The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I make no bones about it. Over the years I have been an adviser to all of the leaders and wannabe leaders of our wonderful nation. 90% of them who followed my advice and adopted the tactics advocated by me went on to become Prime Ministers. Those who failed to do so either never ascended the greasy pole or they were voted out of office big time and had to withdraw from the public arena with their tails between their legs. Except for the late great Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling, they are all alive so if anyone doubts me or if the people who are alive wish to challenge me on this, please let them do so at their own peril.

At one juncture or the other I had high hopes for the Hon. Orville Tommy Alton Turnquest, former Deputy Leader and Leader of the Free National Movement. His father, the Hon. Sir Orville Turnquest, also a former Deputy leader and Deputy Prime Minister cum Attorney General of our wonderful nation was also one of my clients, politically. Sir Orville, would have made an excellent Prime Minister but he, like Brave, was saddled with a hard-nosed leader in the form of the Rt. Hon. Hubert Alexander Ingraham who was not prepared to relinquish power and precedence. Brave, of course, was saddled with Christie.

Tommy, unfortunately, never had what it takes to become Prime Minister. He and his Dream Team fellow traveller, the Hon. Dion Foulkes, were doomed to fail. The rest is history. Christie blocked Brave’s political ambitions. Now that he is gone for good, Brave has emerged as the Real Deal Leader of the PLP. Already one is able to see; feel and smell the difference...refreshing and innovative. Brave, of course, needs to focus on the things that really matter. The race card is definitely not one of them.

The fiasco at Bahamasair requires the resignation of the Chairman down there. OAT Turnquest is the Chairman and he must accept responsibility for what went down. To now say that we are wet leasing alternative jet aircraft, at taxpayers’ expense, when it was he; his fellow board members and the Managing Director who caused this event, they all need to go home. I do not expect that Minister D’Aguilar to suffer any political repercussions if OAT , et al, is jettisoned.

Majority Rule Day while an historic political milestone should never have been designated a national holiday. We already have too many holidays which impact national and individual productivity big time. In addition, to even name a holiday Majority Rule Day is not designed to bring Bahamians together as one nation and one people. The name symbolizes an event wherein the black majority celebrate its ascendancy to political dominance. How do you expect the white or Conchy Joe Bahamian to celebrate? It will never happen.

No doubt, however, there will be some Bahamians, especially the black ones who will parade up and down ; getting dead drunk and/or high while celebrating and carrying on. The next day the facts on the ground will still reveal that Majority Rule Day is a misnomer big time. The white Bahamian and their black allies, regardless of political labels, will still be business and professional partners. The majority of blacks, however, will continue to catch economic hell until the very Rapture. To God then, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H. BODIE, JR

Nassau,

January 6, 2020