The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

While the details are grossly lacking about the “deal” declared by the Prime Minister relative to Baha Mar, right thinking Bahamians must give him the benefit of the doubt.

I am legally trained and was privileged to practise for many years at both the criminal and civil bars.

There will always be judicial and quasi-commercial matters which require sealing on a short or appropriate term basis due to the sensitivity of the complex issues involved.

Nothing sinister should be read into such a legitimate and valid Order by a court of competent jurisdiction. It is curious, however, that no representatives for the Chinese or Sarkis were present. The announced deal would have been more credible and convincing had they been there, in my submission.

Be that as it may, the Prime Minister is on a focused quest for legacy and it is highly unlikely that he would endanger the same by not ensuring the best deal on behalf of a glass-eyed Bahamian nation. It is a sad phenomenon that a majority of our people have been indoctrinated to simply want and/or look for a job and not the actual financial empowering themselves through entrepreneurship.

We have developed a physiological culture of governmental dependence and expectation for everything.

It is the self-assumed task of our beloved Prime Minister, however, at political risks, to wean our people, collectively, from this long debilitation syndrome. The PM, God bless his soul, must immediately task a committee or some other body to conceptualise; organise and roll out a comprehensive and totally non partisan public/private sector merchant bank by whatever name wished.

It is crucial and critical that Bahamians who have a realistic business and/or commercial visions are almost totally devoid of reasonable access to capital.

The web shop operators, I am sure, could be persuaded to pool 50 million dollars or so to partially fund such a venture. The government could sell savings bonds to ordinary Bahamians in multiples of B$100.00 to generate another 50 or more millions of dollars.

This is where real job creation and economic growth, above the anaemic 1 per cent or less that we have been witnessing this past term in office. The central government, despite its best intentions, is no longer able to continue to finance, at taxpayers’ expense, a grossly bloated civil service coupled with real or perceived allegations of slackness; corruption and sleazily behaviour with absolutely no accountability or transparency.

It is to be conceded that the roll out of the announcement of “the deal which is best for Bahamians” could have and should have been differently. In fact, for maximum photo ops I would have hosted the press conference at the convention site at Baha Mar surrounded by all cabinet ministers; Bahamian and foreign stakeholders, especially representatives from the Chinese owned bank and construction consortium.

No one wishes to rain on the parade of the Prime Minister and I wish him all the best as negotiations continue. The process to arriving at the same is very important and must, at the earliest opportunity, be explained to our people in a broad but genuine sense. It can be no other way if the Prime Minister is to lay yet another corner stone concrete block in his legacy platform.

The timely mobilisation and completion of Baha Mar is not to be trivialise by the opposition forces, such as they are. I expect an issueless and leaderless FNM to automatically publicly shoot off at the hip with a pair of loose lips. That is a given.

I would counsel my friends and supporters within the rapidly emerging Democratic National Alliance (DNA), however, to allow the PM; the administration and the courts the proverbial benefit of the doubt for the immediate future.

The PM will take the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), God willing, into the 2017 general elections.

Many of us PLPs do not like this at all but there is too much important work to be done and completed under his watch that we MUST, at all cost, extend him a few more definable years as he seeks to cement his legacy, as is his absolute right. This, to put in a wagering term is ‘the gamble of a lifetime’ for the PM.

He can roll his dices with the Chinese or bring in Bahamian players to the table.

In conclusion of the whole matter, now that the press conference has been, mercifully rolled out, however one sided, let us get on with the actual fleshing out of the manifestation and opening of Baha Mar.

In the meantime, however, they’ve asked for our trust, let us give it to them for now.

If it were only the PM that we had to factor in it might be more simplistic. We are looking at a flux and dynamic fluid situation where many wish to succeed the PM whenever he steps down or is forced to demit office by an act of God.  I make no secret of my very public and dedicated political support for the Hon Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, QC, MP (PLP-Cat Island; Rum Cay & San Salvador).

There are others, but, in my view, Brave is the logical successor who brings, more than anyone else, save the PM, to the table. He has our collective best interests at heart and is determined to take this wonderful nation to the next level. The gamble of a lifetime is not just about our beloved, even if sometimes vilified Prime Minister, but about all Bahamians. The throw of the dice is a very serious matter and we had better not throw a “snake eye”’! To God then, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H BODIE Jr

Nassau,

August 28, 2016.