By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION Leader Philip “Brave” Davis was subjected to a “lose-lose” dilemma by the actions of “men hungry for power” during his tenure as deputy prime minister and minister of works, according to former Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller.

In addition, while addressing allegations of misfeasance within the former administration, Mr Miller also told The Tribune he was sickened over the mention of many of the claims being presented to the public. However, he said, there were many good people in the Christie Cabinet who he did not think were aware of some of the allegations now being brought to the forefront.

Speaking about Mr Davis, Mr Miller said: “Hindsight is 20/20, if he knew then half way through that term what he knows now, he would have begged (former Prime Minister Perry) Christie and those closest to him, to all walk away.”

Current Works Minister Desmond Bannister on Monday revealed that under the Christie administration, public/private partnerships were not coordinated through the Ministry of Works and were allowed to begin without technical experts at the ministry weighing in on a number of matters relating to them.

Mr Bannister also made public details of a letter penned by Mr Davis in which he warned Mr Christie that members of Parliament were “authorising contractors to undertake capital and property maintenance works” to be paid by his ministry without the Ministry of Works’ consideration and approval.

Seeming to defend Mr Davis’ past actions, Mr Miller told The Tribune that he believes that the letter was only written because the Cat Island, San Salvador and Rum Cay MP felt as if he was “at the end of his rope.”

“In his mind, him being a man of the people and wanting the best for this country, he knew things had gotten to a point where things could no longer be salvaged,” Mr Miller said.

“He took exception because he knew the situation was of grave concern and he was in an awkward spot.”

Mr Miller suggested that a “select few” in the former Cabinet saw their close bonds with Mr Christie as a “ticket” to do as they pleased when they wanted to.

While he did not name these ministers directly, Mr Miller said for many of them, their “over-exuberance” to do right by Mr Christie and his bid to stay on and keep power often led to these persons “overstepping.”

“Each minister believed that they could do what they wanted to do. This was particularly the case with works and infrastructure contracts and as much as it hurts my head to consider where that brought the party, the facts show that they did what they saw as best for re-election.

“As the man responsible for infrastructural upkeep of the country, Brave was in a lose-lose spot because it is hard to stop men hungry for power.”

Offering some insight into the working dynamic between the nation’s former leader and his second in command during their 2012-2017 tenure, Mr Miller indicated that there were “struggles” between the two men at “a number of junctures.”

Mr Miller said the “power struggle” only intensified when Mr Christie walked-back plans to step down midway through his second, non-consecutive term as prime minister.

Before the 2012 general election, Mr Christie said if elected, he would step down half term and make way for a successor. However, he later said he intended to serve a full term and was elected for a second non-consecutive term.

“Now if you remember, Mr Christie said he was going to serve only half the term,” Mr Miller said. “I mean, if you sit as the DPM, you assume that you would ascend to that spot, right?

“That time came and went. (Mr Christie) was still in place, and to make things even stranger, those select few was making moves as if they were the man himself.

“We look at that Perry-Brave ticket and think one thing, but you have to remember, Brave once wanted to challenge Christie.

“One party didn’t want to make the party look bad so he sat back the way you should and wait. In his mind, he was doing the right thing. But look how it worked out.

“I think it was a situation of ‘I am in charge and I am going to stay on,’ that was a big deal. One wanted to retain power, the other wanted to reach that goal.”

Asked if the failures and short-falls of the former administration would hinder Mr Davis’ political future, Mr Miller said only time would tell.

“People are going to see Mr Davis for who he is. He has always been the go-to-man for everyone that has worked with him because he has a heart for the people and doing right by them.

“Brave is always going to try his best to help whoever he can and that hasn’t changed. It’s a reason he still there; his people know what he is.”

‘Sick’

The former Bahamas Electricity Corporation executive chairman said he is disheartened by the things being attributed to the former government.

“I would say, the majority of the ministers were not informed, many of them were not aware that these things now being talked about, that these things were actually happening.

“No way in hell,” Mr Miller stated.

“No doubt in the world, you’re talking of persons the calibre of Damien Gomez, (Michael) Darville, (Michael) Halkitis; these men would not sit there and be a party to some of these things. That’s a fact.

“You’re talking about Glenys Hanna Martin, not in a thousand years these sorts of things could happen with her knowing. These are good people, and to imagine them sitting around a table and hearing these things; they would feel how I feel when I hear it now, sick to my damn stomach. All my head hurting hearing about these big ass contracts.

“I could say that Leslie Miller had no inkling that these things were going on. This (expletive) is ridiculous. But now, the party is carrying the label and we have to fix that moving forward. We have to work extremely hard to clear names and have a better future,” he concluded.