The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Prime Minister Christie once said: “There will be no payback time under my administration. I am a democrat not a tyrant. I will be too busy helping people to have any time for hurting people. And it’s just not in my nature to do it anyway. And when I speak about this, I speak on behalf of the entire Government I will lead. If I hear about any minister of mine trying to practice any victimization on anybody the next time he hears from me, it will be to tell him to clean out his desk and head for the door. Victimization is an evil I put on par with corruption in high places. Neither will be tolerated under an administration headed by Perry Christie. Of that you can be assured. – Clifford Park, April 4th, 2002.

The termination of 80 Urban Renewal staff in Nassau and Freeport was victimization. They were terminated because they were perceived to be supporters of the FNM. They are all Bahamians, mostly mothers and grandmothers who head their families and are totally dependent on their income from Urban Renewal for the survival of their families.

This act of victimization has contributed to urban decay and social instability.

The programmes that they organized for the last five years range from Senior Citizen Programmes to Youth programmes to marching bands to computer classes. In all some 21 programmes, seminars and activities were organized by the 80 terminated officers in 16 Urban Renewal Centres in Nassau and Freeport.

These programmes touched the lives of thousands of Bahamians on a daily basis. The PLP government brought all of this to an abrupt end on the 8th of May.

Instead the PLP Government replaced these Urban Renewal officers with Police Officers who are now performing menial day-to-day chores such as purchasing and delivering office groceries and supplies to the Urban renewal centres.

I once again appeal to Prime Minister Perry Gladstone Christie and Minister Philip Brave Davis to end this act of victimization and restore the 80 Urban Renewal officers to their previous positions.

It is the right thing to do.

DION A. FOULKES

Former Minister of Labour and Social Development

(With responsibility for Urban Renewal)

Nassau,

July 3, 2012.