By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

A RESOLUTION for the National Insurance Board to purchase the Rodney A. Bain Building was met with considerable opposition by FNM MPs in the House of Assembly yesterday.

Introducing the petition to acquire the structure on the corner of Parliament and Shirley Streets, State Finance Minister Michael Halkitis said the government was seeking approval on a “price to be mutually agreed” between officials at NIB and the Christie administration. When extensive renovations to the building are completed, the judiciary is expected to have full use of the building which will house both a Family Court and a Drug Court where young offenders will be tried for small offences.

However, with no mention during House proceedings of how much taxpayer dollars are to be earmarked for the building’s purchase and then overhaul, Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant said the government could not expect for the Opposition to support approval of a “blank cheque”.

“The government,” Mr Grant said, “has brought a questionable resolution to this House. It is unfair for the government to ask members to approve this resolution. I smell a rat. NIB is being used as the government’s piggy bank, another slush fund.”

He questioned whether the Rodney Bain building had been adequately appraised and inspected before the approval was brought to Parliament.

Mr Grant further reminded the government of what he claimed to be its long track record of mismanaging NIB funds to acquire abandoned buildings throughout New Providence. These include a building purchased to expand the Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport, which Mr Grant said has been vandalized and robbed of toilets and face basins, the old City Market building on Market Street and the J&L Building on Blake Road.

However, revamping the building according to Minister of Legal Affairs Damian Gomez will allow the Attorney General’s office to further advance the work of the Bahamas’ judicial system which has been described as slow and inefficient.

“We had projected,” he said, “that we would be creating a number of criminal courts and that the start date for that would be September. Unfortunately the practicality of ascertaining available space and making that space ready for court proceedings meant some delay.”

In addition, the government has already advertised for the post of four public defenders for those in need of representation, but cannot afford it. A needs assessment, along with the help of two Canadian consultants, is also expected, Mr Gomez said.

The Rodney A Bain Building once served as the Registrar General’s office and housed the Coroner’s and Magistrate’s courts.