PM urged to end 'culture of cronyism'

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER political candidate has urged the country’s new Prime Minister to end the culture of cronyism.

On Wednesday, Dr Hubert Minnis led the Free National Movement (FNM) to a stunning landslide victory, dealing a paralysing blow to the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).

During his speech at the party’s victory rally, he declared that those who have abused positions of trust “have something to fear”.

Farrel Goff, who ran on the Democratic National Alliance ticket in the 2012 general elections in the Golden Isles constituency, urged the new Prime Minister to stop the cycle of corruption in a post on social media on Friday. “Mr New Prime Minister ... no more cronyism,” Mr Goff said on Facebook.

“Appointing incapable inept vile persons to high and important positions due to political favour must end along with so many other things Wednesday night. Cronyism has stagnated the progression of this country and snatched the spirit out of so many good people.

“Mr Prime Minister you have an incredible opportunity to truly be a transformative government. Start with appointing the right/best persons in key positions to push this country forward and correcting the failures of successive governments.

“Yes it may mean pissing some people off who feel entitled or deserving of a “good government position” as a result of their loyalty to you or the FNM ... But be reminded sir ... This is now about country over party! Do the right thing. #NoMoreCronyism,” Mr Goff stressed.

At Thursday’s swearing in ceremony at Government House, Dr Minnis thanked “the Bahamian people for reposing their trust in my party ... We will honour this trust with an unwavering commitment to good governance, the rule of law, transparency and accountability. We will respect the constitution and we will abide by the long-standing and testing conventions of our parliamentary democracy,” he said.

Comments

tell_it_like_it_is says...

Ummm... I think we need to give PM Minnis a chance to perform before trying to tell what not to do. There's no need to get preachy *before* there's something to preach about.<br/>
Let's wait and see what the PM will offer. I for one, will give him the benefit of the doubt and look for positive things unless otherwise shown.

Posted 13 May 2017, 8:43 a.m. Suggest removal

ThisIsOurs says...

I say get preachy before they do crap. Let them know you watching, (and that's collective "them") I een trusting nobody but God this time.

Posted 13 May 2017, 10:35 a.m. Suggest removal

paperbahamian says...

During his speech at the party’s victory rally, he declared that those who have abused positions of trust “have something to fear”. Following through on this promise will do much to show the country that he is serious about ending the cronyism and corruption of the past.

Posted 13 May 2017, 9:33 a.m. Suggest removal

MassExodus says...

I think this great!

Let's keep the pressure on.

We are watching closely. I hope I am never given a reason to not trust this government.

End cronyism.

Posted 13 May 2017, 10:18 a.m. Suggest removal

mangogirl01 says...

I rejoiced knowing the PLP damn done but our new FNM govt. ain gonna getting no easy pass!

Posted 13 May 2017, 10:46 a.m. Suggest removal

OMG says...

Your right and that's because of the PLP straight and simple.

Posted 13 May 2017, 1:41 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Comrades! Does you share in the red's Illusion of the newly rich creation? You think the new red PM, will have a list of the people - he's promised, if the reds got elected, to make millionaires? Exactly, how and what does you have do to make it on the new PM's 'list of the lucky?'

Posted 13 May 2017, 1:56 p.m. Suggest removal

banker says...

Tal, Tal, Tal. Sigh. Again. There is no list. There een no money left. The likes of your party of criminals took it all. There are just patriots left. Thank God.

Posted 13 May 2017, 2:44 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Comrade Banker, if tis true there is no more money left in the public treasury - I guess, PM Minnis, is going be one depressed landlord' - considering 'the government' is a 'major tenant' the new PM?
Comrade, you can't make this stuff up!

Posted 13 May 2017, 3:10 p.m. Suggest removal

Reality_Check says...

New hefty government taxes, fees and borrowings are soon coming our way. Minnis will not be shrinking a bloated civil service that gave him his landslide victory. Nor will Minnis be reducing the mega-millions in handout entitlement programs recently created by Christie in an effort to buy votes because those same programs now benefit mainly supporters of Minnis. And let's not forget the many police officers who gladly took their promotions and pay-grade increases from Christie but nevertheless voted for Minnis - obviously Minnis ain't gonna roll back those mega-millions in new annual costs either.

Posted 13 May 2017, 4:52 p.m. Suggest removal

MassExodus says...

