EDITOR, The Tribune.

On this, our 50th anniversary year of Independence and days before our Emancipation Day holiday, I am putting pen to paper to question what I consider to be a glaring anomaly.

Why is it that we, in 2023, are supposedly considering yet another replacement for the ‘House on the Hill’ as the country’s official representative of the King of Britain? Am I alone in seeing the irony in all of this, 50 years later, as well as in the fact that we are also talking about another (supposedly hefty) pension payment line being added to the country’s bottom line!

Think about it: we have had as Governors General (some of whom received their top British Honours), namely, Sir Milo Butler, Sir Gerald Cash, Sir Henry Taylor, Sir Clifford Darling, Arthur Hanna, Sir Orville Turnquest, Dame Ivy Dumont, Sir Arthur Foulkes, Dame Marguerite Pindling, Sir Cornelius Smith, and now, another being rumoured to be appointed. This makes a total of 11 new people in 50 years in a British monarchy “appointed” post in an independent country. By simple division, this amounts to a new appointment roughly every five years... ie each election cycle, with the majority of the candidates known PLP appointments.

Let me hasten to add here that all of the appointees were and are wonderful people, of stellar reputations, some of whom even went to school with my parents!

However, do we, the general public, know exactly how much of our money comes directly out of the Treasury (or is it out of the National Insurance coffers?) to pay them and their pensions? Would the present Minister of Finance be so kind as to inform we the people, in true transparency, as to what the total figure might have amounted to over the years? I also would like to ask the question: Do the spouses or/families of the appointees continue to get their pension if they die before them?

Therefore, in light of the fact that we, the regular people, have been told that there is a clear possibility that there will not be enough money in NIB in a few years to pay us, who have been contributing all our lives since NIB came into effect, our pensions, don’t you think that this present state of affairs should be re-examined?... just asking, because inquiring minds, and pockets, would like to know!

Are we truly free?

Happy Emancipation Day, Bahamas!

PAM BURNSIDE

Nassau,

August 4, 2023