Nassau, Bahamas - The
Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources seem incapable of directly
answering the most crucial questions or charges leveled at him or the
administration he represents. He
specializes in deflection and passing the buck.
We wish to remind Mr. Gray that he has an obligation to explain the
manner in which he and his colleagues manage the scarce resources of the
Bahamian people.
To
date he has not satisfactorily answered a series of questions put to him by the
Free National Movement and the media relative to BAMSI. Instead he repeats some of the same untruths
he did days ago when the Leader of the opposition took a delegation to visit
BAMSI. The Minister knows that all of the buildings at BAMSI, including the
uninsured burnt down male dormitory, are not at all enclosed by fencing.
Furthermore, he is aware that the entrance of the farm, much like the perimeter
to the farm, is only partially enclosed and secure. In fact a huge dump truck, much like the ones
his Party are unable to give account for at Environmental Health, could drive
straight into the farm over a small mound of Andros soil.
His
distortions and fluff fails to convince us that he has hired a registered
security firm to secure BAMSI in the aftermath of the fire. If he has then he should now be aware that
they were not seen once by the FNM team during the extensive tour of the
buildings under construction. Moreover,
two males were seen at the tail end of our farm tour. Incidentally they were without uniform, ID
and the presence of mind to introduce themselves as security.
Mr.
Gray should lay the facts relative to this incident and BAMSI in general on the
table of the House of Assembly.
1.
Which
security firm is employed by BAMSI and what are the terms?
2.
Where
can we find the Insurance Company that supposedly insured the burnt down male
dormitory and when and for how much was the building insured?
3.
Has
the government been honouring its commitment to pay the various contractors at
BAMSI on the agreed schedule consistent with the work completed at each stage?
4.
Is
there a shortage of supplies and equipment required to execute the work at
BAMSI?
5.
What
was the basis for the immediate termination of the two Bahamian professionals
at BAMSI?
6.
What
is the status of the Five Year Plan developed by the outstanding staff at the
Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources in conjunction with the Food and
Agricultural Organization at the United Nations?
7.
When
can Parliamentarians have site of the Business Plan for BAMSI?
8.
When
can the Public Accounts Committee see what amount of funds that have been spent
already on the project?
9.
When
can we see the signed Memorandum of Understanding between BAMSI and the
lecturers at The College of The Bahamas in the Department of Agriculture
especially?
10.Can we see the approved site plan for
BAMSI and the date of completion?
11.What is the light bill for BAMSI given
the fact that the perimeter light for the female dormitory stays on throughout
the day?
12.When will the meeting take place
between the various agriculture and marine stakeholders and BAMSI so that those
persons who earn a living in this area could understand how BAMSI’s output will
impact their livelihood and future development?
13.Which quantity surveyor and engineer
advised the Minister on the structural integrity of the burnt out building and
the cost of repair or reconstruction and can Parliamentarians see the reports?
14.Who makes the decisions with respect to
resource allocation at BAMSI and to what extent is the staff at the Ministry
involved in the decisions making surrounding the largest cash injection in
their Ministry’s history?
The
Free National Movement leader Dr. Hubert Minnis and his entire team is
committed to ensuring food security in The Bahamas and reducing the high import
bill for food and other products that service our Bahamian and international
guests. However, we do not intend to
rubber stamp a blank check for the PLP given their bad stewardship and
credibility.