The Tribune

HURRICANE Matthew Czar Shane Gibson accused Free National Movement Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest of deliberately attempting to undermine the government’s storm relief efforts to gain political points.

Mr Gibson, minister of labour and national insurance, claimed that the East Grand Bahama MP is intentionally raising the alarm about the government’s spending on hurricane recovery to sway international donors from giving money to a restoration fund.

He also accused Mr Turnquest of wanting the government’s efforts “to fail.”

His accusations came a day after Mr Turnquest demanded that the Christie administration provide a thorough accounting of hurricane relief spending.

In a press statement released on Sunday, Mr Turnquest said it appears to be a routine of the government to collect cheques, spend public funds and not give an account of how the money has been spent.

“I am shocked, people always told me that Peter Turnquest was a silly person, and I am shocked that he would undermine Bahamians for being assisted by international donors who want to donate money to the Bahamas,” Mr Gibson said in response on Monday. “He along with the FNM are intentionally saying these things, knowing that it’s not true, hoping that people won’t donate to the hurricane relief and hoping that the relief is a failure.

“I am shocked because I was defending him all along saying, ‘no, he is not like that.’

“Why would he go to the press and say something - send messages to international donors telling them something is going on that is not going on? Why would he do that? Why would Dr (Hubert) Minnis say that only PLPs are being supported through their grocery stores in Andros when I wrote him last week for specific examples and he has yet to write back and tell me because it isn’t true?

“But their strategy seems to be to try to undermine Bahamians from being helped by telling people who want to donate, don’t donate because the money is not being spent properly. And it is absolutely not true and he knows it’s not true - I don’t understand why he would want to hurt the Bahamian people like that.”

When asked about Mr Turnquest’s call for a thorough accounting on hurricane relief spending, Mr Gibson said: “NEMA tables their official report every year, auditors statements. Why would you ask that? Which government agency as soon as they spend a dollar reports that they spent a dollar? It doesn’t work that way.”

“I could understand if a year had gone by and we didn’t report, why would you undermine the efforts of the government and the people of the Bahamas by constantly spewing (misinformation) and saying things are happening that are not happening? Why are you trying to destroy your country? The same country that you want to represent.”

He added that the government is not directly handling the donations that are coming in for storm relief, saying that has been left to representatives from the private sector.

“The person signing on those donor accounts are all from the private sector - Michael Maura, Tracy Knowles, Nathaniel Beneby, Gowon Bowe - they are the signatories on the account,” Mr Gibson said.

“It’s nothing to do with us in the government. So why would he (Mr Turnquest) tell the people not to donate money, that we are spending the money bad when that is not the case?”

Mr Gibson added that he does not control the account where funds are being donated to the government for storm relief and he could not say how much has been brought in thus far.

He said those questions would have to be put to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

On Sunday, Mr Turnquest accused the government of not being transparent in its relief efforts. “The PLP government’s minster handpicked by Prime Minister Christie to head national hurricane relief efforts, Shane Gibson, stated last week among other questionable things, that the Minister for Grand Bahama Dr Michael Darville has spent near or over one million dollars on clean up on Grand Bahama Island within weeks since the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew,” Mr Turnquest said.

“This is further evidence of this government’s reckless disregard for transparency when it comes to the people’s monies. While there is no attempt here to politicise the devastation left by Hurricane Matthew, I, and by extension the Free National Movement, hold a sacred obligation to the residents of Grand Bahama and the wider Bahamas to assure a detailed account of funds being handled on their behalf.

“Needless to say, Ministers Gibson and Darville must understand the international implications. Countries and groups from around the world are also pledging significant support to our nation’s relief efforts,” Mr Turnquest said.

Mr Gibson said Mr Turnquest’s comments are part of a wider FNM strategy to accuse the PLP of corruption in the lead up to the next election.