Wednesday, October 29, 2025
By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Staff Reporter
dmayaock@tribunemedia.net
THE government’s decision to fund accommodations for some Bahamians who visited Jamaica for a wedding but didn’t leave ahead of Hurricane Melissa’s arrival has triggered anger among some Bahamians, including a grieving family still pleading for help to bring a loved one’s body home from Haiti.
The Davis administration helped with accommodations for some of the 50-strong group, who travelled to Montego Bay for the wedding of the brother of former Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield, but other Bahamians in Jamaica say they received no assistance.
One traveller expressed outrage online, saying she and others had to pay their own expenses despite arriving on the same flight.
“I’m here in Jamaica with not one word for the government, just a flyer from Bahamasair saying flight cancelled!” the woman said on Facebook.
In Moore’s Island, Sherry Russell noted that her family’s requests for assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have gone unanswered for more than three months as they struggle to bring home her brother’s remains from Haiti.
Her brother, Joey Russell, and another man, Shadrack Stuart, were shot and killed in Haiti in July during what officials there described as a drug-related operation.
“We are heartbroken because it isn't that we were asking the government for any financial assistance,” Ms Russell told The Tribune yesterday. “We were just asking the government to assist us with any paperwork that's needed to get our brother's body back home. That's all we wanted from the government.”
“Any documentation that is needed or if they can speak with those in the authority in Haiti, just to assist us in getting our brother's body home. So, to hear that the government is paying for these persons in Jamaica is very disheartening,” Ms Russell said.
Her family says Joey’s body has been held in a Haitian morgue since July because a local doctor is reportedly afraid to sign the release documents. Despite reaching out to the Prime Minister and the Foreign Affairs Minister, Ms Russell said they have had no response.
Ms Russell said her family has already spent more than $7,000 on costs in Haiti, including $3,500 for airfare and nearly $3,000 for transportation and documentation.
Her anger intensified after learning that the government was helping those who attended the wedding in Jamaica.
“I can’t even begin to tell you how I feel,” she said. “Our brother has been there from July, and I mean, you can’t assist us in trying to get our brother's body home but you could pay for these individuals to be in Jamaica,” she said. “They know the storm was coming. Why did they even go over there?”
Mr Henfield, a former foreign minister and Hurricane Dorian survivor, told The Tribune that the wedding group included residents of Abaco and Grand Bahama and that Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper helped secure accommodations for those who could not afford to extend their stay.
The group, lodged at the Dreams Rose Hall Resort & Spa in Montego Bay, was provided with meals and shelter as the Category Five hurricane neared Jamaica.
Comments
Sickened says...
Criminals in charge! The good times for regular Bahamians is OVER!!!! The politicians spending OUR money on themselves.
Posted 29 October 2025, 9:07 a.m. Suggest removal
Dawes says...
Isn't it obvious, the Government is run for the benefit of PLPs and FNMs. Sure when their party is in power they get more benefits, but when push comes to shove they will always get help, at the expense of the rest of us, whether in power or not.
Posted 29 October 2025, 9:29 a.m. Suggest removal
bahamianson says...
Politics that will backfire!
Posted 29 October 2025, 9:45 a.m. Suggest removal
bahamianson says...
Naming roads…politics, Olympic prizes… politics, administrative jobs…politics, who gets funding …politics, who gets scholarships…politics. This place is disgraceful! There are no laws to penalize politicians for untoward actions, campaign finance laws… nothing. How can a country vote no to the numbers boys and the Bahamas government dictatorship does what it wants to do? It regularised them . Now , they will be honorable men. Pathetic!!!I am done with voting because it doesn’t matter.
Posted 29 October 2025, 9:50 a.m. Suggest removal
Sickened says...
I'm with you. I'm so jaded with our corruption over the last +50 years.
Posted 29 October 2025, 11:47 a.m. Suggest removal
birdiestrachan says...
Please these situations are different. Some are alive the man is dead Who knows why his body has not been released. I HAVE never received help from either FNM nor PLP. My help has always come from God. So I owe neither any dam thing.
Posted 29 October 2025, 12:18 p.m. Suggest removal
rosiepi says...
I re-read the previous story regarding this decision, it doesn’t make sense.
Henfield was quoted that this government is funding those in the 50 member group who cannot afford an extended stay at the Dreams Rose Hall Resort where room prices are $300-$1000+/per night, ie. figure on every single member of this group.
Further he stated that “we’re leaning on each other for emotional support, especially those still haunted by the memory of Hurricane Dorian”.
I understand the gov’t sent a Bahamasair flight on Friday last to pick up any Bahamians eager to evacuate for their safety.
Strangely none of these so called “emotionally haunted” Bahamians were on that flight.
Nor were they on any flights before Norman Manley airport closed the following day.
Latest reports say the airport hopes to reopen ‘soon’ as no major damage was sustained. What’s the running tab up to now?
If a plane can be despatched tomorrow it’s at least $1,200 to $4,000 per couple assuming two per room that’s $30,000-$100K for 50 not so distressed Bahamians plus of course the cost of the flight itself.
Who wants to bet these poor damaged souls will be on the blower to BA demanding refunds for their flight missed last Sunday, last Monday?
Come to think of it how many flew in last Friday or even Thursday?
And why would they fly directly into Melissa’s path knowing, having experienced the destruction of a Cat 5 hurricane,,,knowing they’d be charged for every night they’d not paid???
Posted 29 October 2025, 3 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Yes, I too re-read x3 how the Davis administration helped with accommodations for some of the 50-strong group, who travelled to Montego Bay for the wedding of the brother of former Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield, but other Bahamians in Jamaica say they received no assistance. ---- Me arrived at the conclusion **that the complaint, former redshirts' minister, IS indeed one of the unfortunate 163 of the popoulaces' that sought medical treatment after they experienced being hit in the head yearly by coconuts falling from coconuts trees.**
Posted 29 October 2025, 4:18 p.m. Suggest removal
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