The Tribune
CORONER FINDS POLICE REPORT WAS FALSIFIED
Jury dismissed as discrepancies found in officers’ accounts
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
THE coroner abruptly dismissed the jury investigating the death of a 60-year-old man in police custody after evidence suggested the police report was falsified and incomplete.
Coroner Kara TurnquestDeveaux’s decision came after hearing testimony
from Corporal 3721 Kristian Duncombe, the officer in charge of Central Police Station on the night Hartman Dawkins was brought into the station, only to be found dead in his cell the following morning. The five-person jury, which had already heard six days of testimony, could have returned a verdict of
‘review of Moorings lease reveals need for new plan’
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip
“Brave” Davis said the controversy over the nowterminated Bahamas Moorings deal had forced his administration to review marine policies, claiming officials still cannot determine how certain breaches occurred. His comments in the House of Assembly yesterday came as the Free National Movement intensified its calls for transparency over the lease agreement between the government and Bahamas Moorings. The company drew
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMIAN law enforcement officials seized over $1 million worth of suspected marijuana yesterday,
leading to the arrest of two Bahamian men. The discovery was made around noon at a marina in the Lucaya area. The suspects, both in their mid-to-late 30s and residents of New
$1.5m worth of marijuana seized on boat at Lucaya in Grand Bahama Thompson ‘at a loss’ over PM’s confidence despite fivefold full-year deficit overshoot
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Opposition’s finance chief yesterday asserted he is “at a loss” over why the Prime Minister is standing by the $70m full-year deficit target despite overshooting this more than five-fold after just six months. Philip Davis KC,
unveiling the mid-year Budget in the House of Assembly, sought to soothe concerns over the near-$400m deficit at end-December 2024 by reiterating the Government’s oft-stated position that “there is no need for alarm with respect to our ability to achieve our fiscal targets”.
Providence, were onboard a 25-28ft go-fast vessel carrying approximately 500 pounds of marijuana, valued at around $1.5 million.
caUght in sting
DENISE MAYCOCK
By
Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
POLICE officers posing as clients caught a Jamaican national performing unlicenced dental work in Grand Bahama during a sting operation, leading to his arrest after he attempted to flee. Taval Noble, 25, of Kingston, Jamaica, was convicted and fined $1,500 yesterday after he pleaded guilty to practising dentistry without a licence and engaging in gainful occupation without a work permit. He was cautioned and discharged for carrying out business without a licence. Nearly a dozen dental
Nikia Charlton
marijuana seized on boat at Lucaya in Grand Bahama
Chief Superinten-
dent Will Hart, officer in charge of Criminal Management in the Northern Bahamas, reported that law enforcement officers received information shortly after noon about
a speedboat being fueled near a Lucaya marina. Officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit and Bahamas Customs responded to the location and intercepted the vessel.
suspected marijuana. The estimated weight is 500plus pounds, with a street value of $1.5 million,” Mr Hart said. The two Bahamian nationals, ages 35 and 38, were taken into custody and are assisting police with their investigations. from page one
“We boarded the vessel, searched, and discovered a large quantity of
AUTHORITIES make a major drug seizure, arresting two Bahamian men in connection with the discovery of over 500 pounds of suspected marijuana, worth $1.5m on a go-fast speedboat yesterday at a local marina in the Lucaya area in Grand Bahama. Photos: Denise Maycock/Tribune Freeport Reporter
Govt seeks $300m loan for development projects
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE government is seeking to borrow $300m for national development objectives, including infrastructure projects, according to Prime Minister Philip Davis. He tabled several borrowing resolutions after delivering his mid-year budget communication in the House of Assembly. One resolution would approve the repayment of all loans borrowed by the University of The Bahamas (UB).
UB is seeking to borrow $25m from the Bank of The Bahamas to support its accreditation process. A precondition of the loan is that the government will repay any portion of the $25m that UB cannot repay.
Additionally, Mr Davis gave notice of a resolution approving the government’s guarantee of a $75m loan for the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) from a banking consortium led by CIBC.
Another resolution seeks approval for the government to guarantee a $10m loan from the Bank of The Bahamas for the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) to support its accreditation efforts.
Mr Davis also gave notice of a resolution approving the government’s guarantee of all outstanding loan repayments under an agreement between a special purpose vehicle (SPV) and Scotiabank. According to the resolution, the government plans to incorporate an SPV — either fully stateowned or under the Water and Sewerage Corporation — to secure a $50m loan for acquiring, upgrading, and expanding Family Island water production operations.
Mr Davis said the country’s fiscal situation has shown signs of sustainability.
He said tax revenue collections had increased, reaching $1.3 billion in the first six months of the fiscal year, the highest tax revenue collection ever recorded for this period.
On the expenditure front, he said preliminary total expenditure for the first half of the fiscal year was $1.8b, an increase of $278.3 million over the previous year.
He said the government’s total expenditure has accounted for 50.9 percent of the annual budget target, which is in line with budget estimates.
He said recurrent
expenditure for the period made up 49.5 percent of the budget target, totalling $1.6b. Recurrent spending increased by $192.3 million year-over-year. He attributed the increase in expenditure
to several factors, including higher subventions to public non-financial corporations and a $16.9m rise in compensation for employees, bringing the total to $434.6 million. He also noted a $94.8m
Pintard criticises Davis administration’s handling of the economy over projected $450m deficit
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
OPPOSITION Leader
Michael Pintard criticised the Davis administration’s handling of the economy, particularly the projected $450m deficit for the fiscal year’s midpoint.
The deficit sharply contrasts with the original forecast of a $69m deficit for the entire year.
Mr Pintard said the government would likely miss its deficit target and continue accumulating unplanned debt onto Bahamian taxpayers.
He also questioned a $192m increase in recurrent expenses, pointing out that the government had not explained how Bahamians had benefited from this spending.
He suggested that much
of the spending might be related to more than $300m in no-bid contracts reported by the Davis administration over the last 12 months. He called for transparency in government spending and criticised the failure to justify these contracts, saying it casts doubt on both the contractors and the government itself.
During his mid-year budget communication yesterday, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis expressed confidence about meeting fiscal targets.
“There is no need for alarm with respect to our ability to achieve our fiscal targets. We feel comfortable that we will stay in line with the budget and still meet our fiscal targets for FY2024/25,” he said, noting the projected 0.5 percent deficit-to-GDP ratio and 23.3 percent revenue-to-GDP ratio.
