EDITOR, The Tribune.
Dr Hubert A Minnis (FNM-Killarney), our erstwhile Prime Minister, has transformed himself into a “real” leader right before our eyes. This is remarkable in that less than a year ago, the good doctor had been written off by many Bahamians and political pundits. I must confess that while I had endorsed him to become leader of the badly demoralized FNM back in 2012, when he appeared on my then radio talk show, REAL TALK LIVE, I too had my initial doubts that he could rise to the occasion.
The coup attempted by Loretta Butler Turner and her ill-fated band of plotters failed miserably. She flirted with political flakes; hacks and gadflies. She scored many headlines and was the darling of talk radio and the print media. Some of you thought that she possessed “the right stuff” to outflank Minnis and to become the first substantive female Prime Minister of our wonderful nation. We now know that she had a bigger bark than her bite. She has been vanquished, politically, and her career in the public arena may well have come to an end. Sad but it is what it is. Politics is “war” by a different name. When you strike at an enemy, perceived or real, you must take him/her out with speed and deliberation. She failed and is now history.
The PLP has the right philosophy but the current leaders, across the board, are out of touch with reality. They were reduced down to the irreducible minimum in the halls of parliament. Already there are rumours of infighting and jockeying for ascendancy by all and sundry. They are all tarnished by allegations of the highest order, yet they say that they are “the best and the brightest”, no pun intended, that the PLP has to offer. Whatever they do have to offer will be of no threat to the administration of Dr. Minnis. This man has transformed himself into a political giant and master of all that he surveys.
There is no witch hunt and the PLP, et al, must come to terms with reality. If anyone connected with the defunct Christie administration and within the higher ranks of the civil service are found to have been fleecing the taxpayers or engaged in acts of public malfeasance, they must be brought to justice, regardless of the fall out for any party or individual. The police must do their job and do it well, within the protocols of the law and within their constitutional authority... no more... no less.
Already Dr Minnis has delivered on several planks in the FNM’s electoral platform. Some cry that he has yet to lay out an economic plan. I beg to differ. The mere fact that the Minnis administration is moving to acquire a substantial stake in Our Lucaya in Freeport bodes well for the reactivation of Grand Bahama’s economy. This island is the second largest population centre with thousands of Bahamians out of work due to the decades long downturn in that island’s economy under successive governments. It is past time that we get Grand Bahama, with an emphasis on Freeport proper, up and running as soon as possible. I love the plan to reopen that property before the year’s end.
Crime is already being addressed even if the homicides continue unabated. There is some lose talk about the death penalty but do not look for that to be reintroduced anytime soon. We are shackled by the dictates of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Unless and until we amend our constitution to reflect otherwise, there will be no state sanction execution in this life time. Our Criminal Justice System and the penalty concepts must be revisited.
There should be mandatory fixed sentences, without parole or early release, for specific crimes. The dreaded Gun Court must be reintroduced with a mandate to deal effectively with convicted gunmen and illegal ammunition dealers. A dedicated Drug court would also go a long way in sending the right message to the purveyors of death and destruction. Many of us have come to regard marijuana and alcoholic beverages as normal but, trust me, except one exercises control those substances, especially when combined, are toxic. The sub culture must be eradicated. As a medical doctor, the PM, should be well aware of the immense human costs and lost in national productivity which occurs when we turn a blind eye to these twin societal issues.
There needs to be a great transformation in the way we conduct public affairs in our wonderful nation, with a doctor in the house, as opposed to yet another lawyer, we will be ok for the long haul. Dr Minnis, like him, hate him or whatever else, is the Great Transformer. He is not eloquent but he’s an astute individual who survived against all odds to become Prime Minister. He reminds me of President Donald J Trump over in the USA. I have no doubt that Trump will make America Great Again, as will Dr Minnis will do with The Bahamas. To God then in all things, be the glory.
ORTLAND H. BODIE JR
Nassau,
July 29, 2017.
Comments
sheeprunner12 6 years, 8 months ago
The "erstwhile Lodge brother" is singing for his supper from his Hiram kindred????? ........ smdh
DDK 6 years, 8 months ago
MR. BODIE, KINDLY DO NOT EQUATE DR.MINNIS WITH TRUMP.
ohdrap4 6 years, 8 months ago
this man sails where the wind blows:
http://www.tribune242.com/news/2017/f...">PLP is the best choice
CatIslandBoy 6 years, 8 months ago
Does anyone still pay attention to this Bodie fella? He is so full of himself, looking for recognition wherever he may get it.
