The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A furious political row erupted yesterday over Eleuthera’s water and electricity woes after one of the island’s former FNM MPs insisted it was “never ever this bad” under the Minnis administration.

Rickey Mackey, the ex-North Eleuthera MP, sparked a heated social media exchange with Holly Pearce, The Bahamas’ vice-consul at its Atlanta consulate, and other Davis administration supporters after he asserted that his constituents and island residents “amazingly didn’t cry when I was there” in the House of Assembly about having no water or power.

His initial posting in a What’s App chat, created so that Eleuthera residents could alert the Water & Sewerage Corporation to any leaks, supply disruption and water outages/shortages, appeared to have been sparked by a minute-long video featuring current central and south Eleuthera MP, Clay Sweeting, headlined: ‘No cheap gimmicks: Just results’.

That video, which starts with Mr Sweeting, also minister of works and Family Island affairs, drinking bottled water, itself appears to be a response to Michael Pintard, the Opposition leader, recently delivering water to long-suffering Eleuthera residents.

Mr Mackey hit back by asserting: “Yet every day people are on these chats begging for water and electricity. Schools close early, clinics close early. Beauty salons can’t open and the list goes on. Man, just give the people what they need, not what they want - the basics, water and electricity.”

This provoked an angry backlash from persons who appeared to be supporters of the present government, who argued that the island’s water and electricity challenges did not start under the Davis administration but had been festering under its predecessor and multiple previous administrations who had done nothing to address or remedy them.

One respondent, posting under the name ‘The Business Assistant’, told Mr Mackey: “You sat in the seat. How did you make it better? Something is actually happening towards a permanent resolution.... And your leader came here to give out drinking water.

“Eleutherans don’t need drinking water; they need piped water. The kind your administration entered into an agreement with days before the election that handicapped us for the next ten years.” The posting did not explain what that was referring to but Mr Mackey, undaunted, replied: “Under me it was never, ever this bad. That why everybody crying now in this chat.”

“But you did nothing to fix what you knew was a disaster waiting to happen,” ‘The Business Assistant’ responded. “We all know you want another term. Don’t criticise what you couldn’t fix. At least Syl (Sylvanus Petty, North Eleuthera’s current MP) and Clay (Mr Sweeting) working on it. You just left it...

“This is a serious situation. I don’t even want to make this political because from Briland to Bannerman Town we are suffering. But I am not going to let you, of all people, come in here and muddy the waters. You had a perfect opportunity to really do something. But you towed the line and let this fester. Shame on you.”

Mr Mackey retorted: “Amazingly, they didn’t cry when I was there.” Prompting ‘The Business Assistant’ to hit back: “Amazingly you have no remorse for being so lacklustre and doing absolutely nothing. You should be eating humble pie because your party owned North Eleuthera for 32 years. And here we are. The best little island in the whole Bahamas. Sh**** airport, sh**** dock, sh**** water and sh**** light.”

The discourse attracted Ms Pearce, a member of The Bahamas’ diplomatic corps, who posted: “Like Kenny Rodgers said: Know when to hold ‘em and fold ‘em. Hank [Johnson] and Rickey were the worst representatives in Eleuthera’s history. Four years and not one accomplishment. Clay and Petty have faced Eleuthera’s head on. Real representation.

“Heard him and Hank want to run again. Eleutherans aren’t stupid. Like Kamala Harris says, we ain’t going back. I rather a leader who doesn’t stick his head in the sand but faces the issues and finds solutions and results. Issues are inevitable and that’s why they are elected. Clay and Petty worked together to get this government to get these issues fixed for long-term results.”

Chris Cates, a Rock Sound resident who operates a gas station and the Lumber Shed lumber/hardware store with his family, posted that all administrations need to be held accountable by Bahamian voters. “Our governments need to be held accountable,” he argued. “We just keep repeating the same old mistakes and holding the same low expectations.”

The Prime Minister earlier this week reaffirmed the Government’s ambition to end the chronic power outages plaguing Eleuthera by month’s end as he told residents their anguish “has not fallen in deaf ears”.

Speaking at $55m loan signing with the Saudi Fund for Development to finance North Eleuthera International Airport’s redevelopment, Philip Davis KC also sought to blame previous administrations - especially his Minnis predecessor - for failing to ensure electricity and water utilities infrastructure kept pace with economic and population growth on the island.

“In recent months, we’ve heard the outcry about the power and water situation,” said Mr Davis. “Your cries have not fallen on deaf ears. No Bahamian should have to live without reliable water and electricity – not in 2024.

“This problem has been going on for far too many years, and too many administrations have put in place stop-gap measures without fixing the problem at its core. Just like a festering wound can’t be cured by simply placing a bandage on it, Eleuthera’s power and water issues cannot be solved with short-term, band-aid solutions.”