Alfred Sears looks like the ‘dark horse’ for the next PLP Government. For the second time in a row, Alfred Sears caused Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham to jump out of his seat and leave the floor of the House of Assembly, where Sears hurled charges of NEGLECT and and MISTRUST by the Ingraham administration on the Bahamian people. Listen again as Sears slammed the Ingraham administration causing Hubert Ingraham to leave the Parliament floor where he returned just after Sears had completed his contribution.
Listen as Alfred Sears Slamming the Ingraham Government Today in Parliament!
The bottom line rb75, is that our country is in the worse state ever. I dont think it has ever been like this before. We got an old man at the helm who has obviously lost his touch and cannot make sound decisions anymore without basing them on spite and revenge. We are doomed and our only hope is to have sensible, innovative, younger people at the helm.
Minister Of Potholes is right and have some good points.
But let’s take a step back and look at what our country is doing right now.
The wuthless media is controled by the same people so there is no voice for fairness and free speech.
The FNM admin has become like an ostrich and stuck their head in the sand ..It pains me to listen to anyone right now from the FNM beacause they now not making any sense.
Obama is going to do what is right for America and we should do what is right for the Bahamas and as far I see the government is not and has not passed any lesgislation for Bahamians ..yes he has presented to the parliamnet a “itso factso hand out” but does this go far enough after the facts stated that this admin was responsible for the BEC hike and that they where just cleaning up the mess that they started then to make matters worse they have said that they will offer more help to the social service desk that is all good but what about telling the public how in the hell Bec comes up with the fuel surcharge and what about helping out the small business in the country that is hurting.
The reason why tourisim is where it is at right now let’s think about it if you did not live here would you want to visit here if you seen how Nassau looks and is right now and please be honest with yourself when you answear that question.
Folks we need to live in reality and stop living in a false sense of it …in order to bring change we as a people must demand it..so we will continue to have the same circle year after year day after day.
I think that as we look at the United States and see that their Senaor’s , Congressmen and Women does not have it right or don’t even know how to make desicions then we must ask ourselves do we realy want to emulate these people and continue to do this.
When our country is on a downward spiral and it sames as the day’s come and go we are failing as a Nation and a People then we have to ask ourselves the question what can we do as a people to fix our own situation we must not look to Obama if he wins to fix our problems we have to look towards our own selves.
So my solution is to push forward new lesgislation that is aimed at uplifting our people and transforming our nation and to do this we must first start by replaceing the old boys club that has exisited in our country from 1973 until now.
Mr. Minister of Potholes and Departure Tax, you scaring me man. I might as well grab my family and bail out.
DON’T LET DEM FOOL YOU DAY BOTH BUDDIES HAVING A DRINK & LAUGHING @ WE SELF
I GIVE IT TILL NEXT SUMMER SOONER IF WE HAVE A SLOW THANKSGIVING TOURIST SEASON !
RE: TOURISM WILL BE DOWN!
AMERICANS DON’T TRAVEL IN AN ELECTION YEAR
THEY ARE BROKE
AIRFARE MUCH HIGHER
WE ROOMS IS TOOOOO EXPENSIVE
RE: BANKING
GONE FROM 2002
EPA WILL KILL EUROPEAN BANKING
(WITH DISCLOSURE)
OBAMA WILL TAKE ALL OUR OFFSHORE TRUST
FUNDS BACK TO AMERICA
SO 80% GDP TOURIST & BANKING WE WILL BE ….?
STILL THINK WE DON’T NEED INDUSTRY ???
AIN’T LONG NOW
OUR BIGGEST MIDDLE CLASS IN THIS HEMISPHERE WILL BE THE BIGGEST POVERTY IN THE HEMISPHERE!
WAKE UP
Tristan, on canceled contracts, all fairness must be given to PM Hubert Ingraham, The Blame should rest at the feets of the former administration (PLP).
The PLP waited too LATE to start issuing out contract to their people. They played around (twiddling their thumbs) for 2 years, some of the PLP supporters got angry with the former Government, and then Mr. Christie got sick, which added insult to injury. Up to their last week as the ruling party the PLP where trying to sign contracts. That means the PLP “boys” or contractors would be working on an FNM reign.
Wakeup my friends, politics DO NOT work like that.
However, Ingraham was giving Christie the signal all the time, when he continued to tell him “YA LATE AGAIN.”
BOTH ARE SPENDING YOUR AS THEY SEE FIT
AINT LONG NOW !!
George Bush and Hubert A. Ingraham have the economy in the same dilemma it in today.
At least Bush only has about 5 weeks to go, I wish Ingraham only had a second to go. The longer he stays the more damage he will do.
