Bannister calls for answers over web shop donations claim

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."

Comments

spoitier says...

I agree that if the PLP took donation from someone who is running an illegal business it is a blackeye, but the question of how many web-shop have they close down since taking office is a foolish question because they shouldn't have met none open if the FNM did they job concerning them.

Posted 6 June 2012, 3:21 p.m. Suggest removal

Ironvelvet says...

Agreed!

Posted 6 June 2012, 3:24 p.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

Desmond Bannister was excellent!! Future PM material if ever there was one!! As for lefgalizing gambling I'm ok with it as long as the criminals currently numbers ARE NOT INVOLVED IN ANYWAY! If you're gonna legitmize it then do so properly and do not allow criminals to run it!!! But this is the PLP. Wonder when Brave is going to go to court to defend himself. And you guys at the Tribune need to do your job better too! I'd like to know if my DPM can travel to the US! I'd like to know exactly what crime my DPM is accused of in court!! Time to get rid of the criminal elements in our government, we are sick of it!!

Posted 6 June 2012, 3:36 p.m. Suggest removal

242 says...

Posted 6 June 2012, 4:05 p.m. Suggest removal

242 says...

Posted 6 June 2012, 4:08 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Please you red shirts Comrades. Under the red shirts regime the numbers racket has been popping up everywhere like you were buying milk and eggs. Its as close as your home or work computer. In power for 15 long years and you never could decide if you were for it or against it. Personally, to legalize the numbers racket should not be on PM Christie's Within100 Days List and i encourage the PM to rethink this bad move. Do we really want to encourage our young people to enter the numbers racket for employment?

http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2012…

Posted 6 June 2012, 4:11 p.m. Suggest removal

PKMShack says...

From LOP days Bahamaians have been buying numbers. Gambling have and will be here to stay, No Government since 1973 has the courage to attempt to close them down and keep them closed. TAL your last few sentences, are you serious, "Do we really want to ecouarge our young people to enter the numbers racket for employment" they have been doing that since 1973. FNM AND PLP will always blame the other when the other party is at the helm. Bannister should be asking why did the FNM not shut down the business prior to May 7.

Posted 6 June 2012, 5:52 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Are you really for legitimizing the criminal operators of the numbers houses?

Posted 6 June 2012, 5:58 p.m. Suggest removal

concernedcitizen says...

i don,t know ,wasn,t it alright for Percy Munnins,,heck they even closed the race track so numbers were the only game in town

Posted 6 June 2012, 6:30 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Perc was a dear friend and i can assure you that he had nothing to do with the Racetrack closure. The Racetrack had operated for most of its history as a money loser. The fact that the Pindling were ill-advised to ventured into owning Hotels on the Cable Beach strip, directly across from the Racetrack, may have contributed to its closure, but certainly not Perc.

http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2012…

Posted 6 June 2012, 7:12 p.m. Suggest removal

concernedcitizen says...

nice pic ,my father had horses there ,cowboy was his trainer ,gary bain rode for him and the diamond kids ,anthony and charlie gibson ,the good .the bad ,and the ugly ,clipper , bee bee ,,,,just a few of the horses i remember...saw A Gibson a few years back ,,,,ahhh memorys

Posted 6 June 2012, 7:35 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Remember George Capron and Harold Munnings?.

Posted 6 June 2012, 8:44 p.m. Suggest removal

concernedcitizen says...

just talking to my dad bout some of them the other day ,,,Ivan,abaco , was going to do some sort of scrap book

Posted 8 June 2012, 11:45 a.m. Suggest removal

positiveinput says...

As a young Bahamian who only heard brief mentions that there was a race track or an airport near the sport center complex, its really good to see an acutal picture. Where can I go to see more of these historic memories.

Posted 8 June 2012, 9:53 a.m. Suggest removal

MartGM says...

try oldbahamas.com They're also on facebook (Old Bahamas).

Posted 8 June 2012, 10:53 a.m. Suggest removal

positiveinput says...

Good looking out MartGM, the site was very helpful.

Posted 11 June 2012, 1:43 p.m. Suggest removal

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