Nassau, Bahamas – Hawkins Hill’s head office at the Department of Immigration came under fire yesterday by former Member of Parliament, Pierre Dupuch, as he exposed a level of corruption practiced in the department.
The political maverick told listeners on the morning show, Unscripted, heard on ISLAND 102.9 FM with host Andrew Burrows, that he is concerned with the number of residents being made citizens before the general elections.
Dupuch pointed to an incident in the Department of Immigration where a Bahamian, claiming to be a farmer, had processed over 300 work permits for undocumented nationals. The former cabinet minister noted that the applicant was discovered to have never owned any farmland in the country, yet he was in possession of legitimate immigration work permits.
“How did this man get these documents processed through the department? He had to have someone sign these inside for him. Immigration has a duty to inspect the work areas being applied for. Therefore, how is it that they did not know this man didn’t have a single piece of farmland?”
Dupuch then pointed to the mass citizenship exercises now being played out in the country before a general election.
He said a woman who he knows that was married for over 20 years to a Bahamian had recently been granted her citizenship.
“The woman said she laughed before she went in to take her oath of citizenship because they [Gov’t] were making people citizens and in the room only she and the immigration officer spoke English. Many persons were there, but were indeed unable to speak English.
“Now, what does that say to you? There is something wrong,” Dupuch said.
In March reporters were blocked outside the government office on Grand Bahama where citizenship applicants were being naturalized. Bahamas Press has cautioned locals that hundreds, if not thousands, of residents have recently been naturalized by the department of immigration, all approved by the Cabinet of the Bahamas, and are being coached to register to vote in the upcoming elections.
The former MP slammed rogue Justices of the Peace across the country who are processing papers for a number of undocumented persons, presenting them as citizens.
Dupuch concluded, “The government should specify exactly how are they determining persons now receiving citizenship are qualified, and they should let the Bahamian people know whether or not those standards are good enough.
“This smells bad, it looks as though the government is doing this to get votes and I would go as far as and say they are doing it.”
They are not looking for leaders they are looking for slaves , YES Men or do boys . If you try to think on your own you get the pink slip . everyday more and more Bahamians are becoming thinkers thats why you see them bring more and more outside help in , people who love being slaves because they get to live it up in the Bahamas and when the stuff hits the fan they can just go back home and leave us to fight with the PLP and FNM . By Anonymous , we will never forget , expect us
BP this the real “TELL IT LIKE IT IS WEBSITE”
We still have a few good men alive and well in the Bahamas.
One of those good men is the Hon. Pierre Dupuch, and like his Father Sir Étienne Dupuch, he speaks his mind, with out fear.
Sir Étienne was unique and a stickler of reporting what he saw.
He would always tell young reporters… “WRITE WHAT YOU SEE…” The Media should celebrate him more.
However, Sir Étienne is one of the few Bahamians we can find in the Guinness Book of World Records, as “longest serving newspaper editor.”
What more proof do Bahamians need to believe that if this “outgoing” FNM cabinet, if reelected, intend to make English the second: language spoken in the Bahamas.
That no one will be hired to work in any government ministry, department or Crown Corporation unless they can prove that they can communicate verbally and in writing in both Haitian Creole and English.
we as bahamians will “cry” when we see ingrum back in power, and it won’t be bahamians put him back in, it will be the haitians!! watch and see… ingrum doing the grand work now given them papers.i see tons of haitians flying over from miami to get they passport!! come election if ingrum win, it will be plenty blood shed! the haitians will put him back in power!!!!!!
Bahamians should no longer be surprised at the antics of the FNM. They (FNM) have only brought trouble and confusion to the Bahamas starting with the first devastating hurricane in 1992 shortly after they fixed the election.Its a disgrace that the FNM would be seeking reelection.The PLP is questionable but, they have never sold out Bahamians. As far as the Moody s issue is concerned, Bahamians should note that 40% of the National Debt was added within the last two years.
It is frightening to see how we have failed to develop our minds. As Bahamians we have lived off and used the labour provided by Haitians and other immigrant labour. We are content to keep them here to work and help build our country, but not to give them some form of status. When Bahamians enter other countries illegally and decide to stay, do they expect to remain outside of the society, or do they expect that at some point that Country’s government will accept an application from them to be legalized? Let’s get real. The same accusation made against the FNM has been made against the PLP. Stop burying your heads in the sand.
Comments are closed.