The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

A CABINET minister is of the view that recent public comments by former prime minister Hubert Ingraham made it clear that there remains “a cleavage” within the Free National Movement.

Public Service and Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell, who is also Progressive Liberal Party chairman, in a message to supporters yesterday focused on events held by the FNM over the weekend in observance of the party’s first electoral win 30 years ago.

One of the events, an evening of reflection with Mr Ingraham on Friday night, saw Mr Ingraham allude to the legal troubles that have faced Long Island MP Adrian Gibson stemming from his tenure as executive chairman of the Water and Sewerage Corporation.

In June, Mr Gibson along with several others were charged for alleged offences related to his time at the utility company.

He is alleged to have illicitly gained more than $1m from contracts granted to Elite Maintenance and Baha Bay. It is alleged that he gained a financial advantage of a collective $1,279,532.97 after he allegedly received a variety of payments in cheques and wire transfers.

Mr Ingraham said: “We determined for good reason that we would not make MPs chairmen of the utility companies. Yet still we went and made Adrian Gibson executive chairman of Water and Sewerage Corporation and now we got all kind of egg over our face.”

Not only did Mr Mitchell take aim at these comments, but he also questioned former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ involvement in the weekend celebrations.

While the former prime minister was not seen by The Tribune at the reflection event, he was present for the party’s church service on Sunday.

“The FNM was celebrating that infamous date - the 19th of August, last Friday,” Mr Mitchell said in a note to supporters. “I think of the expression ‘When you dig one grave you dig two’. I think also be careful what you wish for.

“I say that because the party trotted out all of its leaders from the glory days. Chief amongst them was the former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham.

“No doubt the PLP is minding all of the live feeds to determine what it all means, but there are a couple of things which jumped out at me.”

He continued: “The first is that missing in action was Hubert Minnis, the immediate past prime minister and leader of the FNM party, who led them for almost 10 years and certainly led them into defeat last year.

“Dr Minnis is being treated like one of those old uncles who has a disease who everyone wishes would go and hide and who we don’t want to come around. Not a word of thanks to him.

“Instead they reached far back into another galaxy to revive and refresh former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and gave him the microphone, a comfortable chair and the bully pulpit to say what he liked and he certainly did that. The crowd, such as they were, packed into the Mackey Street headquarters, stopped and cheered. But I’m not sure if he exactly helped their case.

“It is clear that there is still a cleavage in the FNM party and Michael Pintard and present leadership are doing their best to paper over the cracks.”

Mr Mitchell went on to note that despite calls to supporters to put on a united front, Mr Ingraham “with his considerable political skills could not miss the opportunity to twist the knife” into Dr Minnis.

“Then the coup de grâce was throwing Adrian Gibson and the entire FNM argument that the PLP was picking on him under the bus when he said the FNM made the mistake of appointing Mr Gibson to head the Water and Sewerage Corporation and then he says ‘we the FNM have egg all over our face’. That’s what he said.

“Just what I said, be careful what you wish for and when you dig one grave you really dig two,” Mr Mitchell said.