By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

A former MP yesterday blasted the sight and smell of raw sewage that he says greets Bahamian travellers and tourists when walking between terminals at North Eleuthera’s airport.

Stephen ‘Hank’ Johnson, ex-FNM MP for central and south Eleuthera, voiced his “embarrassment” with the much-used airport’s current state just months after the Government signed a $55m loan agreement with the Saudi Development Fund to finance its transformation.

Dirt, broken tiles, sewage, disorganisation and the absence of promised upgrades were among the complaints cited by Mr Johnson in a widely-circulated social media voice note following his recent trip from North Eleuthera to New Providence. Asserting that he is not being political, Mr Johnson urged  the Government to “get it together” because “we need to deal with it”.

Acknowledging the Saudi loan agreement, he decried the absence of significant progress at North Eleuthera’s airport to-date. Mr Johnson said that, while awaiting renovations and upgrades, passengers - especially tourists - should still feel comfortable rather than having to contend with disorganised lines, dirt and foul odours.

“I understand that they’re building a new terminal, but let’s make sure that our guests are comfortable. They shouldn’t have to come here in that condition, walking from terminal to terminal and sewage on both sides,” he added.

“I was rather surprised. I just couldn’t believe it. And I myself walked from one terminal to another and the sewage [was] on both sides of the walkway. I heard one of the guests say: ‘Oh, what is that smell?’ You know how I felt...? I couldn’t even answer the lady. Something needs to be done.

“The Government needs to step in there. Because I’ll tell you this. For the amount of flights that American [Airlines] have coming in - American had two, two of those jets in there. Delta came in there. Silver came in there, and then further down the road there, the White Crown there.

“You know how many jets was in there yesterday in and out of that airport? I can only average the amount of travellers as far as visitors was concerned yesterday. Based on what I’ve seen I’m sure there were over 3,000 passengers going through there. I may be exaggerating a little bit, but there were quite a bit. It’s disturbing.”

Mr Johnson continued: “Both governments were talking about this private-public partnership and getting this airport done. But as far as I can see here, there’s nothing happening with this airport to talk about the construction of a new terminal. I don’t see anything happening out there. White Crown is doing something, I think, which is private, but there’s nothing happening that I see.

“It has been months ago now, and this terminal has been planned for the last four or five years. Every administration is talking about it. This government went to the point where they signed an agreement with the Saudis. They got the loan from the Saudis, but there’s nothing happening.

“Being a person that’s been there and on stand-by watching what’s going on, they need to be more organised on the inside of the terminal. The terminal may be small, but they can organise themselves better. We know the terminal is definitely too small for the amount of traffic in and out of there, but they can organise themselves that they can make it work,” he added.

“In every day life, no matter how poor you might be...you can keep your environment clean. You can do that. And persons are getting paid to do that, and so I was disappointed to see the condition of that place yesterday.”

Calling for North Eleutherans and the Government to “get on top of things”, Mr Johnson said the airport is the “breadbasket of Eleuthera” welcoming high volumes of tourists regularly. “When you step out of that door, the dirt by the door, broken tiles right as you step outside, the dirt there; it was unbelievable,” he said.

“It was dirty. I walked from there to the terminal, the temporary terminal they have there for the passengers to wait in. When I stood outside, the stench of sewage was unbelievable. I looked to the east to walk towards going to that terminal. There was water on the left-hand side of that walk path and water flowing on the right side of the path. It was the sewage overflowing.

“The guests, the tourists, along with myself, had to walk on that walkway with sewage water on both sides to walk to that waiting area. And the stench of sewage was unbelievable. It was so despicable and so embarrassing,” Mr Johnson continued.

“...The North Eleuthera Airport is one of the busiest airports in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. And the dirt is not cleaned properly. The stench of sewage that the tourists had to walk through, including myself, it’s unacceptable, unbelievable. But it’s happening in North Eleuthera Airport and I said to several of the workers: ‘What’s going on here? What happened here? You all can’t find the one to pump this sewage?’

“And I asked one of the persons at the airport. I said: ‘What are you all doing?’ Folks, we got to get it together. I’m going to say to the people in the north: God has blessed you. Things are going well for you all in the north, but you got to get on top of things. I’m sorry, but the sight of garbage, the sight of sewage that your guests, which is our guests, have to go through - unacceptable in 2025.

“Are we playing a blind eye to what’s happening in these islands? We need to do something. And I’m calling on the various authorities in the Government, and the management and staff of that airport, please get it together. That is the breadbasket of Eleuthera. We need to do better. And those of you who are getting paid to do a job out there, I don’t know what the conditions [are]. I don’t know what is what, but someone need to step in there. Someone need to do something.

“I’m not being political today. I’m not being political. But it appears that those persons who are in authority, some apparently.. there’s scales on their eyes. They can’t see it and they damn can’t smell. Something’s wrong. We need to...we need to deal with it.”

Residents and nearby businesses are also “tired” and “frustrated” with the state of the airport. Gerald Stuart, owner of the North Eleuthera Craft and Snack place, a gift shop and deli located near the airport, said he had spoken with Dr Kenneth Romer, director of aviation, months ago about its condition and was promised it would be addressed.

Mr Stuart said: “It’s been 100 years since we’ve been promised the airport. All it’s been is promises. They’ve signed many agreements. Many, many agreements. So nothing is happening. I don’t see it. I right in front of the airport. My business is immediately in front of the airport. So nothing is happening.

“The state of the airport is it looks like a chicken coop. When you step off the plane and you look at the roof, it has tar paper on the roof. It looked like a chicken coop... And I spoke with Mr Romer personally. I spoke with him and told him the chicken coop roof looks terrible. The first impression of a tourist coming to the island, it looks terrible. His response is we can address it. They always addressing it, but nothing happens.”

As part of the Family Island Renaissance Project aimed at revitalising airports, the Saudi loan carries a 2.5 percent interest rate. There is a 25-year payback period with the first installment due in a few years. The loan promises an airport that will accommodate 400 passengers in the departure lounge, a complete overhaul of the terminal and a revamped runway.