Tal you and Christie CARRY YA ASS

Posted 13 May 2017, 4:42 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Comrades! We recognize many of you now praising Minnis, as the very same bloggers who couldn't wait sign-on to these hereto Tribune blog pages, all excited to sing your praises in favour of the former member for Long Island Reheasa's, Coup.
Some bloggers have no shame!
And, the one's who were ashamed - simply changed their blog name handles, by the morning after 2017 General Election.
You fooling only thy selves!

Posted 13 May 2017, 5:02 p.m. Suggest removal

Well_mudda_take_sic says...

Thanks in large part to the mega-millions of dollars stolen from the Bahamian people over the last five years by the previous corrupt Christie-led PLP government, **our country is well on its way down the debt death spiral path**. And Minnis and Turnquest will soon be telling the Bahamian people that crooked Christie and his cohorts must be allowed to getaway scot-free because the FNM government has no resources to pursue them in an effort to recover what was effectively stolen from us in the course of their corrupt activities. Meanwhile Minnis and Turnquest will be seeking to significantly increase our government taxes and fees and our national debt, and by doing so will destroy what little remains of our economy. Merry Christmas!

Posted 13 May 2017, 6:27 p.m. Suggest removal

sheeprunner12 says...

We won't be able to close ALL of the loopholes to catch all of the PLP thieves, but you can be sure that Carl, the DOAG and KP will carry out a forensic inspection (an actuarial report???) of the past five year budgets

Posted 13 May 2017, 8:01 p.m. Suggest removal

Well_mudda_take_sic says...

Carl Bethel should never have been appointed AG. All of the old dogs in the PLP and FNM have for decades now shared the same fleas.....they are much too accustomed to playing political games without doing or accomplishing anything for the people. They have done nothing but grow our national debt and destroy our economy. Can't wait to see how many more of the old guard Minnis allows to creep back into government....so far we have two, Brent Symonette and Carl Bethel.

Posted 14 May 2017, 10:24 a.m. Suggest removal

Well_mudda_take_sic says...

The FNM ran a costly campaign that had to be financed by someone. Big financial backers generally do not part with their money without receiving certain assurances and commitments that more frequently than not benefit the big wigs in a very big way at the expense of the Bahamian people. Minnis most assuredly did not become PM without having sinned in terms of the special promises he had to make to the big financial backers of the FNM. Anyone who believes otherwise is a fool. Quite often it's this initial sinning that causes a PM to eventually say to himself: "Well da big wigs gonna gat theirs and ya know what they say - to da victor go da spoils - so I too should get mine!"

Posted 14 May 2017, 11:24 a.m. Suggest removal

banker says...

LOL. Your head is so far up your azz that you have tunnel vision. Do you know who financed the FNM? Bahamian business people who are sick and tired of paying taxes to enrich the PLP gangsters. You are just spraying shiite all over the place, hoping that something sticks. Carry on smartly. Erryone knows your true colours (Brown as in BS).

Posted 15 May 2017, 9 a.m. Suggest removal

Well_mudda_take_sic says...

Minnis would be the first to tell us that for years now most 'Bahamian business people' have been barely able to keep their businesses operating. The 2017 election campaign was by far the most expensive one the FNM party has ever had. For these reasons the FNM had no choice but to take hefty 'quid pro quo' type campaign contributions from a select few very large financial backers. It's also why we will not see the Minnis-led FNM government press much, if at all, for the introduction of campaign finance reform legislation. I'm really beginning to wonder @banker whether you even live in the Bahamas - you seem to know so little of what is generally considered by most Bahamians to be common knowledge.

Posted 15 May 2017, 11:22 a.m. Suggest removal

The_Oracle says...

One major "blame" this new FNM government can avoid is "unveiling" all of the commitments made to foreign Governments and entities like the IMF, WTO, OECD, EU-EPA, the Chinese by BOTH FORMER GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATIONS. Information on these timeline commitments went dark under the last FNM government, and remained there under the PLP.
Bahamians need to understand, voting them out does leave permanent garbage and bills, to be paid, commitments to be honored.
While the PLP Tiefing legacy is most raw, most in your face, the real legacy that will condemn them all is their foreign skullduggery hidden from the Bahamian people.

Posted 15 May 2017, 10:15 a.m. Suggest removal

Log in to comment