Ingraham should stand up like a man and take these blows if he is not hiding anything. Why every time Alfred Sears takes the floor and starts to open his mouth the Prime Minister breaks off running? He needs to let the people see he aint no coward and he could handle the blows.
The Prime Minister and his Government has committed treason. They were dishonest and act opposite to what their manifesto stated. The PLP may have been slow to act but they always act in accordance with the law. The FNM has one contractor here in Freeport and that is Freecon/Freeport Contruction/Fletcher McIntosh. Building a school which did not go out to tendor. Suspended the same planned Junior high which was awarded by the board to Patrick McDonald. All Grand Bahamians know the relationship between Fletcher and Hubert. This is a sad day in our country when we lie to win elections to spend the tax payers money loosely and without care. Thomas there is no excuse for this Distasteful governance we see today by the Ingraham Admin, If Ingraham had a legacy in 1992-2002, it has certanly vanished with the BULL he and his Cabinet is doing sinse 2007…He will be concidered as the worst along with George Bush
BP dont get HAI nerves on him now. You know he ga spend another sleepless night trying to figure out who you are….lol……
Humbug Ingraham always walks out of the House whenever someone get up to make a contribution who he knows can burst his bubble. He scared.
Well let us put it this way, IF ALFRED SEARS is not a threat to Hubert Ingraham, why does he run out of the House, (WHO CAN ANSWER THAT?) proving Alfred Sears is a SERIOUS THREAT to his administration.
Don’t UNDERESTIMATE US, we have been following politics particularly Hubert Ingraham from the days when he was the PLP Senate representative and was on the board of the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas along with his cripple brother.
Many younger FNMs and some PLP only know Hubert Ingraham from 1992, we know him beyond then. And, guess what, we know when he does what he does, he is running from something.
Bahamas Press / Editor
PS: Watch out Sears, GET SHANE GIBSON and start swinging!
rb75 you make A LOT of sense. I hope everyone who so eagerly browses and comments on this blog have read your comemnts.
Blame needs to lay where it must and Stevie Wonder saw Humbug Ingraham destroy this economy out of REVENGE, SPITE and MUGABE style methods. I am sure members of his Cabinet agree with us but are too afraid of him to comment.
I must ask the question here are we all watching and listening to the same speech by Mr Sears.
Mr Sears tenure as Minister of Eductaion can be considerd a mild succes for he had to work with what was left behind and what was left was nothing short of a brokedown in our Education system.
As a young Bahamian Iam now looking at our country and I see that we do not like to lay the blame on who we should be laying it on the facts are the facts …When the FNM took office the Prime Minister delayed and supended until the cows came home he did this without justification and he did it with spite and revenge this is the facts and anyone who says differant then was not on planet earth for the last year or so.
Mr. Sears simply stated the facts and the facts are that this Prime Minister has commited treason by delaying and reviewing contracts by running a strategic partner out of town and by almost choking the life blood out of Bahamian households with the BEC fiasco and yet we stand by and cannot see reality .
It is very true that the IMF in its reports stated that if the Country would have stayed on the track prior to May 2007 the economic disater that was taken place in the U.S. would off for the first time in our history would not off cripple us to where we are right now ….yes we would have gotten some blow back but the forcast was that we would have gotten a lot going enough to cusion any blow from the U.S economic fallout.
We have along way to go in this country I ride the streets everyday and I see the faces of people and they sometime look hopeless and very scard ….Our government has failed us and yet we still go at each other like a pack of wolves……Just last week I had the pleasure to talk to a visitor to our shores and he told me that the Bahamas is one of the best places in the world to set up a business …he then told me that if set up shop here that he would be rich in a matter of a year.
Elcott Coleby, I now see why you made no mention of Sears’ stint as AG..You agree with me save for what Sears did in education. My bad….
HemiBahama and Drama King too much political games are involved when it comes to teaching our children, they need to put the politics aside and give these children a solid foundation that will prepare them for their future. Too many of our children are leaving school with low self esteem and no plans for their future. Every year we have so many students leaving high school without a clue as to how the real world functions and that is why our nation continues to lose so many of our youths.
GCF one thing I have never consent with is teachers providing feeble excuses not to teach our children, because I feel that every second lost in teaching our future leaders are crucial. I have always believed in the saying, “where there is a will, there is always a way.” Our teachers must learn from the example given by those teachers in Iraq whose conditions are probably far worse than ours to show the same zeal toward our children.
I agree teachers MUST realize their job is a Divine CALLING.
HemiBahamas you are making a lot of sense. When it comes to education, there is no time for playing politics. Everyone needs to work together for the best solution to putting our national average higher. “D” is NOT acceptable !!! Its embarrassing and its no wonder so many ignoramous youngsters are out there. Something has to be done. This is no time for comparing records.
