By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

BISHOP Simeon Hall, former president of the Bahamas Christian Council, criticised both the PLP and FNM for failing to address lingering questions about Hurricane Dorian.

He also renewed his call for an official inquiry into the disaster, just a week after Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis dismissed the idea of a formal inquiry, saying it would be an inappropriate use of resources at this time.

Mr Davis claimed investigations would continue “administratively” to determine what happened and to gather recommendations on how to improve future responses.

In a statement released yesterday, Bishop Hall called it a disgrace that successive governments have failed to provide closure to the families of Hurricane Dorian victims after five years.

He said: “How a country pays reverence to its citizens who have passed, especially during an unprecedented event, reflects the quality that country attaches to the living who remain.”

“While the leadership of the Free National Movement was unable to match the crises Hurricane Dorian caused in 2019, I — like many others — still expect the ‘new day’ Progressive Liberal Party government to provide reasonable and sufficient answers to the families of the dead, the missing, and those impacted by this devastating storm. We must help these people establish closure for their loved ones.

“Hurricane Dorian was an appropriate time for both political parties to unify the country, but our leaders missed that opportunity miserably. Both parties have contributed to our nation’s remarkable progress throughout the years, but some members of both parties lack creativity and are out of their depth during national crises.”

Last month marked the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Dorian’s landfall in Abaco and Grand Bahama. The devastating Category 5 storm killed more than 70 people and left scores more homeless.

Bishop Hall called on both parties to unite and establish a formal Commission of Inquiry to finally bring peace to the families of the deceased.

“To this day, we often hear stories that persons who lived through this traumatic hurricane are still traumatised by the onset of rain and gusts of wind. We must help these people achieve some level of closure,” he said.

“Some say a formal Commission of Inquiry might be too onerous and expensive, but some other official government-endorsed mechanism must be put in place. The families of those who died or remain missing are owed an official position from the Government of The Bahamas.”