ACCUSED OF ROBBING M A N AT KNIFEPOINT
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was remanded into custody after he was accused of robbing someone at knifepoint on Carew Street and Mount Royal Avenue last week. Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley arraigned Matthew Butterfield, 43, on armed robbery. Prosecutors alleged that while armed with a knife, the defendant pushed Wesley Rolle off his bike and stole $100 from him on February 19. The defendant was informed that he was not required to enter a plea then. He was told that his matter would proceed to the Supreme Court through
increase in spending on goods and services, which reached $346.6m, or 50.4 percent of the annual budget target. He said payments for rent, utilities, the acquisition of services, and special financial
transactions drove this increase.
Public debt interest payments were also higher, increasing by $34.3m to total $335.5m, representing 51.1 percent of the budget target.
a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). He was informed of his right to apply for bail through the higher court. He will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until his VBI is served on May 29. Inspector Deon Barr served as the prosecutor.
This role requires a high level of customer
This role is responsible for adjusting and negotiating settlement of various classes of general
OPPOSITION Leader Michael Pintard criticises the govt during a press briefing yesterday in the Office of the Opposition.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis speaking during the mid-term budget presentation in the House of Assembly yesterday.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
Coroner finds police report was falsified
gross negligence regarding police conduct. The inquest was examining the circumstances surrounding Dawkins’s death on 22 January 2023.
An officer previously testified that there was a six-hour gap in Dawkins’s detention record between his last wellness check and the discovery of his body, describing such a lapse as “highly unusual”.
The second-in-command of Central Police Station had admitted during Monday’s hearing that something went “wrong” the night Dawkins was in custody. He said Dawkins had complained of feeling unwell before being found dead the next morning. He also acknowledged it was
“abnormal” that, at one point that night, only one officer was left alone in the station with prisoners.
Surveillance footage from the Central Police Station cell block was presented as evidence on Friday, showing Dawkins repeatedly complaining of feeling unwell and pleading with officers to get him medical assistance.
The jury questioned Corporal Duncombe on why he had reportedly told officers to avoid Dawkins. He responded that he had warned them to be careful because Dawkins made a gurgling noise, which he believed was a sign he was about to spit. He claimed his concern was to prevent officers from getting sick.
He admitted that he was unaware of the force’s
official policy regarding station handovers. He said there was an informal practice for such transitions but noted that he had not been taught about it during training.
Coroner Deveaux suggested that Cpl Duncombe never saw Corporal Hepburn — the officer in charge before him — before taking over the shift. He responded that he saw Cpl Hepburn as he was heading out the door as he arrived.
Asked who gave him a count of prisoners that night, Cpl Duncombe said he could not recall but estimated there were about ten detainees. He confirmed that he checked the strongbox where policeheld items were stored.
The coroner pointed out
discrepancies between the entries made by Cpl Hepburn and Cpl Duncombe in the records of suspects and government property.
Cpl Duncombe disagreed with her suggestion that he should have heard prisoners crying out from the front of the station, given that it was a quiet night. He also claimed there was no monitor at the front desk for him to observe the cell block.
When asked what he thought was happening in the cells that night, Cpl Duncombe said: “The idea was that everybody was asleep.”
The coroner then questioned how officers could account for someone when their detention record could not be found.
Cpl Duncombe said he had
never encountered such a situation before. He also claimed that at some point that night, he updated his superiors on the station’s status via WhatsApp. He denied being the only officer in the station between 1am and 5am, despite three police officers testifying that they had left the station around that time to go on foot patrol and later took a break.
Coroner Deveaux pointed out that when Cpl Duncombe went on break for an hour, he left two police corporals who had only been on the force for two and a half months, along with another corporal with just ten months of experience.
Cpl Duncombe said that when he checked Dawkins’s body around 7am on 22 January, it felt cold. He added that he assumed it was stiff. The coroner noted that rigor mortis had already begun setting in by the time the body was discovered.
Cpl Duncombe insisted that he was not required to personally check the cell block as the officer in charge of the station. He further claimed that if Dawkins had not wanted medical attention, he
would have reacted in a hostile manner. He said Dawkins, in addition to being HIVpositive, had several other medical conditions.
Coroner Deveaux told Cpl Duncombe that he denied Dawkins medical attention, having done “nothing” after being informed twice by officers that Dawkins was feeling unwell. She said he had failed in his duty and should have called the police control room or EMS.
Cpl Duncombe responded that the officers did not properly explain the situation to him. He then claimed that there were two different detention records. The record he had indicated that Dawkins had no complaints and was in good condition.
After noticing conflicting details in the official report — including the presence of an officer Cpl Duncombe could not account for — Coroner Deveaux halted the inquest, ruling that the file on the matter was incomplete. The case will be reconvened later, and a new jury will review the evidence. Angelo Whitfield marshalled the evidence.
‘Review of moorings lease reveals need for new plan’
scrutiny after installing moorings/anchorages and associated infrastructure in Exuma without the required approvals, prompting a cease and desist order.
The deal was subsequently terminated, and the company voluntarily relinquished its lease.
Mr Davis said there is a need for policies that Bahamians can trust and contribute to, adding that his government is committed to developing a new national strategic plan for mooring management.
He said mooring arrangements have traditionally been handled ad hoc within the existing legal framework but suggested this must change.
“As science and technology and the climate are all in flux, we can benefit from updating and more clearly defining and implementing our country’s policies,” he said.
He said government intends to act quickly, seeking input from stakeholders, including boaters, fishermen, and marina owners. However, FNM leader Michael Pintard accused the prime minister of being disingenuous, suggesting he spoke as though he had not approved the deal himself.
“When he talks about this situation having brought to his attention the need to change how we do moorings, I want to know where was he a couple of years ago, when he was signing off on
a document in secret,” Mr Pintard said during a press conference.
He claimed that the prime minister was protecting the financial interests of those close to him, an apparent reference to a senior policy advisor in his office said to be connected to the Bahamas Moorings deal.
The Tribune previously reported that Sandra Kemp, deputy communications director in the Prime Minister’s Office, witnessed the signing of Bahamas Moorings’ 21-year lease on the company’s behalf. She is the wife of Philip Kemp, one of the two principals named in the lease.
Mr Davis did not address her role in his speech yesterday or whether disciplinary action would be taken, only
saying that investigations were ongoing.
He over the past few days, officals have been unable to determine who was responsible for placing the moorings or who authorised their installation.
