The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

Centreville residents offered divided views yesterday on the performance of the Davis administration as the country heads toward a general election later this year.

Some credited their Member of Parliament Jomo Campbell with stability and visible presence. Others said they feel ignored, see little benefit in their community and question the government’s priorities.

Edward Rahming, 78, who has lived in Centreville since he was seven, gave a neutral to slightly positive assessment of Mr Campbell.

“Ain’t nobody complaining who I know about — some of my friends and them,” he said.

Mr Rahming said he does not know Mr Campbell personally but sees him in the area.

“Not saying I know him like that, but I always see him down the road or whatever, because I think he live somewhere on the next road,” he said.

He said he intends to vote, continuing what he described as his family’s tradition of supporting the Progressive Liberal Party.

“This ever was a PLP house,” he said. “Mother and father, straight down.”

But Carew Street business owner John Sands said he has not seen his representative since the PLP returned to office in 2021 and does not plan to vote.

“I won’t dirty my finger and tote no line to vote for those guys, because those guys only looking out for themselves,” he said.

“They ain’t trying to empower the middle class. They taking the poor for fools. They preying on poor areas for votes by giving them turkey and ham.”

He said he sees little being done for residents and believes development benefits business interests.

“Look around here — the only things being done is for businesses that people in power own, so they helping their own business,” he said.

Mr Sands also raised concerns about job opportunities for Bahamians.

“They get the contracts and they sub it out to the Haitians,” he claimed without evidence. “Poor man like him can’t even get a security contract, yet they still asking for our vote.”

Centreville has been competitive in recent elections. Former Prime Minister Perry Christie held the seat for years before losing it in 2017 to Reece Chipman of the Free National Movement. The PLP regained it in 2021 when Mr Campbell won the constituency.

Kenneth Reckley, 55, said he worries about young men in the community.

“Coming from up the road there, nothing but children up there,” Mr Reckley said, referring to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. “You could count the elderly people up there — bunch of young men, 19, 20. Plenty of them have trades, so I don’t understand. But the only thing that be on my mind is these children because I getting older and one day they gonna be next.”

Vaughn Jones, who operates a memorial centre at Mount Royal Avenue and Talbot Street, said crime and vagrancy appear limited and credited the MP with maintaining stability.

“Jomo did a good job over the last couple of years in this area,” Mr Jones said. “I know he is more concerned with his constituents as opposed to business entities, so we don’t get a chance to deal with him like that.

“When five o’clock come around all these business areas shut down, so Centreville is quiet. But other than that I think he’s doing well.”

However, he said the government has not delivered on regulation of the funeral services industry.

“I wish some things could be done as it relates to the regularisation of the funeral industry because that was one of the things put forward, and that has not occurred,” he said.

“For years stakeholders have been trying to regulate the funeral service industry,” he added. “We’ve had meetings with government agencies like the Ministry of Health, but nothing has been addressed.”

Claude Higgs, 67, who has lived on Montrose Avenue for about 15 years, described the MP as doing a “great job” but raised traffic concerns.

“The only thing is you gotta be careful on this road,” Mr Higgs said. “I got knocked down a couple of times on Montrose Avenue and they ain’t stop, so they making plenty speed. They gotta put a stop light somewhere there.”

He said residents he knows appear satisfied.

“I satisfied with that because you can come out in the night and nobody gonna bother with you,” he said. “One time ago I used to be scared to come out, but now I can come out and nobody bothers with you.”

Elizabeth Rolle, who has lived on Montrose Avenue for 37 years, said she has never been approached by a representative.

“I’ve never seen anybody come around here and do anything for us,” she said. “Never had anybody come to my door.”

Though frustrated, she said she plans to vote.

“Part of me doesn’t want to because it feels like it’s the same thing no matter who goes in,” she said. “But if you don’t vote I guess you part of the problem too, so I guess I’ll register and do it again.”

She called for increased police patrols.

“Make sure the homeless people aren’t digging up in people garbage or breaking into people cars,” she said. “I’ve had someone try steal the generator out my backyard. It doesn’t feel as safe as it should because there are no patrols.”

Asked about the Davis administration’s overall performance, she said: “I ain’t see them do nothing, so I can’t grade the performance if there was no performance.”