Opposition Leader Phillip ‘Brave’ Davis and Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.
By SANCHESKA DORSETT
Tribune Staff Reporter
sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
THE Office of the Prime Minister has urged the Progressive Liberal Party to seek redemption from the Bahamian people, rather than attempt to explain away or justify “years of mismanaging the country”.
In a statement, the OPM responded to former Deputy Prime Minister and current Official Opposition Leader Phillip “Brave” Davis, who denied last week that the former PLP administration abused public funds and accused Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis of seeking to portray members of the PLP as “crooks” in an attempt to cover “his inability to lead”.
Mr Davis’ comments came days after Dr Minnis revealed several points of concern over public contracts, including that one vendor received more than $8m to clean up New Providence in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.
In a riveting contribution to the budget debate in the House of Assembly, the prime minister said upon his review of payments made to various vendors, he was “astonished” by the payouts made to Johnathan Ash.
There were 46 transactions made to this vendor through several of his companies, Dr Minnis said, as he revealed that in at least two separate instances, Mr Ash received multiple cheques in one day. He also received $151,000 on May 9, just one day before the election.
In response, Mr Davis said he did not know what specific process resulted in Mr Ash’s selection and claimed that former Labour and National Insurance Minister Shane Gibson, the hurricane czar, was head of processes related to such matters.
Mr Davis said his ministry had “some technical responsibilities” but was not involved in the selection of contractors.
“A contract for $1,057,560 was signed with Ash Enterprises for cleaning services and cheques were issued at the direction of the Cabinet of the Bahamas,” the statement from the OPM noted. “It is troubling that in a no bid arrangement, $7 million was issued via 46 payments in response to bills submitted by Mr Ash. Sometimes multiple submissions were made through the Ministry of Works and others, the National Recovery and Reconstruction Unit.
“All of this while some small vendors found it extremely difficult, if not impossible to receive payments for much smaller amounts. One vendor has been attempting to collect a $1,500 cheque since last November to no avail. It is time for Mr Davis and his fellow Cabinet members to simply accept that he and his government mismanaged the affairs of the country, has been caught out and seek to redeem themselves in the eyes of the Bahamian people.”
The statement also responded to Mr Davis‘ claims that the Christie administration “withdrew” from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) “after careful consideration” and advice from several technical government agencies.
Dr Minnis told parliamentarians last week that the former government missed out on a more than $31m insurance payout because it opted not to pay the country’s premium to CCRIF.
However, Mr Davis said after the country was denied a claim made to CCRIF following the passage of Hurricane Joaquin in 2015, a committee formed from technical officers in the Ministry of Finance, the Met Department and the Port Department, found that it was “ineffective to continue with insurance” from the CCRIF, adding that “it would be more cost effective if the government self-insured.”
“Former Minister Davis is well aware that the job of technical officers is to provide technical advice and it is the responsibility of the government to either accept or reject the advice,” the OPM’s statement said.
“Once they act on the advice they must take full responsibility for the outcome and must never ever lay blame for their decision on the technical officers who gave them advice. That is how our system works.”
Comments
birdiestrachan 7 years, 4 months ago
We shall see what the FNM government will be seeking in the near future. They have no plans but there is a bee and honey story. that they themselves laughed at. The FNM honey moon is coming to an abrupt end. because they told the Bahamian people to many lies and they are backing back fast.
BahamasForBahamians 7 years, 4 months ago
LOL.
Is this the BEST minnis has to offer the Bahamian people in regards governing this country? Giving advice to the PLP?
FOOK MINNIS! When is the next election? This is not what we signed up for. Almost a month in, no word on jobs or plans to improve life for Bahamians yet the OPM can release a statement advising the PLP?
What the fook is this?
SP 7 years, 4 months ago
Brave Davis is putting on the best front possible, but his undeniable continued weight loss is a sure sign of very worried individual.
Indeed Davis isn't looking very "Brave" these days!
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
BJ is in hospital ....... Fweddy & DrD are in the Senate .......... but where are the others??????
The PLP Cabinet crabs surely find their holes when the hunt is on ................. BOL
BahamasForBahamians 7 years, 4 months ago
The question we should ask is where is the current government?
I live in Pinewood and my MP's office has been closed since May 10th.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
Be patient man .......... The election was May 10th and government payday is this week ........ They need money to open the constituency HQ
BahamasForBahamians 7 years, 4 months ago
I was told on the campaign trail that they would be ready from day one. Ruben Rahming promised me good representation from day one.
How do you represent me if you are not available to hear my voice? Ask your friends that live in Pinewood. the sentiment carries throughout the entire community.
SP 7 years, 4 months ago
They can "hide" all they want, but they can't run anywhere! They must be and will be brought to justice!
