The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

It has long been accepted and preached from the roof tops throughout this wonderful nation that I am a proud New Deal PLP. My leader is the Hon. Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, QC, MP (Cat Island; Rum Cay & San Salvador), whom I consider the Prime Minister-in-waiting. So, my political alliance is not a hidden secret. There are events, however, which transcends the inevitable blur and misconceptions of pure politics.

The nation and, indeed, the world, is more than aware of my total loyalty to the Hon. Minister of Tourism & Aviation, Dionisio D’Aguilar, MP (FNM-Free Town) as the most effective and hardest working member of the Minnis cabinet. In my opinion he has no match when it comes down to actually conceptualizing; executing and managing the big issues and projects within his portfolio. The man is simply awesome. May I be allowed to say why?

But before I wax eloquently on the Hon. Minister of Tourism & Aviation, please allow me to congratulate Global Port Holdings on being successful in the transparent bidding process to redevelop Prince George Wharf and to manage the same for a twenty-five year period. This currently international company, based in the UK, is a known player in the industry and has brought on a huge equity participation by Bahamian businesspersons and has also committed to floating a public offering in affordable trenches for ordinary Bahamians, if there are any of those.

Mr. Anthony Ferguson, principal at Colina Holdings; The Nassau Guardian, several media and radio companies and, a licensed aircraft pilot, to boot, is also to be congratulated for his vision and ability to bring this massive and evolutionary project to a timely launch. Mr. Ferguson’s grandfather, the late Arnold Farquharson, was a very close business confidant and associate with my late father, Reverend Doctor Ortland H. Bodie Sr. They, back in the 1940’s and 1950’s , when it was next to impossible to see men and women of colour succeed in business or the professions.

Brother Arnold Farquharson and my dad were pioneers in the banking; insurance and real estate fields. Together, they organized the first fully black Bahamian owned bank: The Mutual United Bank of The Bahamas. They went on to form: Rich Land Real Estate Company and, eventually The Englerston Subdivision and Wilson Tract. Today, Mr. Farquharson’s grandson, Anthony, is on the cutting edge of business acumen and vision. More importantly, he and his assorted investment companies will make funding available for small sized Bahamian investors to access funding to buy shares in Global Port Holdings! No other Bahamian entrepreneur or his associates have ever done this before.

And so I thank the Most Hon Prime Minister for getting it right when the Holy Spirit inspired him to invite and appoint this fantastic Minister of Tourism & Aviation into cabinet. The man has no cabinet equal, not even the Most Honourable himself. This proposed redevelopment of the wharf and the downtown areas, if managed properly and with common sense will transform the economy of New Providence, in particular, but the whole nation in general.

Global Port Holdings is an excellent choice and I look forward, as the number one rated radio talk show host in the country, to work very closely with all stakeholders, for free, to ensure the materialization of this God-sent project. To God then, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H. BODIE, JR.

Nassau

March 1, 2019