PM slams Minnis but gives no BAMSI answers

As of Friday, March 6, 2015

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday criticised Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis for launching “political attacks” at the government over the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Sciences Institute (BAMSI).

Mr Christie said Dr Minnis finds it “difficult” to see how enriching BAMSI can be for Bahamians. However, while he condemned Dr Minnis’ criticism, the prime minister did not clear up the uncertainty surrounding Southern Alliance, the company reportedly responsible for insuring BAMSI’s fire-damaged dorm.

Although Minister of Works Philip Davis has said the contractor allowed the insurance policy to lapse before the fire, Dr Minnis has argued that the company named by contractor Audley Hanna “does not exist.”

Dr Minnis said the irresponsible nature of the PLP government was to blame for the circumstances at BAMSI.

“The leader of the opposition has the right to make such an observation,” Mr Christie said, speaking on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Agri-business Expo yesterday.

“Ordinarily in terms of contracts, there’s a requirement on the part of the contractor and the person awarded the contract for full compliance. And so that is a matter that is subject to further investigation and determination as to how we will respond to it.

“So I don’t have a problem with the leader of the opposition making that point. The sad thing about the leader of the opposition for me is that he confuses political commentary and attacks with the goodness of the product, and that he’s found it difficult to separate himself from how enriching this could be potentially for Bahamians as a source of employment, as a source of buying fresh food, organic farming, that this had an incredible opportunity for us.”

Last week in the House of Assembly, Mr Davis admitted that the dormitory destroyed by fire was not insured at the time of the incident due to negligence on the part of the contractor.

Mr Davis explained that Mr Hanna, of Paradigm Construction, failed to pay the annual insurance premium that covered the structure.

Last Friday, however, Mr Hanna told The Nassau Guardian that he thought the building was insured at the time of the fire. He said that the building was insured by Southern Alliance.

After conducting a tour of BAMSI on Sunday, however, Dr Minnis insisted that Southern Alliance is not in fact a registered company in The Bahamas, and therefore would not be able to insure the dormitory.

Dr Minnis subsequently said the government was irresponsible, adding that “already heavily taxed” Bahamian people should not be punished for government’s lackadaisical actions.

“This administration was negligent, it was the job of the government to ensure that the insurance was in place,” he said on Sunday. “They wrote the contract, the government should have made sure that this was covered in the contract. If a contract needed extension they should have made sure that it was extended, so the government was obviously negligent.”

Initial investigations by The Tribune revealed that Southern Alliance is not presently registered to do business in The Bahamas by the Insurance Commission of The Bahamas (ICB). Sources at the ICB suggested on Monday that if the company was in fact responsible for insuring the BAMSI dormitory it would have had to have been done without the ICB knowing.

On Monday, Agriculture Minister V Alfred Gray said he was unable to answer questions pertaining to Southern Alliance, and said all concerns about the validity of the company should be referred to Mr Davis.

generalcrazy 9 years, 1 month ago

Snore, should change the name of this rag to 99.9% POLITICS.

Sickened 9 years, 1 month ago

Keep reading (I know it's a struggle). You may actually educate yourself without even knowing it.

TalRussell 9 years, 1 month ago

Comrade PM you began to earn a degree of unexpected respect from opposing political strips when you stepped up to the plate with your pledge of commitment to introduce National Health Insurance (NHI). But within 24 hours this earned respect diminishes by your failing to call-out the inexcusable lack of proper insurance or no insurance coverage at BAMSI.
PM are you that incapable of grasping that you are making it so damn difficult for the very people who are more than willing to respect good and proper prime ministerial actions - to be made to walk away from you?
PM there is one indisputable fact you cannot afford to ignore, not if the PLP is serious about winning again come 2017. That the PLP cannot be returned to office come 2017, by their sole dependence upon hardcore PLP supporters returning them to a majority government.
Also, when you give your own PLP supporters excused to stay away from the polling stations, you are playing right into the hands of all opposition parties candidates.
PM you more than most anyone must know that winning is a tactical game that must be played smartly, hard, consistently and damn well. And, if your money backers think you cannot win, the funding required for mounting an effective hard hitting General Elections campaign becomes that more difficult to attract.

happyfly 9 years, 1 month ago

LOL Tal. Listen to yourself. Not even a die hard one eye PLP can take the BS any more !!

Honestman 9 years, 1 month ago

Typical PLP. Any Bahamian who is critical of the party or asking pointed questions is immediately deemed to be launching a political attack. Why not just address the perfectly valid question instead of trying to deflect? Is it too much to ask? Unless evidence comes forth to the contrary it appears that this contract was awarded to someone who had not purchased contractors insurance. I do not believe that those persons responsible for awarding the contract could possibly have missed that point. It is so fundamental. Therefore IF in fact there was no insurance in place many people will wonder if the contactor gained an unfair advantage over other bidders who might possibly have had to build the insurance cost into their price? Government has a case to answer but don't expect it too - it is not the way of this administration.

realfreethinker 9 years, 1 month ago

Honestman I agree with your comments. They just love to shoot the messenger and ignore the message. Pure distraction,because Minnis already said he support the concept of bamsi,but it is cloaked in secrecy. The details of bamsi have yet to be brought to the HOA so we can all see what it is costing us

Sickened 9 years, 1 month ago

Now, how can someone like you afford to have internet access? And pray tell how long does it take you to type so many letters in a semi-coherent manner? Keep up the effort though as I love to see the gradual improvement in language skills.

realfreethinker 9 years, 1 month ago

He or she probably using free wifi from someone

jlcandu 9 years, 1 month ago

General Crazy,

Relax yourself!!! We all know you hate the FNM, but the point Minnis brings up is valid, especially when the contract was awarded to the DPM's campaign general. There never was any insurance, and there never was going to be any insurance. They got caught and now it will be swept under the rug like all other controversies with the PLP. These idiots in the HOA need to hang their heads in shame for their childish and irresponsible behaviour, especially wasting taxpayers' money and then shoving more taxes down our throats.

Both the PM and DPM should tender their resignations because they obviously are incapable of doing the jobs!!!

Now it all is clear..

Same old PLP trickery and paying back the boys.

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