Phillipa “Lady” Russell made a very profound observation when she called into Steve McKinney’s HARD COPY radio talk show on LOVE-97 this afternoon. She noted that Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette, who is the minister responsible for immigration, is also a sitting member of the Boundaries Commission, which will recommend to the government how the new electoral boundaries should be configured for the next general election.
On the surface it would appear that there’s nothing wrong with Symonette being on the Boundaries Commission, but the scandalous manner in which the FNM government recently has been “secretly” granting wholesale citizenships paints a different picture. Symonette also happens to be the person who signs off on those citizenships, so at the very least the conclusion can be reached that “something fishy” is involved in the FNM’s decision to be granting so many new citizenships only months before the next general election. That “something fishy” clearly is the FNM government’s attempt to ingratiate itself with these new citizens, hoping that they would should their appreciation and vote for FNM candidates in the coming election.
This is a total disgrace and every natural-born Bahamian should be offended by this deceptively cunning ploy by Hubert Ingraham and his FNM government. It is clear that the plan is designed to gain the support of the Haitian population in The Bahamas, but what makes this so dangerous is that no one knows just how Haitians, illegal and otherwise, are in this country and no one knows how many of these new citizenships have been handed out by Brent Symonette and the FNM government to Haitians. Indeed, the process in granting the citizenships has not been open and transparent; in fact, it has been secretly carried out.
This is, as I’ve noted, certainly reason for concern, but unless there is widespread protest by the Bahamian people against the selling out of our country to foreigners purely for political reasons, it is quite possible that Haitian nationals will determine the outcome of the next general election.
I thank you Mr. Brown and others like yourself for sensitizing the public on this most serious matter.
while I agree that those persons living in our borders, who qualify to be regularized ought be done so. I frown at what appears to be an attempt by the governing party that I have long supported to use such a delicate issue for political advantage.
It is a bad idea for the government to deal with this on the eve of an election season.
I know my friends in the party would say, as they often do, that there no bad time to do good.
well my brothers, you’ll soon find out, I am sure, that your timing is bad.
you watch!
I listened to Steve McKinney today, and really, he sounds like a paranoid bush journalist spreading propoganda that can in no way be supported by the facts. Ms. Russell’s “observation” is very juvenile and does nothing more than appeal to the simple-minded among us, including Mr. Brown. Fact is Mr. Symonette has no immigration information that can’t be accessed by any other Minister of the Cabinet. Indeed, it is the Cabinet, not the Minister, that grants citizenship. This whole notion is pure nonsense
What happened to the citizenship process in which we used to announce all new citizens in the newspaper??? Do we even know how many people have been granted citizenship? The population can only grow by so much before it becomes non-sustainable. I am demanding a full review of all new citizens in the last 4 years.
REMEMBER THE REFERENDUM OF 2002: Do you Agree for an Independent Boundaries Commission: Yes or No.
The Bahamas voted an overwhelming and resounding NO!!!. So why we complaining now??????????????
What happened to the citizenship process in which we used to announce all new citizens in the newspaper??? Do we even know how many people have been granted citizenship? The population can only grow by so much before it becomes non-sustainable. I am demanding a full review of all new citizens in the last 4 years.
It is sad that a great jounalist like Oswald Brown has allow himself to be degraded in such a way. I always thought that the exposure that he gained from living in the U.S. would allow him to write intelligently on the topic of immigration.Terms such as “natural born Bahamian”, “selling out…to foreigners are not called for. Mr. Brown you are better than that and I am sure your parents taught you better than that.Don’t allow your foes to make you into a “bush jounalist”.
i think most bahamians saying to them self they will vote PLP OR DNA’ BUT WHAT HEY DON’T UNDERSTAND IS THE HAITIANS WILL PUT INGRUM BACK IN POWER I AGREE WE NEED TO STAND UP NOW. I SMELL PLENTY BLOOD SHED COMING SOON.
I thank you Mr. Brown and others like yourself for sensitizing the public on this most serious matter.
while I agree that those persons living in our borders, who qualify to be regularized ought be done so. I frown at what appears to be an attempt by the governing party that I have long supported to use such a delicate issue for political advantage.
It is a bad idea for the government to deal with this on the eve of an election season.
I know my friends in the party would say, as they often do, that there no bad time to do good.
well my brothers, you’ll soon find out, I am sure, that your timing is bad.
you watch!
I listened to Steve McKinney today, and really, he sounds like a paranoid bush journalist spreading propoganda that can in no way be supported by the facts. Ms. Russell’s “observation” is very juvenile and does nothing more than appeal to the simple-minded among us, including Mr. Brown. Fact is Mr. Symonette has no immigration information that can’t be accessed by any other Minister of the Cabinet. Indeed, it is the Cabinet, not the Minister, that grants citizenship. This whole notion is pure nonsense
What happened to the citizenship process in which we used to announce all new citizens in the newspaper??? Do we even know how many people have been granted citizenship? The population can only grow by so much before it becomes non-sustainable. I am demanding a full review of all new citizens in the last 4 years.
REMEMBER THE REFERENDUM OF 2002: Do you Agree for an Independent Boundaries Commission: Yes or No.
The Bahamas voted an overwhelming and resounding NO!!!. So why we complaining now??????????????
What happened to the citizenship process in which we used to announce all new citizens in the newspaper??? Do we even know how many people have been granted citizenship? The population can only grow by so much before it becomes non-sustainable. I am demanding a full review of all new citizens in the last 4 years.
It is sad that a great jounalist like Oswald Brown has allow himself to be degraded in such a way. I always thought that the exposure that he gained from living in the U.S. would allow him to write intelligently on the topic of immigration.Terms such as “natural born Bahamian”, “selling out…to foreigners are not called for. Mr. Brown you are better than that and I am sure your parents taught you better than that.Don’t allow your foes to make you into a “bush jounalist”.
i think most bahamians saying to them self they will vote PLP OR DNA’ BUT WHAT HEY DON’T UNDERSTAND IS THE HAITIANS WILL PUT INGRUM BACK IN POWER I AGREE WE NEED TO STAND UP NOW. I SMELL PLENTY BLOOD SHED COMING SOON.
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