By Simon Lewis
FREEPORT, Bahamas (BIS): Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said Wednesday that during his next Cabinet adjustment he will create a new Ministry of Grand Bahama Affairs to bring more focus to the needs of that island.
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| Bahamas Prime Minister, Hubert Ingraham |
Ingraham, whose Free National Movement party on May 2nd 2007 was selected by the people to govern the country over the next five years, was in Grand Bahama participating in an FNM victory celebration at the Independence Park.
Grand Bahama, often heralded as “FNM Country,” gave the FNM five of the six Parliamentary seats on the island, helping the party to secure a 23-18 seat victory at the polls. Ingraham thanked Grand Bahamians for their continued support to the party and confirmed that three elected officials from Grand Bahama, Neko Grant, Ken Russell and Zhivargo Laing have been appointed to the Cabinet.
Neko Grant has been appointed Ministry of Tourism and Aviation; Ken Russell is now Ministry of Housing and National Insurance and Zhivargo Laing is the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance.
Ingraham told thousands assembled at Independence Park Wednesday night that “Grand Bahama, as is right and appropriate for your size and importance in the life of our country, you again figure prominently in the FNM Cabinet.”
Outlining some of their responsibilities he said that Ken Russell in his capacity as Minister of Housing and National Insurance will be charged with restoring integrity to the Government’s housing programme “and ensuring that people who have invested their hard earned monies in Government constructed house receive good value.
“Ken will give special focus to repairing, to the extent possible, the shoddy construction that a number of new home-owners are being forced to contend with particularly in a number of the housing subdivisions in New Providence,” he said.
Likewise, Ingraham noted that Russell will cause the orderly expansion of the Government’s housing support programme throughout the country.
“We intend to make as many Bahamians as is possible, owners of a piece of our rock upon which they can build their family homesteads. And we will not do it by way of political favour or influence,” he stated.
Turning attention to Grant’s appointment as Minister of Tourism the Prime Minister said that Neko knows as well as anyone how the tourism sector on Grand Bahama has endured neglect over the past five years.
“So among his orders of business is to get Freeport and Grand Bahama off the tourism back burner; take you to the front burner so that you could receive all the attention and take advantage of the opportunities you so richly require and deserve.
“And he will refocus the drive for a deepening in the local content of our tourism product. He will steer away from the failed mega anchor development programme we have heard so much about over the past five years and gear towards a more environmentally compatible tourism development plans for our islands.
“It is a plan that will foster a better mix of local and foreign ownership; a plan that will not threaten the sustainability of our resources and a plan that will ensure a strong tourism sector throughout our country for years to come,” Ingraham said.
He was also pleased to have Zhivargo Laing, the newly elected Member of Parliament for Marco City on the team.
“Your man in Marco City has assumed the very demanding and important post of Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance,” he said, adding that Laing will work out of his office in Nassau and will do much good for Grand Bahama.
The Prime Minister also advised that on Monday he expect the remaining Ministers of State to be sworn in and some of their complement of FNM Senators.
“There are so many good and bright people and we want to find a place for most of them to occupy,” he said.
Continuing, Ingraham said, “And I want to tell you I didn’t have time to do it now, but when there is next a need for me to adjust my Cabinet and as you know I will God willing. When there is a need for me to adjust my Cabinet lineup, I shall God willing create a Ministry responsible for Grand Bahama affairs only.”
He said that Ministry in Grand Bahama will have everything the Ministries in New Providence has; its own Permanent Secretary, its own Deputy and a full staffing will be in Grand Bahama.
In the meantime, Ingraham said his government will now go about finalizing their legislative agenda for their first year in office to be presented on May 23rd 2007 when Parliament is open “in the Sunshine in Rawson Square.”
Also the Prime Minister said they are busy reviewing the many deals and contracts that the former government rushed to conclusion in their final days and weeks in office.
He was also critical of the former administration for their political interference in the electoral process. He said they did their best to keep the FNM out of office and that they (former Government) were up to shady business in nearly every constituency in our country.
According to Ingraham, “There is something fundamentally wrong with a political party that will torment people in genuine need of assistance for their selfish political reams. That is just plain wrong and the FNM will not do that " |