He commended Exuma Chamber of Commerce President Ehren Hanna, who told The Nassau Guardian that while he lamented the missteps in the Bahamas Moorings deal, he supports the development of a successful mooring system at Elizabeth Harbour, Great Exuma, in collaboration with the Bahamas National Trust.
“He will be one of my first calls,” he added.
“We have an important opportunity to update our
country’s policies with an openness to new solutions, although, of course, we will start from the nonnegotiable premise that
Canadian tourist admits to assaulting officer and throwing nose-rings at him while drunk
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A CANADIAN tourist has admitted to assaulting a police officer and throwing her nose rings at him while intoxicated earlier this week.
Lauren Keen, 35, was arraigned before Senior Magistrate Shaka Serville yesterday on charges of disorderly behaviour,
obscene language, throwing missiles, disorderly behaviour in a police station, and assaulting a police officer.
Keen, who was staying at Baha Mar, was reportedly arrested in the early hours of February 25 for disorderly behaviour and using obscene language.
While in custody at the Cable Beach Police Station, she allegedly continued acting disorderly.
When Corporal 3930 Hield responded to the disturbance, Keen threw her nose rings at him, striking him in the face.
She pleaded guilty to all charges, apologised for her actions, and admitted she had been heavily intoxicated.
Magistrate Serville warned and discharged her. Inspector Cordero Farrington prosecuted the case.
CHARGED WITH ASSAULT AND THREATS OF DEATH
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN has been granted bail after being accused of assaulting someone with a razor blade and threatening to kill him.
Lloyd Fife, 34, was arraigned before Senior Magistrate Anishka Isaacs on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and making death threats.
Fife allegedly assaulted Franklyn Russell with a razor blade and threatened to kill him. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Fife’s bail was set at $3,000, with one or two sureties. As part of his bail conditions, he must sign in at the Elizabeth Estates Police Station every Thursday by 6 p.m.
Fife’s trial is scheduled to begin on April 7.
The Bahamas is a sovereign nation and that if you enter our jurisdiction, you will compensate Bahamians for doing so.”
RIME Minister Davis speaking on the budget in the House of Assembly yesterday.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr.
Mother left wondering ‘what’s
next?’ after fire destroys home
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
A DEVASTATING fire
tore through a cherished family home, reducing decades of memories to ashes and leaving Richan Mackey, her 9-yearold son, and several relatives with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
The blaze, which erupted on February 8, 2025, struck without warning — just moments after Mrs Mackey’s son went upstairs to charge his phone.
Mrs Mackey and her son fled the home, located in Eastwood, as flames engulfed it. She quickly called her husband, brother, and uncle to inform them of the disaster.
“The only thing was going through my mind is, what is next?” she said yesterday. “I lost my mom. In 2024 we buried her,
and eight years ago, I lost my dad. January we just buried my aunt, so the only thing was going through my head is, Lord, what is next for my family?”
The fire destroyed the house and irreplaceable family keepsakes.
“All the pictures, the pictures with our parents, the videos, all that we have lost, all the documents, everything is lost,” Ms Mackey said. “Right now, it’s just the memories inside our head and the few photos we have on our phone. That’s all we have to remember right now.”
Ms Mackey’s son, who was very close to his grandmother before she passed away last year, is now traumatised.
The family is now staying in the front room of Ms Mackey’s aunt’s house, a situation she describes as “depressing.”
“It isn’t a good feeling, but I am thankful for life,” she said. “I’m thankful
that none of us were lost in the fire, but this is really something new for me and my family all over.”
Ms Mackey, who has been unemployed while caring for her sick mother, is now seeking help to rebuild her family’s life. She needs clothing, building supplies, and job opportunities to help provide for her family.
“I don’t know exactly how much it will cost, but if we can get a two, threebedroom house back so we could be comfortable and back in a home and a roof over our head, we’ll be very grateful,” she said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Ms Mackey said donations of clothing, building supplies, or financial assistance can be made to Richan Sweeting Mackey, Account #5510139955, at Bank of the Bahamas, Village Road Branch. She can also be contacted at (242) 425-7934.
Jamaican doing unlicenced dentistry caught in sting
from page one
instruments and supplies found in his possession were confiscated and ordered to be donated to the Public Hospitals Authority.
At the time of the offences, Noble was legally in the country.
On Wednesday, he was arraigned in the Eight Mile Rock Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Simone Brown. He was not represented by a lawyer.
In sentencing him, Magistrate Brown considered his early guilty pleas, which saved the court time.
Practising dentistry without a licence
carries a maximum penalty of a $2,000 fine and/ or 12 months imprisonment. Engaging in gainful employment without a work permit, a violation of the Immigration Act, carries the same penalty.
Magistrate Brown imposed a $1,000 fine or three months’ imprisonment for the first charge and a $500 fine or three months’ imprisonment for the other.
According to reports, on February 21, law enforcement officials received information that a Jamaican man had been applying cosmetic braces to people in Freeport.
Noble was also discovered on TikTok performing a dental procedure on a woman.
On Sunday, February 23, two undercover officers posing as potential clients visited an apartment in Mack Town, where Noble agreed to perform a dental procedure and accepted $400 in cash.
The officers observed various dental instruments and other items in the room. When they identified themselves as immigration officers, Noble attempted to flee but was subdued.
When asked to provide proof of his legal status, Noble produced his Jamaican passport. Records
showed he had entered the country on October 28, 2024, and was granted a 30-day stay. Although he had received two extensions, he could not produce a valid work permit.
In court, Noble denied conducting medical procedures, insisting that his services were purely cosmetic.
“It was cosmetic braces, not medical braces. I tell them it’s cosmetic braces,” he said.
Magistrate Brown, however, emphasised the severity of his actions.
“This is a very serious thing,” she told him. “You were conducting yourself in a profession that
requires not only tertiary education and proper medical training but also proper sanitisation. You could have exposed a person to infection. Do you realise that if someone gets an infection in their mouth, they could die? And you could be facing a much more serious offence.
“So a very stern message must be sent when we have persons pretending to be doctors, dentists, and lawyers. These are professions that require the trust of those who seek their services.”
The court prosecutor requested that all 11 confiscated items — including a
scalpel, orthodontic wires, dental restorative kits, UV curing lights, pliers, Ortho Bonding kits, and other supplies — be donated to a local clinic.
An immigration officer informed the court that Noble had $980. The officer requested that $400 — the amount used by undercover officers — be returned.
