of Tourism and Cabinet to clarify these matters. If they simply plan to read his Report and then file it away, with no retention of his services, and no Government-wide cooperation – then, yes, it is so much waste-paper that must simply be written off as an unwise, pointless expense, and Mr Poitier would be well advised to plan his return to England.
I hope that Minister D’Aguilar, and the new Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, (and the Cabinet as a whole) will take a wider view. They will have to meet whatever contractual terms the previous Government signed, but I hope they will then negotiate a sensible long-term arrangement to enable Mr Poitier’s undoubted talents and experience to be used for the benefit of this country. Rational decisions can be made about implementing the plan in stages, perhaps putting as first priority the thorough up-grading of Ft Charlotte, Ft Fincastle, the Queen’s Staircase and the Water Tower, so that they can be prominent icons of both our history and our culture.
Criticism should not be directed at Mr Poitier, but at our previous Government’s feckless way of contracting for services.
RICHARD COULSON
Nassau,
July 3, 2017
Comments
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 5 months ago
What a mess Daguilar created. Didn't ask any real questions just went into the china shop with a baseball bay.
From later reports it sounds like he had a departmental budget of 400,000. There were clearly no parameters on his employment and it appears the former PM involved him in more projects than he was originally contracted to carry out. Which makes DAguilars attack on him doubly unfair. I hope he stands up in the House and apologizes for the confusion he caused and the damages to Mrs Mortimer and Mr Poitier.
birdiestrachan 7 years, 5 months ago
D'Aguilar will not apologize to them because right now he is drunk with power. He can say anything he wants about them because to him they are nothing, never mind they have mothers and family member who care about them :
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 5 months ago
I actually think you're right...
CatIslandBoy 7 years, 5 months ago
Wow! I never thought I would ever agree with Birdie. D'Aguilar will never apologize to either of the persons whose character he maligned behind the privileged halls of parliament. Not a good start for the new Minister of Tourism.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 5 months ago
Soooooooo, are we justified in paying $1million for a 58 page report?????? ........ No matter how this is squared, the Bahamian people got screwed on this Poitier contract
realfreethinker 7 years, 5 months ago
Absolutely fooked on this one. birdie please go away
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 5 months ago
You're believing the patched up info DAguilar gave out. Poitier was not a "cultural" consultant. That report was "one" of the things he was tasked with. He had numerous projects and he had a TEAM covered under the 400,000 budget. It's dishonourable how DAguilar will not correct the record. Look at his statement above, the incorrect statements about NAD are ok because "the other tenants mad", what kind of explanation is that???
sheeprunner12 7 years, 5 months ago
My point exactly ......... he got a "jack of all trades" contract from Perry
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 5 months ago
Yeah, I'll admit he was at fault for not having the terms clearly defined
DaGoobs 7 years, 5 months ago
We can't prosecute Perry because he allegedly didn't break any laws but a way needs to be found to close off these untidy business arrangements by people in government who spend our money willy nilly with friends, family, lovers and others, without any need for accountability, disclosure or obtaining value for money. I see where in the UK these types of "crimes" fall under the aegis of the Auditor-General and the National Accounting Office who submit regular reports to Parliament on government spending and obtaining value for money. How can a man work for government without a written contract saying what he is to do, within what timeframe and at what cost to the public purse. In the NGO that I worked for, we regularly hired consultants and advisors but never without a written contract spelling out all of the terms and conditions of the engagement and how the relationship would come to an end, natural or otherwise. Every new piece of work was a new contract. Any "extras" to an existing contract had to be agreed in writing on the specifics and the cost. No loose ends. We cannot allow these types of loosey goosey arrangements to continue into the future. If necessary, then we need a law or regulations governing government procurement of goods and services so that people who go astray when handing out contracts and public funds can be held to account.
MonkeeDoo 7 years, 5 months ago
The Bahamas Treasury had become the PLP Treasury.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 5 months ago
Is that not an indictable constitutional offence?????????
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