Last time i check the teachers was forced the ministry to give them a raise. They fought for that it was not given. The communication division was something that was already in place when Alfred Sears came there yes he expanded it using it more effectively. But forget the ministers and trying to see what they did. They need to be more creative in thinking and try hard find new programs for kids. I was amaze to go to Jamaica and see some of the programs offered in school. This is 2008 and teachers still writing on Black boards and some of these school dont even have a website. Every time we change government the previous minister forget what they did in the last 5years. They jokers need to work together to improve it because all them failed.
Elcott Coleby if you define success by the cosmetic and mundane examples that you cited I am happy to cite you and Mr. sears your kudos. I maintain though that that is not the primary purpose of the Ministry, and in the primary purpose, the Ministry was a failure under Mr. Sears. I still note that you did not defend Mr. Sears’ tenure in charge of the Legal system. Why weren’t the same cosmetic changes made in the legal system? Was it too hard? Did Mr. Sears not care?
I made my comment about Mr. Sears in the wake of what BP said about Mr. Sears being a potential leader of the PLP. I note that you are trying to muddy the waters. I therefore compared Mr. Sears’ record when placed on the front line for the first time, with that of Mr. Ingraham, who Mr. Sears has been railing against recently. Context is very important, and in this argument, paramount, as you well know Mr. Coleby.
I dont even know how to comment on this post. Elcott’s comments I always appreciate as they are filled with stats and prudent information.
Again I say, Thomas Finley, I hope Ingraham is paying you handsomely to act so quickly and fiercely to his defense. Its pathetic, really.
Always remember, Thomas, PUBLIC FIGURES are just that – Public Figures. They are out in the public and people have THE RIGHT to ridicule them or praise them at will. Stop being so uptight about Ingrham. You are starting to look foolish. I hope he is that defensive about you.
Hi Kim Sands, exceptional job by the minister, as the Minister of Education ?
Please don’t get me wrong, I like Sears boldness, that is what got PM Hubert Ingraham, so, popular, standing up to “Sir. Lynden THE GREAT” and declaring “”THE CHIEF IS A THIEF”
However, am not sure any government, met the main Goal in education, which is to educate our future leaders.
The question we must ask ourselves is; Do must Teachers REALLY know their main goals on a daily bases, as teachers?
There is an interesting story of a school being attacked in Baghdad, Iraq.
Terrorists killed 190 people at the school. An Iraqi father, who had lost his 10-year old son in the incident, cried: “My life is ruined. When will this come to an end? When will I be able to walk along the street again without the permanent fear of death?”
But Kim Sands, what was most interesting, THE VERY NEXT DAY, some of the teachers were back to the ruined complex together with students, teaching in that destructive state, AND the question was ask by a BBC reporter. How can you teachers continue to teach in this turmoil? One teacher looked somber but yet enthused by her CALLING, while gently running her hands in a young child hair, stated; “HOW ELSE WILL THE FUTURE LEADERS LEARN, AND DEVELOP OUR NATION, WE MUST CONTINUE TO TEACH.”
Here in the Bahamas, if the class is not painted, some teachers want to strike. ALL Teachers MUST realize their job is a Divine CALLING.
I all fairness, I laid out 12 points of success but Thomas and Aintlongnah choose to focus only on the minister’s book club; that’s being intellectually dishonest. When you call Alfred Sears a failure, which minister are you comparing him to? Dame Ivy Dumont? Zhivargo Laing? Carl Bethel? Dion Foulkes? Which one of these FNM education ministers would you describe as a success? Please measure and qualify the success of these FNM ministers. That is a challenge.
I concur with Thomas Finley’s view that “If you think that reading to children is a productive use of a Minister’s time,….” especially, given that the very real issues in that Ministry then and which still remain today!Let’s not even mentioned the challenging issues confronting Sears as AG and again, which still remain today. He is really just a BIG talker period full stop and period AGAIN!
Elcott Coleby look like Minister Alfred Sears did an exceptional job as the Minister of Education. His list of accomplishments is very impressive.
Elcott Coleby, I take your points that the teachers were paid more monies, and administrators moved around, etc., but what is the purpose of the Ministry? Is it not to prepare students for the challenges of living in a global economy? And how is this success measured, and what is the result? I see too that you neglected to tell us about the legal system , which Sears was also responsible for.
If you think that reading to children is a productive use of a Minister’s time, then good luck with that.
I disagree with Thomas Finley that Alfred Sears was a “dismal failure” as education minister. Some of his successes as education minister are as follow:
1. Introduction of the Minister’s Book Club which is a programme designed to promote reading and literacy among students and the general population.
