Tuesday, September 2, 2014
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
FNM Chairman Darron Cash said Prime Minister Perry Christie’s failure to discipline Ministry of Works Parliamentary Secretary Renward Wells for signing a multi-million letter of intent with Stellar Waste Management is an “embarrassment” and calls into question the country’s coherence in relation to local and foreign investors.
Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Mr Cash demanded that the Prime Minister terminate Mr Wells from his position. He said the Bamboo Town MP had not done the honourable thing and tendered a resignation, therefore making him “bold enough” for the last few weeks to have dared Mr Christie to “put his foot down”.
He said Mr Christie had run a “flim-flam” campaign on the Bahamian people which underscored the “dysfunctional” nature of the government where it seems every minister is allowed to do as they please.
The Prime Minister told reporters on Friday that he was taking the weekend to deliberate over the findings of an investigation that was ordered into the situation before he made a decision. He added that a decision would be made imminently.
The Nassau Guardian has reported that Mr Christie asked Mr Wells to resign nearly six weeks ago; however he has not left his post. Since the controversy broke Mr Christie and Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis have faced a public backlash in the absence of definitive action.
Mr Cash said: ”To date, we have not seen any action taken in this matter. It proves that Mr Christie’s words cannot be taken at face value. We were told by both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister that an investigation would take place, such a suggestion was nothing short of a ‘flim-flam.’ It was an effort for them all to get their stories together.
“The Prime Minister must do the right thing. That involves terminating Mr Wells and enabling the country to move past this. A move as such on Mr Christie’s part would show that the Bahamas is credible, not only in dealing with Bahamian investors but with foreigners.”
Mr Davis said last week that the probe, which he ordered into Mr Wells’ actions, was complete and that the findings were sent to the Office of the Prime Minister. He told The Tribune that officials would direct full attention to the matter once the government’s legislative agenda had been completed.
The letter of intent bore Mr Wells’ signature and was for a $650 million waste to energy plant for the New Providence landfill.
Attempts to reach Mr Wells for comment yesterday were unsuccessful.
Comments
PKMShack says...
they voted for these gangsters
Posted 2 September 2014, 1:05 p.m. Suggest removal
Honestman says...
Don't worry, a pronouncement on the matter from the Nation's leader is "imminent". Believe that if you will. Basically PGC is just waiting for some bigger news story to develop that will take the focus off the Stellar Waste issue and then he will sanction a short press release saying that the investigation has revealed that the LOI was merely a non-binding letter of encouragement and as such there is no need for Mr. Wells to resign. You heard it here first!
Posted 2 September 2014, 1:29 p.m. Suggest removal
birdiestrachan says...
Imagine Cash demanding that Wells be fired what destroying the political career of a young Bahamian man do for Cash and his FNM party? Mr. wells deserves another chance , Mr. Christie will be dammed if he do and dammed if he don't. Mr. Christie can not please the FNM party or Mr': Cash . Mr. Cash will do well to find something worth while to do. besides finding faults. Finding fault is one thing but finding solutions is what the Country really needs.
After all Mr. Symonette who awarded himself the air port contract went on to become the DPM of the Bahamas.
Posted 2 September 2014, 2:08 p.m. Suggest removal
Cobalt says...
Ummm... Hubert Ingraham made Brent Symonette relinquish that contract because it was a conflict of interest! That's what leadership does!
No matter what follies the PLP is guilty of, you always blindly attempt to justify their crooked and incompetent practices! You're just another bias, partisan PLP fool.
Posted 2 September 2014, 3:32 p.m. Suggest removal
PKMShack says...
@ birdie PLP all the way if the leader of the country does not need to discipline his crew, then should we not insist parents discipline their children, after all we are reaping the results of non discipline in the country today. And if he should give him a pass on his mistake then just come out and say it. BUT that's too easy, PGC rather kick the can down the road. But you can understand this type of stuff because you back everything they do. You see nothing wrong with bad leadership. Bad leadership is bed leadership with PLP FNM OR anyone else
Posted 2 September 2014, 2:23 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Dr. Andre resigns as the government's whip in the House. If I am correct of Comrade Renard being the deputy whip - wouldn't he now have become the government's acting House whip? I guess the red chairman, along with Minnis and Loretta have been much too damn busy to have even noticed the awkward position it now places the much of his own mess to deal with, Renard in?
Posted 2 September 2014, 4:55 p.m. Suggest removal
themessenger says...
Have no fear comrade Tal & ostrich Birdie, Christie and Brave won't fire Wells, if they do then the REAL story will come out, and we can't have that now,can we?
Posted 2 September 2014, 8:45 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
"Ostrich birdie", LOL
Posted 2 September 2014, 9:02 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Excuse me, PM Christie did fire Comrade Renard but he gone all bunker-down in he parliamentary secretary's office. What in hell can a PM do - drive over there to strong-arm him? Remember, the talk on these hereto Tribune (red) blog pages is the PM is not being fair to his younger MP's, with the PM just days back having celebrated he 71st Birthday.
Posted 2 September 2014, 10:04 p.m. Suggest removal
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