Magistrate Brown ordered the return of the monies to immigration officials and ruled that all confiscated items be forfeited to the Crown and donated to the Public Hospitals Authority for distribution to clinics in Grand Bahama.
A DEVASTATING fire on February 8 tore through a cherished family home, reducing decades of memories to ashes and leaving Richan Mackey, her 9-year-old son, and several relatives with nothing but the clothes on their backs, and wondering ‘Lord, what’s next for my family?,
The Tribune Limited
NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI
“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914
PICTURE OF THE DAY
LEON E. H. DUPUCH
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972
Contributing Editor 1972-1991
RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.
Publisher/Editor 1972-
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Public service a gift to one’s country
WHEN he filled the role of Police Commissioner, Ellison Greenslade gave years of service to the nation. He came in for criticism, certainly. Every commissioner who has been unable to stem the soaring murder rate in our country has done so. But he knew the business of policing, and he served as commissioner for eight years. After his retirement from that role, he served as High Commisioner of The Bahamas to the United Kingdom.
He now finds himself in the spotlight again – though not a welcome spotlight, we are sure – because of the discussion about retired public servants being brought back to work by this government.
The problem, we have been told, is that there has not been succession planning in various public roles, so we have to bring back the old faces. They can provide the experience and skills that their successors, despite years in the particular ministry or department, are lacking, or so the line goes. And then there are cases such as Ellison Greenslade.
Had he been brought back in a role in the police, or perhaps the Ministry of National Security, we could understand the skills he could bring to bear. But he was brought back in a role at a ministry he has no experience in. He was made permanent secretary at the Ministry of Immigration.
At the time the appointment was made, FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands questioned the decision. He pointed out the government was overlooking qualified civil servants.
Prime Minister Philip Davis said he believed Mr Greenslade would be a good fit for the role given his law enforcement background. Perhaps, we might note, there are others who are a good fit for the role because of their Ministry of Immigration background.
At the time, Dr Sands said: “The greater drain on the public purse is the demoralising impact across the hundreds of senior servants who see opportunities for advancement slip away. Many then reduce their productivity to a minimum.”
Perhaps that is so. Certainly, private companies focusing on the bottom line would, one hope, think twice before alienating talented staff before putting someone above them without any appropriate skills or knowledge whatsoever.
We write about this not to question Mr Greenslade’s particular talents, far from it. However, it does undermine the government argument that such retirees are being brought in because of the experience they have to offer in a particular role. Mr Greenslade may know about handling a regimented force, but he did not have experience in the ins and outs of immigration applications when he was appointed, or the rules and regulations that attach to them. Is his the only case where someone was appointed without a background in the department that is employing them, or are there others?
Given the retirees who have returned to work are drawing both a pension and a salary, the government is on the hook twice for paying them.
The FNM makes the claim – and of course there is a political rivalry to bear in mind here – that some of these appointments have been purely as a reward to supporters. Further evidence of that should be tabled to back up such claims.
As a nation, we have often heard of appointments being made as political favours, as one government or another sweeps in or out of office.
In looking back at a previous Tribune , we were caught by a 2018 editorial that noted how “Bahamians want opportunities for all. They are tired of the ‘all for me baby’ attitude”.
That column concluded: “Public service is a gift of one’s self to one’s country. Public servants should always remember that they are employed by those who they represent for the benefit of every individual in The Bahamas; not for their own personal objectives.”
A gift of one’s self to one’s country – not, you will note, a gift from one’s country to one’s self. We must always remember where our duty lies, and not just where opportunity can be found.
Seething over Crown Land grants
EDITOR, The Tribune.
IF I may refer to a letter in yesterday’s (25/02/2025) Tribune, by Paula Bacardi and Oliver Liddell and in particular their comment in Paragraph five “The very idea that our birthright is being privatised should have us all seething…” is absolutely spot on and perhaps, had the Athol Island debacle had a little more public seething, or the Blackbeard Cay giveaway not been so easily ceded, this Exuma Project might never have seen the light of day as was obviously intended.
This country is now on autopilot I think as there is no actual enforcement of anything and the gift of
Stop being a nation for sale
EDITOR, The Tribune. THERE has been a lot of talk about the recent SpaceX landing in the waters of Exuma and the effect it can have on the seabed and our marine life. There are some that want us to believe that the landing that sent sonic shock waves that were felt in Nassau, did not affect anything beneath it in the waters. We are to believe that there were no shock waves to shift our coral reefs and seabed. We are to believe that no toxic gases, vapors or the likes were released, not only in the atmosphere, but also in our waters. I guess many of us were born big or are considered conch. Why is it that this administration continues to act like they don’t have to answer to anyone? Do they not realise that they work for us? We employ them. If this was such a great thing, then why not do it in their own waters?
Crown Land is in the hands of one man only and that needs to stop. We have dual custody on bank accounts with far less value than most Crown Land. Crown Land belongs to everyone in this Country and cannot be gifted to one party’s supporters only. Some four to eight acres of Crown Land was apparently and recently gifted to the son of a prominent politician, and immediately unauthorised development began and a Cease-and-Desist order was made by the DEPP in response to the seething at the time. DEPP were said to be taking action immediately, the press said, but lo and behold The Tribune took some aerial photos
recently that showed that absolutely nothing had been done to stop any development at all. So, why should we all not just ignore the governing authority of this country altogether and do whatever we want. We scream daily about the unending proliferation of commercial signs at Fort Montague Park that deny us all a view of the Bay beyond, but that all falls on deaf ears until some enterprising sign installer digs up the W&S Sewer Pipe where they want to put their sign up. Yes, I am seething, join me!
BRUCE G RAINE Nassau, February 26, 2025.
