EDITOR, The Tribune.

Do a large constituency of persons in The Bahamas work for the government? You bet your life they do! As a matter of fact, the government of The Bahamas is the largest single employer in this country. You might ask – should it be that way? I have no idea. I am not privy to the employment statistics of other jurisdictions around the world. And, furthermore, I have no opinion on the matter. All I know is that is the way it is in The Bahamas.

What kind of people work for the government of The Bahamas? Bahamians and foreigners work for the government for several different reasons. Some Bahamians and foreigners work for the government because it offers them a certain level of security of employment. As I understand it, it is extremely difficult in The Bahamas to relieve someone of their job; and some say damn near impossible if they work for the government. I do not subscribe to that philosophy.

I believe the government can “fire” government workers if they wanted to; but I believe that it happens not to be politically expedient.

What happens, then, is that the offending party is transferred to another department within the government. But, pray tell me, how does it solve the problem of a less than excellent, or a less than adequate individual still plying their nefarious trade within the governmental departments? No matter where this individual is transferred, he/she will give the government substandard  performance. I contend that this individual and other individuals like him/her should be excommunicated from the government, and cause them to search for employment in the private sector.

I’ll tell you a conundrum (given what I have just espoused) – I sincerely wish for these type individuals to find employment within the private sector. Yes, that is correct. After all, “Dey gatta eat!  However, it is quite clear that the government should not be feeding them!

Evidence that it is in the purview of the government to “fire” incompetent employees (without major incident) has just been presented by The Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF). It was just in the news that a number of officers were “let go” from the force for various reasons.

Don’t police officers work for the government? Yes, they do. Was it politically expedient for the commissioner to relieve these officers of their duties? No, it was not. Am I missing something here, or is it that police officers don’t fall under the same category as other government workers? I know that it is against the law for policemen to be unionised. Could that be it?  Could it be that if policemen were allowed to be unionised within the government, it would be difficult to get rid of the incompetent, the dishonest, the corrupt, and the criminal? Could it be? Well, I, for one, say “Thank God” that they are not allowed to unionise; because if they were, not only would it be difficult for the RBPF to disassociate itself with the misfits, but crime would run “off the charts” in this country.

Come to think of it, I can’t seem to remember (in recent times) any other department of the government announcing to the Bahamian people that certain incompetent individuals have been unemployed by the government. We always hear of transfers, but not “firings”. What can we do?

I’ll tell you what we need in this country is a Prime Minister and a government that has the testicular fortitude (balls) to “bite the bullet” and do what we all know needs to be done – separate the sheep from the goats – the good from the bad – weed out the undesirables.

Can it be done? I believe that it can. All we have to do as a Bahamian electorate is to return a party who views the five-year mandate (if they should win) as their only “shot” at governance. You only have five years. Do what needs to be done!

MARVIN G LIGHTBOURN

Nassau,

January 23, 2015.