By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRESS Secretary Clint Watson has refused to respond to controversy surrounding a leaked conversation he allegedly had with a Hurricane Dorian survivor over Hurricane Dorian memorial week.

Mr Watson was asked to confirm his involvement in a heated conversation with a Dorian survivor after screenshots of a private chat allegedly between him and an angered resident from Abaco made its rounds online.

The contents of the conversation were about the Dorian Memorial Week, the manner of which the events are being held and the terms used to describe it, specifically the word “celebrations”.

“This is a national press conference. I don’t want to address something as frivolous as that,” Mr Watson said during yesterday’s briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister.

“If I inboxed somebody regarding their concerns and questions regarding a concert and they chose to post that, that’s a different issue by itself that you chose to post something publicly without somebody’s consent and the police are here nodding their heads and so let’s not go into something that was done that’s illegal.”

Mr Watson also told reporters that he did not personally see the screenshots of the direct messages in question.

However, he admitted that he has responded to victims’ concerns about the memorial event by way of social media in the past, but did not confirm his participation in the leaked conversation.

“I haven’t seen that social media,” he also said. “I have talked to people who have inboxed me to ask questions and have asked things about Dorian. I’ve tried my best when I’m available to answer them and to explain and on a wider note, we’re going to talk more about how to get to the Dorian section and talk, give more clarification on the events.”

Dorian Memorial Week is scheduled to take place starting today to September 4 under the theme “The Courage to Rebuild.”

Events planned for the week include a weather symposium, Dorian memorial service, including a wreath laying ceremony and several memorial concerts, which will be held on Abaco, Grand Bahama as well as New Providence.

It will observe the third anniversary of Hurricane Dorian making landfall.

Some Dorian survivors believe the funds used for memorial week could’ve been used to further restoration efforts on the storm impacted islands, while others have called the planned activities “insensitive”.

Mr Watson said the government does not share those same views, however, and believes that given Dorian’s historical impact, a national memorial is necessary to remember the lives lost and also celebrate the survivors.

He also urged everyone to put their differences aside “to honour the purpose of the event.”

“For three years, there has been no national recognition of the biggest tragedy in this country. Nothing on a national level. This is the biggest tragedy with the largest amount of loss of lives that this country has ever seen,” he said.

“I liken it to what America does with 9/11 because it was their biggest tragedy and regardless of the difference of opinions in America, that are many every, every year, on 9/11, you don’t hear it. No matter who you are, as an American, you remember the biggest tragedy that your country experienced.

“The government of The Bahamas decided to do the same thing. We cannot just go on business as usual, as though it was just another hurricane. We cannot do that. There were scores of people’s lives that were lost that we don’t even know about who were swept out to sea.”

He continued: “How do you walk away from that and forget about it and say okay, so then of course it’s September 1, it’s Hurricane Dorian anniversary and never do anything on a national level.”

As for the monetary concerns associated with the event, Mr Watson said many of the private donors sponsoring it have assisted victims on the ground before.

“We can’t tell people where they can put their money as a private company - and guess what a lot of the donors have been on the ground working extremely hard right in the aftermath of Dorian,” he continued.

Nonetheless, he said, officials understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and that “you will not please everyone on everything.”

Hurricane Dorian hit Abaco on September 1, 2019, as a Category 5 hurricane before barreling toward Grand Bahama.

Nearly three years later, the islands remain in recovery mode.