Cape Canaveral is right there. The entire State of Florida is right there. We always seem to fall for things dangled in front of us rather than looking at the long-term results. Our marine life is precious and it must be preserved. No consultation with the relative authorities, entities or knowledgeable NGOs was conducted. I note that a report, or rather a few comments, were made by a coastal engineer indicating that we should not worry because there is or will not be any damage. I can only hope that is true but I have my reservations. We need to take a look at the aggressive mannerisms of the sharks in our waters and the increase in attacks on humans. Have we even taken the time to consider that there may be interruptions or disruptions in their once peaceful habitat that is causing erratic behavior? The Bahamas, or rather Andros, is home to the only underwater research
base in this region and perhaps the only one outside of the United States, because of the access to the “Tongue of the Ocean” in our waters. AUTEC Base sits on Crown land leased for ninety-nine years for pittance to America by Sir Lynden Pindling. The testing of god knows what goes on in those waters and on the submarine. How many of us know that. We do not know what is being put into the waters and how it may be affecting our existing marine life. In 2006 a whale was beached in Andros with half of its side bitten out by some underwater monstrosity with a jaw span of about 20 feet. Marine biologists were called in to conduct an autopsy but I don’t recall if that report was ever made public. There is a running joke in Andros to not drink the water. Androsians are known to have rare and aggressive forms of cancers and some Androsian men have even had breast cancer. Do we know, or are we even aware what is being created and tested in our waters? The agreement with the Base was to ensure employment for the locals but they are employed under the Bahamas Labour Laws while all Americans are hired under the American Labour Laws. The Base is considered American soil. There was a similar base in Puerto Rico, which is American property, but that was closed down years ago I understand for environmental reasons. Why do we allow ourselves to be blindsided and settle for anything without looking to the future preservation of our beautiful Bahamas.
We already have AUTEC in Andros so is it necessary to destroy the seabed and
marine life in the Exuma waters and surrounding areas for a few dollars?
How are we to benefit from this Rocket venture? What drastic economic increase, if any, can we look forward to? Will our conch, lobsters and fish become contaminated in the future? What guarantee do we have that things will be different here than in Texas? Imagine, the state of Texas, their own, ran them and has allegedly taken action against them for polluting the waters of Texas. Come on my people, open your eyes and see beyond your hands.
Our Prime Minister has enjoyed a World Tour talking about climate change and what can be done to protect and save us from major changes due to this. We are already experiencing and seeing some coastal erosion on some of our islands. Flooding is becoming more common in areas that never flooded in the past. We are experiencing unusual weather activity at times. This climate change and global warming is real and we do not need to add possible tsunamis caused by underwater sonic and shock waves. This may sound farfetched and I’m sure some experts will rebut and say it is not true or not possible but I say anything and everything is possible. It is good to think outside the box at times. My people, this is food for thought. Are we that desperate to take the risk? Do not let your eyes be clouded by the dollar sign. We have a country to save, to preserve for Bahamians not yet born. We cannot continue to be a Nation for Sale. We must rid ourselves of this stigma and fight to keep our heritage.
God Bless our sunny clime and God Bless our Bahama land.
AERIAL view, Exuma, Bahamas.
Photo: Juan Carlos Munoz
Man allegedy firing gun shot by off-duty officer
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
AN off-duty police officer shot and killed a man who was allegedly firing a weapon near Palm Beach Street yesterday evening.
The incident occurred shortly after 7pm.
Chief Superintendent Sheria King, the police press liaison officer, told reporters at the scene that the off-duty officer saw a man firing a weapon. The officer identified himself as police, at which point the man turned and fired at him.
“The officer being in fear for his life, retrieved his police-issued service weapon and discharged the weapon,” CSP King said.
“The male then ran, and the officer gave chase. The male once again, turned in the direction of the officer, fired, and engaged the officer.”
The officer then discharged his firearm, causing the suspect to collapse.
CSP King said a firearm was recovered near the man’s body. Emergency medical services arrived but found no signs of life. The victim appeared to be in his mid-twenties. The coroner was present at the scene, and a full investigation will be conducted.
The officer was not injured during the exchange. When asked about the officer’s emotional and mental state, CSP King said he was in good spirits.
Ministry of Agriculture hopes buyback programme will stabilise egg prices
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
THE Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources hopes that a buyback programme will help stabilise egg prices and boost local production.
As egg prices soar, with some stores charging as much as $31.89 per crate, the government is working with local farmers to create a steady supply at more affordable rates.
Under the initiative, the ministry has sourced 1,000 chickens for ten experienced farmers who will sell their eggs back to the government for resale at reduced prices.
One of the farmers in the programme, Justin Stewart of D&T Nursery, currently has 2,000 laying chickens, producing 70 dozen eggs per day.
However, demand is so high that eggs sell out within an hour. With the ministry’s backing, he plans to expand production to help meet local needs.
“We rarely sell wholesale to the public because our eggs are gone so quickly,” he said yesterday as officials led the press on a tour. “The demand is there, and by working with the ministry, we hope to scale up production to meet it.”
Agriculture Minister Jomo Campbell emphasised the buyback programme’s goal, stating: “The idea will be, through the partnership with the ministry, [that] we will be able to purchase eggs from Mr Stewart, which will be resold to the general public at a very, very reasonable price—much lower than the $6, $7, $13, and $21 we see in the food store.”
The Davis administration has touted its efforts to boot food insecurity and reduce food import costs. In 2023, it launched the Golden Yolk Project, aiming to produce 15 million eggs annually while reducing the country’s reliance on imported eggs.
When he was agriculture minister, Clay Sweeting said in 2023 that the “Golden Yolk will have an immediate national economic impact”.
Darron Pickstock, the chairman of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC), said earlier this month that the project is being rolled out in phases and that “locally laid eggs from the pre-launch phase of the Golden Yolk project are anticipated to be on store shelves shortly”.
Photos: Nikia Charlton
POLICE remove the body of a man that was shot by an off-duty police officer after the man was allegedly firing a weapon near Palm Beach Street yesterday evening.
Photos: Nikia Charlton
Where are we headed?
ON 9 July 1973, six and a half years after the Second Emancipation of majority rule, a jubilant crowd of approximately 50,000 descended on Clifford Park to usher in and to celebrate the first light of dawn of a new Bahamas on 10 July 1973.
There was a stillness in the air and in the hushed crowd as the Union Jack was lowered. When the new tri-coloured Bahamian standard finally climbed the flagstaff, the citizens of the new country roared with exuberance and expectation.
Expectations of: hope, prosperity, a fairer land, of a successful predominantly black country possibly destined and certainly reaching for first world status.
Already, the governmentoperated school system was making the promise of universal education a reality.
There was a rising black middle class. The colony was receiving generally good international press.
At Clifford Park, there were the expectations of a 26-year-old woman, a teacher in a governmentoperated school and a mother of one, and her husband, a public officer.
There was anxiety about a small country now responsible for its defense and foreign relations. An economic recession was gripping the world. However, the anxiety was no match for the expectations and hopes of the citizens of the new Commonwealth.
