The Tribune

IT is indeed a tragedy when a people become so devoid of moral fibre that they can no longer distinguish between right and wrong.

In Monday’s Tribune we published a report sent to us in an attempt to undermine the integrity of former Bahamas Bar Association President Elsworth Johnson, who is the FNM’s candidate for Yamacraw. It was an effort to equate Mr Johnson’s acquiring of 12,000 square feet of Crown Land in the Cowpen Road area in 2010 for his mother – for which she had worked and he had paid – with that of Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald’s failed attempt to obtain for his father’s business millions of dollars in brokerage, trucking and limousine contracts from Baha Mar while he was a Cabinet minister.

While Minister Fitzgerald admitted that he had tried to get these contracts, he seems to think that he can walk away untainted because his requests were ignored. He appears oblivious of the fact that by his solicitation alone he had breached clause 40 of the Manual of Cabinet and Ministry Procedure, which states that a minister must not “solicit or accept any benefit, advantage or promise of future advantage whether for himself, his immediate family or any business concern or trust with which he is associated from persons who are in, or seek to be in, any contractual or special relationship with the government.” “Solicit” is the operative word here – and, according to his own admission, he did solicit.

Minister Fitzgerald might not have received anything, but it was not for the want of trying. When he did this he was in serious breach of the code that manages the conduct of persons sitting around the Cabinet table ostensibly making decisions –not for themselves – but for you, the public.

Now let us compare Mr Johnson and his mother’s situation with that of the Education Minister’s. Mr Johnson was not asking for favours. He was only asking that his mother’s legal rights be honoured. Mrs Johnson’s pleas to purchase the land after working it for more than 30 years, were ignored by government. Believing she was getting nowhere, she considered court action. Instead her lawyer son appealed to then Prime Minister Ingraham on her behalf. The grant of the 12,000 square feet of land for which $5,602.24 was paid was approved. Mrs Johnson’s grant was no favour – it was considered a grant as of right after a certain number of years of occupation. Her grant was just one of many approved in those years. Her son was not a cabinet minister and there was no prohibition preventing him from taking steps to protect his mother’s rights.

There must be something basically wrong with anyone who could possibly equate Mr Johnson’s situation with that of a Minister who had breached a prohibition of his office — and for which there has been no rebuke, even from his prime minister.

Speaking at a PLP rally in Central Andros recently Mr Christie selected certain party members, including Mr Fitzgerald, for praise. He seemed to think — and probably they did too– that they had been lifted to Olympian heights when he described them as a part of “the Sir Lynden Pindling dream.”

Over the years, Mr Christie has often referred to himself as a “bridge” - we assumed he was crossing a bridge to lead Bahamians into a promising future. However, it would seem that he has been walking backwards on that bridge – back into the era that gave birth to many of today’s anti-social problems.

In January, 1986, Prime Minister Pindling in a televised New Year’s message encouraged Bahamians to take advantage of the “opportunities provided by his cabinet” to become millionaires.

It is a question whether Sir Lynden, whose cabinet had been badly shaken by the Commission of Inquiry into drug trafficking, failed to realise that in those years the fastest way to the millionaire circle was in the drug trade - at that time the country was riding high on the “narco” dollar. It was also at that time that teachers started to complain to The Tribune that some of their students were writing essays saying that when they grew up they wanted to be drug runners like their fathers, and uncles. They saw the fancy cars, the apartment buildings, the rings on the fingers and junky gold hanging from the neck and acceptance into the new society. They too wanted to be millionaires. It has been a downward slide for our communities over the years, leading to the anti-social, criminally polluted society that we are wrestling with today.

If you notice success is measured in millions. For example, last week Deputy Leader Philip “Brave” Davis in recounting the many contributions he has made to his Cat Island constituency listed the many millions spent, or yet to be spent in his constituency if he is re-elected. For example, he said a re-elected PLP would construct schools for both north and south Cat Island with plans drawn up and ready to go. Three clinics in progress at a cost of $2.1m, $1.5m and $6.5m. There are to be docks, repaired sea walls, an airport and much more - all in the millions. Where the money is coming from, he didn’t say, but presumably if elected millions are to be spent in Cat Island.

Whereas in Palmetto Point, Eleuthera, a contract has finally been signed for a $30m “state of the art” health care clinic, promised by Mr Christie five years ago. It will finally get underway if Bahamians vote his government back in today for another five years.

All these ministers talk of are structures in the millions, but more importantly they should be saying how these million dollar buildings are to be staffed with qualified doctors and nurses to heal the sick, and teachers who can provide quality education for the children.

Millions of dollars will not build a nation, but a good Christian education will build a people of character who will raise standards, and by example will encourage others to drop the gun and become an achieving member of a wholesome community.

Today is your day, Bahamians. Today you are all powerful. It is today — a day that comes only once every five years – that you will decide whether you want a better life with opportunities for your children, or whether you will continue catching the crumbs that fall from the table of this government. Today, you are the masters. If you have found your servants wanting, you will find a pencil in the ballot box in front of you. Pick it up, mark your X and fire the non-performers.

Aim for the stars! You might just hit the tree tops, but at least you are climbing upwards, leaving the “all for me baby” crowd behind.

Today is your day, Bahamians. Use it wisely.