Truism 7 years, 4 months ago
Let's see if I got this right. When CCRIF was formed in 2007 The Bahamas signed on. Paid premiums until 2016. Made one claim which was rejected and then opted out on the advice of the technocrats. Then the company comes back at you and says if you hadn't drop the policy your claim would have been accepted this time. Make sense to me to have dropped that insurance and write a response to the facility's letter, indicating that you had missed out on a 32 million dollar payout, in crayon.
SP 7 years, 4 months ago
Also made "sense to you" to vote for these pirates which effectively proves your an all for me idiot!
TalRussell 7 years, 4 months ago
Comrades! The PM is the one who needs ask the people for redemption - cause when you cannot look at the list names and amounts dollars donated of the who's all bankrolled the red shirts multi millions dollars 2017 General Election very costly campaign .... This is NO promised - It's the People's time for transparency. government. { Millions Dollars mysteriously appeared for a dead broke opposition party - and only right after 2017 General Election bell got's rung?????? } Comrades, the way such big millions suddenly appeared raises big transparency needed question. Right??
Since we're left to guess who funded the reds 2017 campaign - it becomes very very very clear who have benefit thus far from policy changes - who the people are who actually bankrolled the red politicians into government.... And it wasn't the ordinary citizens people.
Prime Minister, did you forget you promised the people who most need buy "Bread Basket" items the most - that your red government's first order business on day one would be to remove VAT from "Bread Basket" items? Shame shame shame!
John 7 years, 4 months ago
What did Tal say?
licks2 7 years, 4 months ago
I was not listening or paying attention to that "self professed" ding bat. . .sorry. . .can't help ya there! .
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 4 months ago
Someone please remind Minnis that he was elected and not ordained. Preaching the virtues of salvation to sinners is best left done by the clergy from the church's pulpit. The Office of the Prime Minister has its own very important business to attend to (we, the people's business).
licks2 7 years, 4 months ago
HERE HERE. . .BEING PETTY AGAIN? Leave that man alone fella. . .lets pay attention to how he works. . .them things ya running on with een make no sense!! Stay on task now. . .or leave this opposition party and go kick rocks. . .
John 7 years, 4 months ago
Dr. Minnis is asking the PLP to do something that is not in their nature. They see nothing wrong with enriching themselves, their friends, their families and their cronies. Despite all the evidence they are still in denial that they wasted, mismanaged, frittered away and, yes, stole the bahamian people's money or allowed it to be stolen. What about all these unfinished sidewalks all over the island of New Providence especially? It is understood that the PLP signed contracts in the tens of millions for these sidewalks. The work came to a screeching halt on Election Day when the PLP got booted out of office. But how much of this work has already been paid for but never completed. No they will not seek redemption. And the justification is that many of them will never be able to seek public office again..Never, EVER!
Truism 7 years, 4 months ago
Already the ACE is being made to look like a JOKER.
SP 7 years, 4 months ago
You followed a blatantly corrupt party with a proven failure dancing jackass leader toe to heal for decades and now think anybody is foolish enough to believe you have enough sense to identify a JOKER?
Lol, you couldn't identify a fly on rotting fish!
Truism 7 years, 4 months ago
I did show you to be a fraud and a joker. Got any new appointees? Cause the ones you posted was yours not the FNM party's.
SP 7 years, 4 months ago
Blessings and long life (in jail) to you.
SP 7 years, 4 months ago
PM Dr. Minnis is doing a yeoman's job of reporting the mismanagement of the people's affairs by the former inept, corrupt PLP administration.
It is of utmost importance that the countries appointed CEO fully report to and inform the people as to what happened with "THEIR BUSINESS" that caused the country to now find itself consecutively downgraded 4 times and on the brink of total economic collapse!
However, as usual, PM Minnis in his own special way is much to cordial with these pirates. What PM Minnis describes as mere "mismanagement" is actually blatant corruption on an unprecedented scale!
What Pillage Loot Plunder did to our country and people is beyond any "redemption" in the eyes of Bahamians.
PM Minnis knows why he declined any ministry and is now doing the people's business exactly the way it should be done by firstly exposing the deeds of pirates to the people setting the stage to deal with them properly and lawfully!
There can be no real forward movement until piracy is seen to be totally eradicated which will restore investor confidence allowing the PM to reset the countries path moving forward.
Never mind the squealing from slick talking trapped rats, keep doing what you are doing PM Minnis, we the people are behind you and have prayed long and hard for this day of reckoning to come for decades!
DEDDIE 7 years, 4 months ago
Keep on digging Minnis. Before you could build a good foundation you have to get the garbage out. Yes bursting those puss balls may hurt but only then could true healing begin.
Reality_Check 7 years, 4 months ago
Minnis has better get a good grip on himself. He seems to be developing what's commonly known as the "saviour complex", which is a type of syndrome that typically afflicts weak minded individuals who become too overwhelmed by their new leadership position and the power that comes with it. Someone must whisper in Minnis's ear that he was not elected to save the souls of greedy corrupt senior officials in the last government, but rather to hold them accountable and responsible for any serious crimes they may have committed through the abuse of their public office and the public trust.
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