Shane Gibson, left, and Frank Smith.
By Malcolm Strachan
HARKENING back to the election campaign which decimated the former Progressive Liberal Party government, a major talking point on the campaign trail was corruption. The Bahamian people, no stranger to this, can go back to the 80s where some of our national heroes were implicated as a result of corruption in government. However, though we’ve historically had challenges with corruption and slackness throughout our society, how many convictions have we seen?
The current administration had the electorate chomping at the bit to see transgressors who swindled the Bahamian people and abused their power do the “bank lane shuffle”. Indeed, headlines were made and opposers of the former government - a whopping majority of the citizenry - were gratified to seeing high-ranking PLPs handcuffed and escorted to the courts to be charged with crimes of corruption and bribery.
Yet, after two failed attempts at convicting former Labour Minister Shane Gibson and ex-chairman of the Public Hospitals Authority Frank Smith, the Bahamian people have become disenchanted. And why not? After two spectacles spanning more than two years and cases that couldn’t stick with a bottle of super glue, the general public’s main concern now is how much lighter is the public purse. Still in the dark as to how much was spent to retain and house hotshot QCs, the frustration felt by the Bahamian people is palpable.
With little belief left in the land of milk and honey the FNM government promised to deliver, many feel as though the time is ticking on voting out the current government. Certainly, they’ve not given us much reason not to. While initiatives like the tax-free zones in the Over-the-Hill communities, tax relief on breadbasket items and the push for small businesses, to name a few, have garnered some support, the knocks – increased VAT, incredible ineptitude and increasing power bills at BPL and a seemingly overall lack of organisation and cohesion with their approach to governance – may be insurmountable.
Now, those non-believers who doubted there would ever be a member of the political fraternity that would be convicted of alleged crimes look somewhat prophetic. And the government – as for them – one Kirkland “KB” Bodie song comes to mind. Still, as recent as last week, the prime minister was going on about corruption as a point of reference for the government’s implementation of BPL’s controversial rate reduction bond.
Remember the Speech from the Throne? Former Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling read: “My government will ensure that its ministers are held to the highest standards of constitutional and personal conduct. Consequently, my government will enact and enforce anti-corruption legislation for all parliamentarians and public officers.”
Yet, where is the legislation that was passed?
Additionally, last year, do you recall the prime minister’s assertion that the country loses $500m due to corruption? Citizens certainly had a good time mocking the shocking claim. Others simply wondered where he pulled such high numbers from and why weren’t those guilty of such corruption not locked away for the crimes. Not long after, in another international forum, he adjusted his estimation to a more conservative, but still astronomical, figure of $200m corruption losses. Though he didn’t provide any proof and quietly walked back from those questionable remarks, we know that our country is rife with corruption and so does the prime minister.
With that in mind, why hasn’t there been anyone else besides the Bahamian people paying for it? Also, where is the promised legislation and the enforcement that should accompany it? How can one think this government is serious about what they claim?
While there have been massive concerns with fiscal wastage and mismanagement across government-run agencies and ministries, why are the Bahamian people still carrying the burden?
The government’s introduction of its plan to finance BPL’s legacy debt and equipment modernisation through what is arguably an additional tax on the citizenry, has been more salt in our wounds. Surely, the government can be most efficient in this regard. But when it comes to chasing down those who’ve not paid their bills, identifying the beneficiaries of human trafficking and making what they sold to us as an airtight case against allegations of bribery and corruption executed by public officials, they either seem disorganised or unmotivated.
With the interest all but gone in seeing individuals from the previous administration pay for their alleged crimes, the government has before it a tall task. As we approach a pivotal year, the question citizens will spend much time mulling over is “What has my government done for me lately?” And with the increased taxes and rising cost of living and unemployment, the poor performance of BPL and dormant anti-corruption legislation, and while not responsible entirely, the government’s management pre-and-post Hurricane Dorian – will all, among other indicators, play a huge role in the electorate’s decision in 2022.
Simply looking at the voting trends, the Bahamian people tend to let the pendulum swing every five years. And as long as we feel our voices are unable to penetrate the political vacuum, when given the opportunity, we will be heard.
Within this year, the government needs to get away from the comfort of their political sounding boards and into their communities. Extrapolate what positive learnings they can from the criticisms they’re receiving and get to work. Mixed in with the politically charged opposition is thousands of people who want this nation to be great. It is imperative the government realises this.
Else, the cloud that they’re sitting on will be brought down to earth with neck-breaking force.