A boy of nearly 10, also on the Park with his mother, had spent weeks at school like thousands of other children, learning the new national anthem, part collective dream and part vision statement for
Bahamaland:
“Lift up your head to the rising sun, Bahamaland, March on to glory, your bright banners waving high. See how the world marks the manner of your bearing; “Pledge to excel thro’ love and unity. Pressing onward, march together, to a common loftier goal. Steady sunward tho’ the weather hide the wide and treacherous shoal.” The founders and champions of the freedom movement who ushered in majority rule and liberated Bahamians, white and black, dreamed of a multiracial society committed to racial and social equality. They also had a vision of a successful mixed-economy and stable two-party parliamentary democracy. Though the freedom movement was already split politically, which proved a healthy occurrence for the developing democracy, its leaders shared an ideological consensus and the dream of moving “steady sunward”.
There was the
expectation that we would build one of the more successful predominantly black countries in the world, an example to a global community that we believed would mark the manner of our bearing.
Fifty-plus three years hence, independence, “the rising sun” of our dreams is dissipating, faltering. We are staggering toward a setting sun of dwindling expectations.
In the minds of many Bahamians, there was something about The Bahamas as a small independent state blessed with certain geographical advantages, strategically located in the Americas and along welllocated sea lanes and air routes.
Though we still enjoy these geographical advantages and have achieved much since 1973, we have tragically squandered extraordinary dreams in the past five decades. We have often shackled native creativity and talent. State corruption has robbed the country of myriad economic and social opportunities. We have lost our way in so many ways. We expect and accept substandard service. The value of civility has atrophied dramatically. We have become crude and crass in terms of basic social mores and public conduct which are on display in our driving habits.
While quite a number of the motorists at New Providence are considerate, a large number treat the roadways and parking spaces as their personal space, self-absorbed and indifferent to the needs of fellow motorists.
Why do we observe some civilities, norms and mores
while ignoring others? The proximate answer has to do with what is tolerated. Translated into Bahamian: We like it so. Many of us are comfortable with low and poor standards.
We do not have the resources to be first world in terms of certain facilities and advantages. But we can achieve first world standards in certain areas and with certain attitudes.
We have made progress in education. Still, many of our children in
the government-operated school system leave high school barely literate and numerate. This bleak state of affairs does not outrage scores of parents.
The majority of young people on New Providence and throughout The Bahamas, are law-abiding citizens, who share essential positive values and social mores. However, there is a large cohort of what sociologist Orland Patterson describes as “disconnected youth”.
Most of these youth do poorly in school and are chronically unemployed. The staggeringly high rate of youth unemployment is having a toxic effect on our social landscape.
The chronic unemployment of approximately a quarter of young Bahamians is an economic and social emergency with farreaching ramifications.
Thousands of young people wake up every morning with no work, no job prospects, with nothing to do. And they do so day after day and year after year. What is the impact of such an existence on individuals and on society?
There are many thousands of disaffected youth who have not been sufficiently reared with certain positive values and mores, and who are in basic survival mode and feel cut off from society and improved life prospects.
With current and future prospects seemingly bleak, is it any wonder that many disaffected youth live for the day and have little interest in disciplined effort, restraint from violent conflict, and self-control.
Sadly, today, few Bahamians still believe the dream of becoming first world in terms of certain standards and practices. We have settled into an acceptance of poorer standards for our country. We accept our public spaces looking tacky and run-down and often filthy. The new Bahamian
reality that we have accepted is that of high crime, low public standards, high unemployment, mass incivility, acceptance of political corruption.
We are in a downward spiral: The Family Islands, New Providence and Grand Bahama are in desperate straits on so many fronts.
The irony is that while many high net worth individuals from abroad are buying luxury properties in the country, The Bahamas middle class may be shrinking, unable to afford a basic Bahamian dream in terms of housing, education for their children, adequate health care, and other social goods.
We are a shadow of what we could have been or could be. The flight of talent and of enterprising Bahamians is worsening, along with the flight of those who feel hopeless about the country’s medium to long-term prospects. Meanwhile, much of the country’s elite are even more disconnected from the reality of an ever growing number of poorer Bahamians. Bahamians know that it will take more than political leaders to move the country in a better direction. Still, such leadership is essential.
Unfortunately, there is a widespread sense that many political leaders lack empathy and have become callous as they aggrandize themselves with power and the spoils of office.
It would be overly simplistic to mostly blame our leaders for the civic decline we are experiencing, though the generally poor quality of many of our leaders does not augur well for helping to arrest the social decay.
We are collectively responsible for the culture of decay into which we have settled. There are some flickers of hope. Nevertheless, we need to nurture even greater hope amidst the national decline which needs not be inexorable.
Trump and the world of transactional diplomacy
WELL, this is different.
After three years of leading a global coalition against blatant Russian aggression in Ukraine, and sending hundreds of billions of dollars of military, economic and other assistance to Kyiv, the US just voted against a UN resolution condemning Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Among those voting similarly to the Americans on the UN resolution were Iran and North Korea.
American president Donald Trump also was quoted as saying that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is an “unelected autocrat”, that Ukraine was guilty of starting this brutal war, and that it was OK for the US and Russia to sit down together, without Ukraine, to discuss how to bring the war to an end.
Trump is, of course, behaving badly, as he often does, at least partly to gain attention. But he is also practicing something different in international affairs. His foreign policy seems to be guided by a principle called transactional diplomacy, which is characterised by a kind of zero-sum game mentality in which one side can benefit unsentimentally at the expense of the other. Here is a common description of the term:
Transactional diplomacy is a pragmatic approach to international relations that prioritizes concrete exchanges, such as economic incentives, security guarantees, and political concessions, over abstract principles or longterm alliances. Unlike traditional diplomatic methods that emphasize
STATESIDE
norms, institutions and trust-building, transactional diplomacy is often conducted through negotiations that focus on immediate gains and tangible benefits. In transactional diplomacy, diplomatic engagements resemble business deals, where each party assesses the costs and benefits before committing to an agreement. It is commonly associated with leaders and governments that prioritize tangible outcomes over ideological
consistency.
The NATO alliance is at the centre of any discussion of Trump and the world of transactional diplomacy. You can find in any of former president Joe Biden’s frequent comments on the North Atlantic alliance many references to NATO as a “bedrock, immutable, sacred” tenet of American foreign policy. It was not something to be seriously questioned.
