Oban Energies deal and the rule of law

EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE Bahamas National Trust has come out strongly against the Oban Energies deal the Government has signed citing potential environmental damage to the nearby National Parks.

Their concerns are reasonable and coming from the country’s most important environmental group add weight to the controversy surrounding this arrangement.

But the main reason to reject the deal is more fundamental than potential environmental fall out. The Rule of Law comes to mind.

Signing someone else’s name to a document as reported, otherwise known as forgery, is sufficient evidence to reject the deal in and of itself.

After all the confusion the Government now claims the signature was forged on a “ceremonial document”. The signature remains forgery in that case too, however.

Not to mention all the, shall we say, giveaways and inconsistencies contained in the “official document” tabled in Parliament.

While the country’s economy remains on the ropes with few prospects in sight, desperation to get something done is a real political phenomenon, but one cannot fathom that the Government and its Parliament - the elected body of rule makers keeping us all in check - could in all conscience allow this charade to continue.

This is not to say some future arrangement cannot be made but this whole sordid affair needs a reset.

RICK LOWE

Nassau,

March 18, 2018.