By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT - Grand Bahama FNMs are condemning the ousting of 42 Urban Renewal workers on the island and calling on the PLP government to renew their contacts.

Neko Grant, MP for Central Grand Bahama; Peter Turnquest, MP for East Grand Bahama; Senator Kwasi Thompson, and former candidates Norris Bain and Pakesia Parker-Edgecombe held a press conference at FNM Headquarters on Sunday to express their concern.

Mr Grant believes it was "heartless and insensitive" of the PLP to send Bahamians onto the already lengthy unemployment line.

"In the middle of the worst recession in the history of our country, the PLP government is now leading the way in creating unemployment, he said.

"This is a slap in the face to Grand Bahama, and workers everywhere in the Bahamas should be concerned and fearful for their future. This is the wrong action and the wrong message to send to Bahamians."

"We urge the Christie administration not to send these workers home and to make allowances for the absorption of these workers in the public sector as we in the FNM did in 2007."

Mr Grant revealed that four individuals from the Ministry of Housing's small house repair programme were among the 42 - the co-ordinator, the clerk and two technical officers.

MP Grant said that instead of finding ways to expand the economy and create opportunities to reduce unemployment, the PLP government is going in the opposite direction.

He noted that Urban Renewal was created in response to long-standing problems facing a number of inner-city communities in the Bahamas such as poor housing conditions and unemployment - all of which contribute to crime and anti-social behavior.

"Bahamians are reminded that when the future of Urban Renewal was queried in January 2008 by then PLP MP Melanie Griffin, calling on the Hubert Ingraham administration to come clean on the situation regarding UR employees in Grand Bahama, whom she claimed were to be redeployed, the FNM confirmed to the nation that despite allegations to the contrary there would be no terminations from the UR programme.

"Can Prime Minister Christie now give a similar commitment to these Bahamian workers or will he hide behind the PLP party line that their contracts are not being renewed?

"For Christie, in the face of such job losses, sending Bahamians home unemployed would be the height of hypocrisy and deception in governance and clearly demonstrates to all Bahamians that we cannot trust the PLP," Mr Grant said.

MP Peter Turnquest meanwhile, accused the government of "callous intimidation and unfair actions toward Urban Renewal employees."

He said: "In this particular version of Victimisation 2.0, the government uses the very lame excuse that they are justified in not renewing the contracts of over 42 UR contract employees in its Grand Bahama centres because these employees (who they previously said did not exist by the way), may not share the government's current 2.0 vision for the programme.

"Well, how dangerous is that justification? Firstly, what the government does not realise is that, unlike their narrow-minded motivations, these workers include FNM, PLP, DNA and others with no political affiliation whatsoever.

"It also includes professional who have the requisite professional qualifications and/or experience to contribute significantly to whatever programme they wish to present."

Mr Turnquest said it appears that the PLP is intent on a new course in Bahamian political culture - one in which all appointments and engagements with the governing party are openly-acknowledged political appointments subject to termination whenever there is a change in government.

"This is a very serious road to take in a small country like the Bahamas, where everyone is connected and related in some way," he said.

Mr Turnquest also called on Minister for Grand Bahama Dr Michael Darville and his colleagues representing the island, to speak out against "this intentional and politically malicious destruction of these people's lives and families - in the name of all that is decent, godly, and right.

"Demonstrate that you have the power of your convictions to support Grand Bahamians regardless of their political persuasion. Stand for what is right and fair to all concerned," he said.