The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

People have said much about what the former Prime Minister Hubert Alexander Ingraham did, and what he did not do...attempting to penalise him for not being a Saviour to many of them, etc?

But while I am at odds with some of what I felt were done in poor taste, such as the sale of BATELCO, and in being fair to him, even though I believe he led the proposal to sell, the fact of the matter is that that proposal was debated in the Parliament of the Bahamas, acquiring a majority to support the sale and on to the Senate who endorsed the sale... finally, the Governor General then consented and thus, passed into law, etc?

Another point of contention was after the earthquake in Haiti and the many detained illegal immigrants were released from detention under Prime Minister Ingraham, and with reporting conditions.

To date, we the Bahamian people still do not know whether or not those conditions were met, or what became of them?

What I also praise the Hon Prime Minister Ingraham for was that he not only said what he said, he showed us Bahamians that he meant it because he followed it up. He was an all-hands-on deck, action Prime Minister. Usually, he would be seen moving about New Providence, and in the City Centre, especially where Government contracts were being carried out. He knew just what stages the work was at? Because he made it his business and visited all of those sites. He even travelled to the Family Island to obtain firsthand knowledge about work going on there.

And when I watched our Parliament in session under Mr Ingraham, I used to wonder how it was that he always seemed to have insider knowledge on almost every project happening in the country? Now I know, because he made it his business to find out.

He was very concerned about what happened to government money. I don’t think that we have ever seen Hon Prime Minister Hubert Alexander Ingraham, a PM that was quite as driven as him.

Anytime I have the occasion to take a leisurely stroll along Bay Street, in downtown, I am forever mindful as I trod the sidewalk, and examine tiles, unable to dismiss the fact that it was the Hon Prime Ingraham that had all those areas tiled. Furthermore, Charlotte Street north, Frederick, Parliament and others, Shirley Street, the extension to the Princess Margaret Hospital were all done by Prime Minister Ingraham, etc?

What am I saying? Charlotte Street is poised for another upgrade, which is coming about 30-plus years later. I think that it is a disgrace the state of downtown Nassau which is the main tourist location. This is the first area the cruise ship visitors see and all of the garbage.

Editor, reaching the exact heart of this article, the work ongoing at Charlotte Street north, and how far has it come? The fill is down and some effort to compact it is visible, and the cones placed to cordon off this piece of roadway, jitney bus drivers, other vehicular units, would exit their vehicles to move them aside, so that they are able to pass, but my question: Road construction must and ought to mean that the road is closed to vehicular traffic, shouldn’t it?

If the Ministry of Public Works are responsible for it, every effort must be expended to ensure that that doesn’t happen, vehicles trampling the construction? Why don’t the contractors work at night with less traffic available?

FRANK GILBERT

Nassau,

November 26, 2022.