By DANA SMITH

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

FNM Senator Desmond Bannister has called on the government to respond to accusations they received "substantial" campaign donations from a "prominent" owner of an illegal web-shop.

In commenting on the Speech from the Throne in the Senate on Monday, Mr Bannister said the government's plans for a referendum on gambling is a cause for concern.

He asked why plans for a referendum on a national lottery and the decriminalisation of web-shop gambling are seen as an "urgent priority" by the government.

"Secondly," Mr Bannister continued, "the government uses the word 'decriminalised' when referring to web-shop gaming. In doing so, the government is clearly saying that the operation of web-shop gaming in the Bahamas is a criminal activity, and as such is illegal.

"In these circumstances it is incumbent upon the government to respond quickly to allegations that they received a substantial campaign contribution from a prominent web-shop operator."

He said the Bahamian government must protect its good name and implored the PLP to "firmly deny" the alleged donation.

"They need to put the rumours to rest, and I call upon the government to refute the allegation today," Mr Bannister said.

"After all, it is you who say that web-shop gaming is a criminal activity, and accordingly no Bahamian should feel that the government accepted a donation from someone who that government says operates a criminal business."

Mr Bannister also raised another related issue, and asked the government to reveal how many web-shop gambling houses they have closed down since they took office, last month.

"That's not a difficult question," he said.

Mr Bannister, who acted as Minister of Education during the FNM tenure in government, also questioned another promise from the Speech. He asked if the College of the Bahamas is ready to graduate to the University of the Bahamas.

"The plan to establish the University of the Bahamas, by itself, it is a noteworthy endeavour," he said. "We all want our own University of the Bahamas; however, one does not wake up one morning and create a university. It takes years of planning and implementing those plans."

With that in mind, he confessed to feeling "some discomfort" as a result of comments made by Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald last week in relation to the College of the Bahamas and the University of the Bahamas.

"For the record, the PLP did not leave the college of the Bahamas ready to move to university status. Anyone who suggests otherwise is dead wrong," Mr Bannister said.

"Secondly, under the FNM the College of the Bahamas made tremendous strides in moving to university status. Anyone who suggests otherwise is totally misinformed."

He said in order to better explain his assertions he would need to turn to the definition of the term "university", which is described in dictionaries as a higher learning institution that comprises both undergraduate and graduate divisions.

"So, in order to have a reputable university, one must have accredited undergraduate and graduate programmes," Mr Bannister said. "The major accrediting bodies are extremely jealous of their reputations. They will not accredit a university which has no graduate programmes. In 2007 when the PLP left office, the College of the Bahamas had zero graduate programmes."

Mr Bannister said it was under the FNM that COB initiated its first graduate degree programme - the MBA degree programme - which started in September 2010 and "will see its first graduates this year".

It was also under the FNM that the Master of Science in Reading was started in September 2011.

"And I am pleased to say that 20 of the 21 students in this critical initiative were granted special in-service awards," Mr Bannister said. "The other student was granted scholarship assistance. They are expected to graduate next year, and will certainly contribute to improving literacy among our students. I hope that the government does not cut their grants, as there is a critical need for these persons if we are to achieve the best results in the national literacy initiative.

"In relation to the University of the Bahamas, I therefore urge the government to follow the FNM example. Create a few graduate programmes of your own. Give them a few years that they can become both accredited and internationally recognised. Create a PhD programme so that we may become a Mecca for research and academic leadership.

"Once this is done, establish the University of the Bahamas. Let's not rush to become the laughing stock of academia by creating an inferior, second tier institution with the name of our beloved Bahamas on it."