The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

National Honours - when given/awarded like they have in 2019 become, in my opinion, worthless and totally redundant and unimportant.

Regrettably through political madness when the Bahamas National Honours were created it was not decided to retain “one set of honours” but now we must retain the honours given by Her Majesty (British honours) as the muck-a-mucks want their knighthoods — cheap man’s knighthood/CMGs, etc, etc.

Well striking 10.30pm London time yesterday the Queen’s New Year’s Honours for 2020 were announced. The Bahamas list read like a fairy story of antiquity and why double dipping.

Good news for ‘Sir’ Godfrey Kelly in his 90th year has finally been given a knighthood served under the UBP in politics — contributed to sailing and was an attorney for ever.

Now Dr Bishop, Rev Samuel Carrington Pinder we all have to ask why after being awarded in the summer of 2019 in the Bahamas National Honours... Order of Merit Cabinet thinks he should be sponsored for a CBE/Commander of the British Empire in the 2020 Queen’s Honours?

Again, Hon Tommy ‘T’ Turnquest in summer 2019 honoured by the Bahamas honours with Companion of Order of Distinction to also be honoured in the 2020 Queen’s Honours Awards with the Empire. Contrast Tommy did not qualify seemingly for the Bahamas Order of Merit on the level of Rev Carrington Pinder.

The sole and logical reason seems to be that Cabinet does not recognise the Bahamas National Honours on par with the Queen’s Honours.

Both our past Governments have been guilty of partisan choice and nomination of citizens for honours — for years now the UK Queen’s Honours have been awarded more and more to inspiring much younger people not people in their late 70s or older and certainly not with the prerequisite that the person has had to have some political linkage.

There are hundreds of meritorious citizens residing in the Family Islands who have contributed as much as the big boys in Nassau or Freeport; there are Nassau-based business people who have contributed enormously through their businesses employing hundreds, but for ‘politics’ no recognition.

Clean this mess up, Government, political patronage should not be attached to these Honours. Cabinet you have to explain just how Rev Carrington Pinder and Hon Tommy Turnquest were able to double-dip in both the Bahamas National Honours and now in the 2020 Queen’s New Year’s List… four months between the two honours being announced… nominations are processed and agreed solely by Cabinet.

T K SMITH

Nassau,

December 28, 2019.