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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
 If the recent comments of Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller regarding the United States’ assessment of the government’s procurement process is a reflection of the thinking of this PLP administration, then we are in more trouble than any of us could have ever imagined. But, we as a people really should not be all that surprised. It was indeed the Deputy Prime Minister of this country that intimated a few months back that politicians should be paid more money so they don’t steal. And even recently it was Loftus Roker, a former PLP Minister who spoke about the corrupt politicians of today.
But known for putting his proverbial foot in his mouth, Miller’s assertion that the corruption in this country was behavior learned from America set a new all-time low. Today, in one of the dailies, another PLP stalwart commented similar sentiments and stated that the United States does not have “clean hands” and, thus, in essence stipulated that the US is not in a position to speak to our Bahamian corrupt practices. Further this senior PLP went on to dissect that the corruption per capita in the Bahamas is lower than that in the United States. While shocking and indeed offensive, it is no surprise to me or anyone else for that matter, that veteran PLP politicians would take such a stance. In fact, that rhetoric is indeed indicative of the way the PLP has done business in this country for the last forty years. These comments by the PLP were in response to concerns expressed by the US State Department in its 2016 Human Rights Report. That report, a scathing indictment of the many human rights infractions relative to the treatment of women, irregular immigrants, and foreigners, also took aim of this PLP government’s failure to introduce strong and effective anti-corruption legislation.
The release of that report also followed weeks of widespread speculation and reports of an alleged murder for hire plot involving government officials and PLP benefactor Peter Nygard. The controversy grabbed headlines for weeks and implicated both PM Perry Christie and DPM Philip Davis as being involved with known criminal associates. While both the country’s leader and second in command have denied involvement, Miller’s comments are an admittance that corruption not only exists at the government level but is also more prevalent and more insidious than we could have ever thought.
The dictionary defines the word corruption as a perversion of integrity, bribery, corrupt or dishonest proceedings and nepotism; all of which have become a hallmark of this Christie led administration’s time in office. Since 2012, the Bahamian people have had countless examples of government officials using their political influence to benefit their friends, family and lovers, particularly as it relates to the awarding of contracts.
One need only think back to the fiasco surrounding the Paul L. Adderley Building when, in a bid to appease one of its cronies, the government granted the construction contract for that building to Holiday Construction for a second time, despite previous reports of shoddy and/or incomplete work and an overall failure to meet its contractual obligations on the previous contract. That decision eventually cost the government and by extension the Bahamian people significantly more than the first contract was worth.
And what of the BAMSI fire debacle which cost the government and by extension tax payers millions of dollars after it was revealed that the contractor and PLP General Audley Hanna of Paradigm Construction did not have the necessary all risk insurance required by law before being awarded the contract.
This culture of cronyism and nepotism has been at the core of countless government related scandals; and the practice of political patronage – the trade of political favors for political allegiance – as Miller so aptly described it, has been used as nothing more than a ploy by the country’s leaders to secure their political futures. Indeed, let us not forget the comment by our very own Prime Minister who stated last year sometime that he would like for most of the BAMSI contracts awarded to go to the PLP supporters. Can you imagine such comments being uttered??!!! Sadly, this very culture has seen the disenfranchisement of scores of hard working Bahamians who, unlike those with connections to the PLP are denied such opportunities, even in cases where they are infinitely more qualified to complete the work.
Rather than properly address the issue Miller instead turned to the accepted PLP practice of deflection and name calling.
I trust that the voting public is no longer blind to this tactic and is no longer prepared to give political leaders a free pass. If we do, we certainly cannot complain after. Despite Miller’s attempts to twist the truth one thing remains clear…PLP POLITICAL PATRONAGE AND CORRUPTION ARE ONE AND THE SAME AND MUST BE STOPPED AT ALL COSTS!
Branville McCartney
DNA Leader
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