The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

It has been a little over a year since scores of “new” members of parliament were elected; re-elected or rejected. How would some of the ones who were privileged to be elected for the first time would have performed; under performed or are unmitigated “miserable” F first year students of the subtle art of politics? I propose to grade them all over the course of the next few weeks.

My family and I are long time residents and constituents of the Mount Moriah constituency so I will critique the representative, the Hon Mackel Bonaby (PLP-Mount Moriah) in the first instance. I first met him at a social function in the dock area of downtown, along with the then MP for my constituency, the Hon. Arnold Forbes. Thereafter, I would see him every so often at the law chambers which they shared at the corners of Bay and Fredrick Streets.

I must confess that even though I fully supported Forbes in the 2012 general elections, I could not and did not support his re-election for a myriad of reasons. He, like so many other under performing PLP MPs, went down in flames as the Christie piloted aircraft crashed and burned. The Bahamian electorate that existed in 2007 and 2012 is a thing of the past. We are more informed and sophisticated so we have little or no patience for bull skaters... or political gyrators.

Under the stellar and long awaited leadership of the Most Hon Philip “Brave” Davis (PLP-Cat Island), then a Queen’s Counsel, now a King’s Counsel, the iconic Progressive Liberal Party regrouped; energized its base and was re-elected by an unprecedented massive plurality. The beloved and highly respected leader was sworn in as Prime Minister and here we are today, thanks be to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I have and have had personal and political disagreements with the current MP for Mount Moriah, brother Bonaby, but he is, in my view, a superior type of representative. He is a go-getter and is very active on the ground in Mount Moriah. Like the representatives for Mount Moriah, which is a relatively huge one, his job is cut out for him. I would hold that such a diverse constituency like Mount Moriah, which consists of Yellow Elder Gardens to the East; Millennium Gardens in the centre and Stapledon Gardens to the West needs a representative like Bonaby.

So far, he is performing at a grade C+ . I do believe that he could bump up his grade to a B, but there is much more work to be done, especially amongst the youthful males and adult ones. Bonaby is doing a great job in terms of having water hydrants installed in strategic areas of the constituency. Street lighting throughout Mount Moriah, has been and continues to be positively improved. Drainage is still a work in progress.

The public parks over here are well maintained and are safe havens for the children and exercising adults. Street signage, alas, is sorely lacking and the MP must prevail upon the Ministry of Works & Public Works to get its people with responsibility for this, to get the hell out of their air conditioned offices and onto the streets in the area, and others, and do their jobs.

I am a firm believer in higher education and I do believe that a few scholarships should be offered to financially challenged students at The University of The Bahamas and up at BTVI. One of the biggest challenges for our young people, especially the male of the specie are: a stark lack of marketable skills; lack of societal behavioral patterns; self knowledge and, more importantly, most lack ambition and are not interested in being motivated in a positive way. Bonaby, if he is a smart man, would do well to establish a youth based initiative in the Mount Moriah constituency.

Even though I do not need or desire to see him, one on one, Bonaby canvasses the constituency on a regular basis and meets with constituents as often as possible. Like most freshman MPs, PLP & FNM, the fact that they would have been elected, based on party principles, and not because of their perceived or self appointed personality of charisma. Some will stand out, others will be mere cogs in the wheel of destiny. Bonaby has the capacity, I believe, to ascend higher on the political totem pole. With the proper humility and working with ALL sectors of Mount Moriah, he is a possible cabinet minister in the making.

As chairman of Beaches & Parks, he has brought rationalisation and transparency therein to an acceptable standard. Contracts would appear to have been awarded based on “merit” and not pure politics and as a job creation exercise for followers and/or political supporters. A little patronage is to be expected in retail politics but not in a discriminated manner or perceived to overly partisan. Bonaby, so far, has displayed impartiality and is accessible to all. He gets an A on this one.

In conclusion, I am satisfied that McKell Bonaby is the “real deal” for Mount Moriah. As I cautioned, before, however, he must not fall victim to that deadly and often fatal, political delusion that it is or could be all about him. It is all about the constituency and the unwashed masses. He, like other MPs, who have not yet succumbed to dreams of grandeur and self delusions, would do well to remember that over the course of the next four years, if the Lord continues to tarry, I shall critique the performance, to date, of the Hon Michael Pintard (FNM-Marco City).

ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr

Nassau,

October 15, 2022.