The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

“Better products, better service, better plans. BTC is the Bahamas’ most reliable service provider; offering the best in landline, Internet and mobile services…” so says BTC.

This could have been achieved if Cable & Wireless had been allowed to concentrate on building a new company — from the run down junk that they bought — without having to fight those Bahamians – both within and without – who did not want it to succeed.

Now Leon Williams, who was fired as BTC’s chief executive in 2008, is back as government’s “special adviser” to the Cable & Wireless board. I recall at the time of Mr William’s firing, Mr Julian Francis, then BTC chairman, claiming that Mr Williams was not an expert in telecommunications. I also recall that Mr Williams sued the company for his termination. The suit was settled out of court in 2011 and so we shall never know if Mr Williams was only “pretending” as Mr Julian Francis had claimed at the time.

I also understand that government earned more revenue from the Cable & Wireless’ deal with its (government’s) 49 per cent of the shares than it did when it owned 100 per cent of the company. What more do they want? Are they trying to undermine the new owners just for the sake of being able to say that Bahamians own their telecommunications company? Why not think of all of our citizens, who only want an efficient service at affordable rates? All this gobbledygook about Bahamian ownership is just that – gobbledygook. If the truth be known, we Bahamians own nothing – as usual they are only playing with seductive words to stroke our egos! Bahamians should know by now that the words of these politicians mean nothing. They are just trying to lull us to sleep. And what makes me very angry with my fellow citizens is that they seem happy to be lulled to sleep! God gave us all brains - wake up and use them.

The PLP — and Frankie Wilson — are crowing that less than two per cent of BTC has been transferred to a foundation to benefit Bahamians. How does it benefit us if we can’t get good service? This is only a bunch of hot air to make the “boys” look good.

Now we learn that Cable & Wireless and Government have agreed that Bahamians at all times must be the majority on BTC’s board of directors.

Would Government now tell us how much this “Bahamian majority” is to be paid to be on the board to represent us?

Bahamians couldn’t run BTC before — that’s why BTC was sold. Now that foreigners have come in in good faith to bring the business up to international standards and make money, both for us and them, Bahamians are to have the lead advisory role on how to run it!

I read where Mr Wilson told The Tribune he was thrilled with the negotiations, because it works in the best interest of Bahamians from all aspects.

Best interest? What the hell is this man talking about when we are back to the old days of inferior service?

If Cable & Wireless had been allowed to execute its business plans, by now we might have had a first class telecommunications corporation, making good money for our Public Treasury.

Bahamians, for the love of the Lord, do wake up! These politicians have fooled all of us for too long.

If you want to know why we are now getting such poor service from this company that promised so much, you don’t have to look far — the Boys are back in town!

Tribune, please do not forget to find out for us how much Mr Williams and these Bahamian advisers are being paid for their “expert” advice! You can also find out their names for us. Meanwhile, are we to continue to suffer poor service from a company that they now have the nerve to claim that we own!

DISILLUSIONED, MAD & FED UP

Nassau,

April 10, 2014.