milesair 6 years, 8 months ago
Please don't compare Dr. Minnis to Trump. If their is a comparison, The Bahamas is in big trouble! The Trunpster is on a fascist binge. He is now advocating for the police to continue to use police brutality which is something that already occurs practically everyday in major cities in the U.S. usually involving Black and Brown people and sometimes even white people. He continues to try to pass legislation disguised as healthcare which is really nothing more than another big tax break for Trump, his family and his rich corporate friends. This so called "heathcare bill" would take millions of people off of Obamacare and leave them with no healthcare period! He is using the office of President to rake in millions of dollars for himself and family. Trumplethinskin is also trying to destroy freedom of the press by branding everything that the press says about this ego idiot "fake news" if he doesn't like what the press says especially about himself or his family. To hell with the truth. This ego maniac wouldn't know the truth if it bit him on his behind! tRump is the biggest liar the world has ever seen!! He makes statements all the time that he turns around and then contradicts himself with a straight face. He also rules by "Twitter decree." One scary thing about the Trumpster is that he has the religious right fooled into thinking he is a messenger from God himself which is in and of itself absolute insanity. The most dangerous thing about this jackass is that he, like most Rethuglicans does NOT understand, much less read the U.S. Constitution and would like to just throw it into the trash and set up a dictatorship. He is well on his way. He is taking the U.S. back to the "stone age" and he will make the U.S. a nation of the rIch, by the rich and for the rich. He is also well on his way to starting WW3 by trying to start conflicts with Iran and China. He has a General in the military who wants to nuke China as if the Russians wouldn't object to having their next door neighbor nuked. The U.S. already has wars going in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and other nations but there is money to be made by the military industrial complex in warfare. It keeps the economy going, you see! This man is a true abomination if ever their was one! PLEASE, no comparison between Trump and Dr. Minnus. Trump is making America a fascist state and not great again for sure!
DDK 6 years, 8 months ago
Right you are! As I said previously, no comparison please.
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 8 months ago
"There needs to be a great transformation in the way we conduct public affairs in our wonderful nation, with a doctor in the house, as opposed to yet another lawyer, we will be ok for the long haul."
Not by a long shot. It's business as usual, just look at the board appointments. No one who had the efficient and effective running of those organizations would have submitted that list...with dead people to boot.
If the rumors of the selection for the new Financial Secretary are true, what we have in office is the PLP in FNM clothing office. Business as usual, taking care of the cronies, good of country be damned.
Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years, 8 months ago
Munroe is obviously not too bright a QC. As a member of the Bahamas Bar Association, he has effectively confessed to having violated several key provisions of the code of ethics (embodied in a statute) applicable to all attorneys practicing law in the Bahamas as well as other rules of conduct that apply to members of the Bar. He has very deliberately (albeit possibly unwittingly - even as a QC) made his unethical conduct a matter of public record and an appropriate complaint should be properly lodged with the Bar Association so that its investigation and disciplinary committees can discharge their respective statutory duties as regards Munroe's wayward and wrongful conduct as a licensed attorney. The Attorney General's Office may also feel compelled to look into the conduct of Munroe! Munroe purports to have hard evidence of the criminal conduct of others (who are not his clients) but does not see himself duty bound as a licensed practicing attorney and an officer of the court to turnover such evidence to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. His conduct, according to his own confession, is tantamount to aiding and abetting the illegal acts of individuals who are not his clients. This surely cannot be considered tolerable conduct by any practicing member of the Bahamas Bar Association!!
sheeprunner12 6 years, 8 months ago
Hubert Minnis is a far superior leader to Philip Davis ........ The FNM bench is of better quality ......... The support base of the FNM is more dynamic and youthful ........ The FNM is more transparent and democratic ........... The mountain of past sins and public malfeasance of the PLP is getting higher ............ The stalwart councillors of the PLP (decision makers) are probably all over 60 years of age ........... The PLP is a political dinosaur ......... Gambier House has become Gambier Museum ................ OHB3 needs to advise the Pingdomites to retire NOW
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 8 months ago
I agree that they are less scummy. The comparisons are meaningless now, they in charge. And none of it matters if they continue the same cronyism. The country will continue to be stuck in the mud if they continue the practice of appointing politicians, "well known" figures with nothing to recommend them other than name recognition, pastors and campaign officials to government boards. These boards are overseeing organizations that we need to run efficiently and effectively in order to realize savings and deficit reductions. If they appoint space fillers we are no better off than we were with Futzgerald, he just more unappetizing.
The board appointments are very troubling, what progressive advice do they expect to get from the majority of these people?
sheeprunner12 6 years, 8 months ago
The Board system is an antiquated pre-Independence mechanism that should be disbanded ....... We need parliamentary committees like in the US where the public can have access to how these government agencies are operated ........ At least 50% of these 104 Boards are not necessary at this time
How much do these 104 Boards cost the Government Treasury each year????????
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