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 4 months ago
It's the back and forth PLP - FNM - PLP - FNM - PLP - FNM - PLP - FNM pendulum that has enslaved the vast majority of Bahamians and portends the Bahamas becoming a failed state in the not too distant future.
These two political parties are corrupt to the core and beyond rehabilitation. The survival of the Bahamas and its people is now very much contingent on Bahamian voters recognizing and accepting that the PLP and FNM political parties should be treated as extinct and never again be allowed to take the reigns of government.
birdiestrachan 4 years, 4 months ago
doc and the FNM wrote the book on corruption. What does doc think it was when he called the press to witness the OBAN contract. it is against the law to sign other people's name. the post office deal when he doc lied and say he did not talk to Symonette.
Frank Smith and Shane Gibson.case is disgraceful. only a real fool would believe the Government could get away with what was done in that case. I say God has left them to themselves. They seem not to know RIGH FROM WRONG.
bahamianson 4 years, 4 months ago
well, to avoid all of this, make a law to the fact that no sitting minister or whomever else can receive a gift valued no more than $200 dollars. This is just an example . If you are found to have received a gift/donation of more than that, then it is a closed case. We have to put laws in place to stop the abuse of power. The last time an individual sent emails trying to garner contracts for his family. We all saw the emails, it was not a mirage. It was also published that a minister received some 90,000 in a bank account in the states. His reply was, it was for his constituents. Really? A private donor gives a Bahamian politician money in the states for his constituents ,really. We all saw the bank account. It was not a mirage. I am not calling anyone guilty, but the present administration must put laws in place to stop politicians from benefiting from their position.Where is the benefit for each constituent.
DonAnthony 4 years, 4 months ago
This is so true, they FNM has disappointed in many ways: where is the FOIA, there is no promised travel expenses accounting, BPL is a mess, and the list goes on. But the alternative, the PLP is far worse, the same corrupt dinosaurs, who of us have ever called someone and asked them if they had any “ shingles” for us?😜 They may have blundered these corruption cases but we all know how the former govt operated, and w the same faces who would expect anything different from them. So we have the choice of the bad (FNM) or the terrible (PLP).
geostorm 4 years, 4 months ago
While there have been massive concerns with fiscal wastage and mismanagement across government-run agencies and ministries, why are the Bahamian people still carrying the burden?
@Malcolm Strachan, the Bahamian people are carrying the burden because we love to bury our heads in the sand. We talk about wanting a well managed country but we are not serious! When our coworkers sit next to us and waste time for hours on social media instead of serving the public, or go on extended tea/lunch breaks or walk away with several pens that belong to the government, we turn a blind eye.
We don't call people out on dishonesty or speak up when we know things are not being done right. *The general attitude is, as long as me and my family straight", then I really don't care, . Well as long as we don't speak out or take a stand in the little things, then the big things, will continue to haunt us and take us down the road of corruption.
If we took a stand against corruption and dishonesty in this country, then the two politicians would have not dared to do what they were recently accused of doing. And yes they were found not guilty, but every single Bahamian knows that there is some element of truth to those accusations. So, we will carry on, with our heads in the sand, while our country falls apart around us.
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 4 months ago
Stop worrying about what Frank Smith and Shane Gibson corruptly did, and start worrying about what Hubert Minnis is corruptly doing.
TalRussell 4 years, 4 months ago
Fresh me memory up notch back before any comrade Perry's administration's corruption time cause I did thought a judge had sentenced a former politically appointed comrade red shirts BEC board member to stiff prison term and I thinks it had something do with criminal case about his accepting money but not visibly slid over to him in such manner as to have been witnessed by a single one the other board members on the top boardroom's fine furniture's table - yet Perry should've seen everything going on away from PMO cabinet's boardroom table, yeah, no ... You can't make this corruption up, you just, can't.
Sickened 4 years, 4 months ago
We are just like our African brothers - corrupt, corrupt, corrupt. Somehow it makes us proud????
birdiestrachan 4 years, 4 months ago
donanthony the 200 million or the 500 million lost in corruption has doc found it? They brought in a QC from London and they could not win a frame up case a smear Don you have to admit doc is a master full liar.
And try to remember how he invited the press to Watch a man sign some one else signature OBAN
In case you did not notice Doc and your FNM Government has not improved the .lives
of ordinary Bahamians they have made their lives much harder.
Those fellows wrote the book on corruption and they carry it out so well.
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