2. Restructuring of the Ministry of Education which included the following:
a. Creating two new divisions one for special education and pre-school and another for Development (which includes professional development, development of indigenous reading and educational material and the development of a distance education programme). Each division is headed by a deputy director of education;
b. Creation of a Communications Division which is responsible for informing the public on the state of education;
c. Restructuring of the Planning Unit;
d. Promoting constant dialogue on education by institutionalising the National Education Conference. A permanent secretariat has been formed to oversee that the recommendations of the 18th NEC are implemented;
3. Establishing the Administrators Training Programme (ATP) to train practicing and aspiring school administrators;
4. Providing computer literacy training for teachers and school administrators;
5. Addressed the vexing issue of social promotion by implementing the Extended Learning Programme (ELP) which is a remediation programme to enable failing students to improve their academic achievement levels before being promoted to the next grade level.
6. Established twenty-three pre-school units in seventeen government primary schools with ten of these being in Family Island schools on Andros, Eleuthera and Cat Island, hired fifty-seven teachers’ aides, and enacted legislation to properly regulate these pre-schools. This initiative has resulted in special students and children of all socio-economic backgrounds being able to begin their formal education at the age of three years.
7. Greatly expanded the Special Education classes and services, inclusive of diagnostic services for early detection and treatment of young children with special needs. This program is further strengthened by the appointment of special education technical officers to develop curricular, improve transitional programs, and provide in-service training for special educators.
8. Recruitment of specialist teachers from Cuba, Mexico and the UK to teach subjects such as special education, Spanish, music, mathematics and science;
9. Successfully negotiated a five-year collective bargaining agreement with the BUT providing for, among other benefits, substantial salary increases for teachers. This was the first of its kind since its recognition in 1965. Entry level salaries for teachers were increased from $22,800 to $25,000 and the ceiling was raised from $31,200 to $34,000 in addition to $1,600 in basic pay increases. Also, outstanding teachers with 10 years of continuous service can qualify for one year paid sabbatical; the union leave was increased from 60 to 78 days, and male teachers were given paternity leave of one week. The total financial package was valued at $20.5 million over the life of the agreement.
10. Introduction of a school refurbishment programme to rehabilitate existing schools such as AF Adderley, RM Bailey, CH Reeves and conducted a massive reconstruction programme of schools damaged by hurricanes Frances, Jeanne and Wilma totalling $60 million over four years.
11. Rescued the almost bankrupt Government Guarantee Loan programme and expanded it to include those interested in technical and vocational studies because the government recognized that certain preparatory steps would have to be taken before the country is able to take full advantage of the coming opportunities. In addition to improved communications and tracking procedures and the One-Student-One Loan-Policy programme, the government has approved 1,439 loans between 2002 and 2005, 30% of which were approved for COB and other local institutions.
12. Successfully negotiated a $22 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank to address deficiencies in technical and vocational education, special education and pre-school education, ICT and computer related education. The project will also seek to address issues associated with institutional strengthening such as developing the systems and capacity to monitor and evaluate existing and future programmes.
With only one high school in the Bahamas in 1967, the PLP set about establishing access to universal education with the construction of one primary school every eighteen months and one secondary school every twenty-two months for twenty-five continuous years. In 1990, consistent with its commitment to education development, the PLP government borrowed $120 million from the Inter American Development to upgrade the curriculum at COB and the public schools, construct the Hotel Training College, expand and refurbish existing public schools, and construct new schools. The FNM completed this massive project, constructing six schools in its first term in office.
Today, there are 161 public schools throughout our archipelago and regardless of the noise in the market place, the FNM is responsible for only six of those schools. With over 3,500 teachers and over $175 million in annual financial support, the government’s commitment to educating our people is unquestioned. With the current $22.5 Million IDB loan, the PLP is yet again poised to both reform and transform public education as we continue to prepare our students for the labour demands of a twenty-first century Bahamas. This is what a commitment to the education of our children demands.
What has Ingraham and the FNM done to date that could be measured as successful? If Alfred is a “dismal failure”, then how does Thomas Finley measure the performance of Claire Hepburn as AG and Carl Bethel as education minister? Both of these ministers serve in Ingraham’s cabinet and are a reflection on PM Ingraham’s leadership.
What Mr. Sears is saying in this recording is not new. Some people are very easily impressed I see. What I would like to point out to your readers however, is that Mr. Sears has a record. Mr. Sears has a record as Attorney General & as Minister for Education. Mr. Sears’ record is one of dismal failure.
What separates Mr. Ingraham from all the pretenders is when Ingraham was given an opportunity by the Late Sir Lynden, Ingraham performed brilliantly, impressively, and beyond expectation. Mr Ingraham had 2.5 years to Mr. sears’ five years. Can anyone recall any institutional success by Sears as a Minister?
Bradley Roberts, Shane Gibson, the Minister of State for Finance, guys like those were workers. Notice that they are not lawyers anyone?
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