The NATO alliance has formed since the end of World War II the basis for
Zelensky last September as a tangible justification for the US to continue supporting Ukraine. Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson told the BBC in Kyiv that such a deal was “the great prize”, because it would secure “a United States commitment under Donald Trump to a free, sovereign and secure Ukraine”.
Ukraine’s mineral wealth is reportedly impressive. It has a third of all European deposits of lithium, the key component in current batteries. And Ukraine’s global share of titanium production, a lightweight metal used in the construction of everything from airplanes to power stations, has been estimated at 7%.
Ukraine reportedly is “one of the top five leading countries” for the supply of graphite, which is used to make batteries for electric vehicles.
Ukraine also has significant deposits of rare earth metals. These are a group of 17 elements that are used to produce weapons, wind turbines, electronics and other products in the modern world.
US foreign policy. In his first term, Trump regularly denigrated NATO, often insisting that America’s European allies pay a greater percentage of their Gross Domestic Product for their own defense –both in terms of manpower and materiel.
This was not new. Many Republicans and isolationist-inclined politicians in the US had been complaining about insufficient European contributions to their own regional defense for decades. But Trump in his first term did amplify these complaints, and European leaders were openly relieved when Trump was beaten in the 2020 election.
Now he’s back, and so is transactional diplomacy.
And even as a cascade of criticism rolls toward Trump for his stubborn, continuing embrace of Russian president Vladimir Putin, there persists a hope in many minds that Trump somehow knows just what he is doing. Some feel that he is simply flattering Putin to ultimately deceive him.
Perhaps Trump really does grasp the realities that history teaches, and that he well knows the appeasement trap that snared Western leaders as Adolph Hitler and the Nazis accumulated power and land in the 1930s. Time will tell.
The US and Ukraine are at present in the midst of negotiating a deal that appears to grant to America a long-term interest in Ukrainian mineral wealth, including rare earth materials that are essential in the production of many current and future essential items.
This deal, according to the BBC, was originally proposed to Trump by
It is, however, hard to reconcile this reported hard-nosed, practical style of transactional diplomacy with Trump’s continuing deference and respect for Putin, who remains a despotic, avowed opponent of American hegemony in the world.
Many are skeptical about any deal with Ukraine which would essentially barter American security guarantees for access to Ukraine’s mineral wealth. Would such a deal really be reliable for Ukraine –or for the rest of Europe that regards recent Russian aggression with profound, existential apprehension? And anyhow, it isn’t really clear how many security guarantees would be included in the possible US-Ukraine deal.
Despair reigns among the liberal punditry. For example, influential New York Times international affairs columnist Tom Friedman asked the following questions this week: “Are we being led by a dupe for Vladimir Putin — by someone ready to swallow whole the Russian president’s warped view of who started the war in Ukraine and how it must end? Or are we being led by a Mafia godfather, looking to carve up territory with Russia the way the heads of crime families operate? ‘I’ll take Greenland, and you can take Crimea. I’ll take Panama, and you can have the oil in the Arctic. And we’ll split the rare earths of Ukraine.’
“Either way, for the next four years at least, the America you knew is over. The bedrock values, allies and truths America could always be counted upon to defend are now all in doubt — or for sale. Trump is not just thinking out of the box. He is thinking without
a box, without any fidelity to truth or norms that animated America in the past.”
One might well wonder where among the American constitutional system of checks and balances are the counterweights to such a dramatic and perhaps dangerous departure from diplomatic norms and foreign policy precedents that have informed American relations with the world for so long.
The best answer is in the American Congress. Republicans actually control the US Senate by a slightly larger three-vote margin than they control the House of Representatives, where New York GOP congresswoman Elise Stefanik’s departure for Senate confirmation as the American ambassador to the UN is reportedly being delayed to assure her vote on a big upcoming Trumpapproved omnibus budget bill. There have been a few murmurs of Republican Senate dissent at Trump’s belittling of Ukraine and Zelensky. But they are relatively muted and sometimes opaque. South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham, Senate majority leader John Thune of South Dakota, Arkansas’ Tom Cotton, Iowa’s Joni Ernst and Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair James Risch of Idaho are all speaking of Trump, Russia and Ukraine, Putin and Zelensky in more modulated ways than they did as recently as last summer. Their moral outrage at Putin is greatly diminished. Hopefully, they have not abandoned their previous obdurate support for Ukraine’s fight for independence. They may well simply be trying to survive politically in a new world essentially defined by Trump’s whimsy. To underscore that point, consider the following remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz at the aforementioned US – Russia talks in Riyadh on ending the Ukraine War.
Here’s Waltz: “Just in a few months President Trump has shifted the entire global conversation from if to how the war is going to end. And only President Trump can do that. In the Oval Office less than a week ago, both President Putin and President Zelensky both said to him only you, President Trump, can drive this war to a conclusion.” And here’s Rubio: “The only leader in the world who can make this happen, who can even bring people together to begin to talk about it in a serious way, is President Trump. He’s the only one in the world who can do that right now.” Such obeisance! It’s oddly reminiscent of the fealty required in North Korea of its own supreme leader.
with Charlie Harper
FORMER President Donald Trump meets with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump Tower in New York, Sept. 27, 2024.
Photo: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
Foreign Affairs and Foreign Services Bill passage a significant milestone
By SENATOR DARREN S PICKSTOCK
“INNOCENCE abroad,” remarked the American satirist and literary giant Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. Those words still shape how nations and cultures appreciate their similarities, pursue common goals, and navigate their differences.
On Monday, February 10, the Senate passed two landmark Bills: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bill, 2024, and the Bill for an Act to establish the Department of the Foreign Service, administer the Foreign Service, and create the Alrae Ramsey Institute of Foreign Affairs, 2024. These Bills now stand as law.
Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell, in a dispatch from Abu Dhabi while en route to the opening of the Bahamas Embassy there, to be headed by Ambassador Tony Joudi stated: “Now comes the harder part, and that is the execution of what Parliament has passed.”
As I expressed in my debate supporting these Bills, I believe they represent the most structurally significant transformation of a key pillar of governance. They mark the long-overdue independence of the Foreign Service and further modernise the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With their passage, our nation is now better suited to strengthen its standing and expand its influence on the ever-evolving global stage.
The Bill establishing the Foreign Service provides a clear career path for Foreign Service officers, ensuring continuity and professional growth. It aligns with the aspirations of those who have long sought recognition and structural support in their field.
As with all transformative legislation, there will be concerns about integrating the old with the new. Change often brings hesitation, especially among those uncertain about their roles, performance expectations, and how to reconcile public service traditions with the fresh air of reform. However, these adjustments are necessary for progress.
The work of the ministry is a testament to our national progress. Since 2023, The Bahamas has established diplomatic relations with 16 additional states, bringing our total to 142. Our passport now provides visa-free access to 161 countries, up from 145 in 2019, ranking 25th globally, on par with Brazil,
Argentina, and Barbados. Since 2022, the Ministry has signed over 20 bilateral agreements and MOUs, enhancing technical cooperation, diplomatic engagement, and visa waivers. A recent highlight was the signing of an Education Agreement with Brazil, granting Bahamians access to scholarships and Portuguese language training. All heads of bureaus in the Foreign Service have over a decade of experience as career diplomats, hold master’s degrees, and speak at least one foreign language. Yet, despite these qualifications, their public service ranks range from assistant secretary to first assistant secretary, with many going unpromoted for ten to 18 years. This legislation ensures their expertise is appropriately recognised and rewarded.
The evolving landscape of international affairs demands a Foreign Service that is agile, professional, and aligned with global best practices. The Bahamas must have a Foreign Service capable of maximising its diplomatic presence and protecting our sovereign interests.
Transformation requires inclusivity. Those directly impacted must be brought along to ensure a smooth transition. Some may question why the Foreign Service is no longer tethered to the outdated structures of the public service. The answer is simple:
under the previous system, Foreign Service officers had only one path for career advancement, eventually reaching permanent secretary. This legislation introduces multiple pathways, allowing officers to achieve promotions, titles, and responsibilities in line with international diplomatic standards. Notably, the Official Opposition in the Upper and Lower Houses did not support these Bills. The former Foreign Affairs Minister under the Minnis administration, now Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Darren Henfield, dodged key issues during the debate. Instead of putting on the record a number of questions he collected from staff in the ministry of their concerns on the legislation, the FNM resorted to political mischief, empty rhetoric, and character attacks. The Bahamian people are not surprised over the antics and behavior of the persons who now control the party opposite.
Gone are the days of the astute, principled FNM of Whitfield, Isaacs, and Ingraham and even Minnis. Today, the party appears as a fragmented group, struggling to present informed and meaningful contributions to national discourse. It is no surprise that the streets now refer to one of their key figures as “electric motor mouth”. At times the new FNM
seems to be a loose cadre of personalities holding seats in the Parliament who can’t seem to navigate the near four years they have been on training wheels; and have yet to step up to the plate and deliver critical and informed debate expected of an organisation which has had 24 years in governance. The FNM today is a pale and irrelevant figment of the FNM the country knows.
To hear the puerile and bait mongering amateurish conjecture of the FNM today and to compare their performance and their pseudo intellect to that of the Bostwicks, Solomon, Isaacs, Orville Turnquest, Whitfield, Ingraham, McCartney, Laing and Foulkes; is apples and oranges. It is no wonder todays FNM leadership seems to be in such disarray, quandary, physical and verbal abuse of their own; and unable to properly offer solutions to the issues of the nation. Today’s FNM prefers to trade in cynicisms, wedge issues and hyperbole
A significant highlight of this legislation is the establishment of the Alrae Ramsey Foreign Officers Institute. This institute will train and prepare current and future Bahamian diplomats and those engaged directly and indirectly with the Foreign Service.
Alrae Ramsey was a bright and ambitious Foreign Service officer who tragically lost his life in Italy while vacationing under the Minnis administration. He was the grandson of Leopold Garth Wright Sr, a distinguished former Secretary-General of the
FNM and a trade union organiser and colleague of Sir Randol Fawkes in the earliest days of modern trade union organisation in The Bahamas. This fact was of course lost on the current FNM, rather than honouring his legacy, the current FNM engaged in offensive distractions during the debate, a glaring contrast to their predecessors who understood the value of diplomacy and governance.
Every era brings new challenges, and as the saying goes, “When the United States sneezes, The Bahamas catches a cold.”
The shifting tides of global politics, trade disputes, and heightened security measures demand a Foreign Service that is strong, agile, and well-trained and equipped to navigate these complexities. Outdated administrative protocols and bureaucratic red tape must give way to a modernised, efficient approach, one that ensures our nation’s voice is heard clearly on the world stage without compromising an inch of our sovereignty, customs, or expectations.
Yet, instead of engaging meaningfully in these crucial discussions, the opposition has reduced the debate to trivialities— quibbling over how our ambassador in Washington, DC, gets to work. At a time when trade tensions, shifting alliances, and border security measures directly impact our nation, our Foreign Service must stand as our frontline defense, negotiating in The Bahamas’ best interest. One can only imagine the disappointment of great Bahamian
statesmen like Kendal Isaacs, Cecil Wallace Whitfield, and Arlington Butler. These Bills are finally addressing long-standing inefficiencies by equipping the minister and ministry with the necessary tools to strengthen our diplomatic presence. The establishment of corporations sole within the Ministry and the appointment of a highly skilled Director General of the Foreign Service are not merely bureaucratic changes—they are essential steps toward enhancing our global engagement. These reforms reflect the sharp intellect and adaptability of the Bahamian people, replacing the rigid, outdated practices inherited from the British Civil Service. What worked 150 years ago no longer serves us today.
Through the years, many distinguished Bahamians have upheld the highest standards of excellence in the Foreign Service. Their dedication, competence, and unwavering service have been the backbone of our nation’s diplomacy. History will not be kind to today’s FNM; which chose to vacillate and pontificate rather than to reach across the aisles in this debate to put The Bahamas first. In a moment that called for unity and vision, they opted waver and grandstand. The world is watching, and while this Davis administration forges ahead to strengthen our nation’s global standing, the FNM’s failure to stand with The Bahamas will not be forgotten.
SENATOR DARREN S PICKSTOCK
PLP Golden Gates Branch Meeting
THE PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party gathered last night at the Sybil Strachan Primary School for the Golden Gates Branch Meeting in the constituency represented by Pia Glover-Rolle. Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville, Minister of Youth Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg (pictured above), Minister of Labour and Public Service Pia Glover- Rolle (below-left) and Prime Minister Philip Davis (below-right) brought remarks.
Photos: Nikia Charlton
GOVERNOR General Dame Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt received a teacher and students of Grace Christian Academy, Grand Bahama, in a courtesy call at Government House, Mt Fitzwilliam, on Friday, February 21, 2025.
Photo: Letisha Henderson/BIS