By Jerry Roker
for Bahamaspress.com
I guess it is old news now that Bamboo Town and Ft. Charlotte “formally” left the PLP and joined ranks with the FNM. What I found most interesting is that both men seemed hell-bent on blaming PM Christie for their political demise within the PLP, but lets as examine the facts.
With regard to Fort Charlotte, shortly after the PLP came to power, he was appointed Chairman of the Gaming Board. It did not take long for him to find himself at odds with his party and in particular the maximum leader himself. It was Tourism Minister the Hon. Obie Wilchombe who did all the heavy lifting on the web shop regularization. One would have thought that the Chairman of the Gaming Board would have been a very active participant in this process as it is the regulator for gaming in The Bahamas. But this was not to be, and Ft Charlotte ended up being fired from his post. Based on what is in the public domain, one can characterize his termination as being one brought on my his gross insubordination. It was a termination provoked by cause.
As for Bamboo Town, the now famous LOI affair will probably be forever entrenched in Bahamian political folklore. During the whole sordid affair, Bamboo Town was given numerous opportunities to step up to the plate like a big man, state his case and assume ownership of his behaviour. It is my view the PM Christie, to his political peril, may be, gave Bamboo Town too much time to step up to the plate and own up to what he had done, but the belligerent young man either ignored or otherwise refused to do so, and had to be fired. It is only after this matter had dragged on forever, it seems, that he now accepts ownership.
My point: the personal behaviour of both, brought on their demise in the PLP, but they would have you believe that they were never given the opportunity to serve. What utter nonsense. But it speaks volumes about these ‘leopards.’ Very selfish men indeed.
Their move to the FNM, was based entirely on their selfish political ambitions. Nothing more, nothing less. It certainly doesn’t involve any serious, heart-wrenching philosophical place that they miraculously arrived to.
Not to be outdone, the FNM embraced them like ‘a lost love who has returned to her heartbroken lover.’ Never mind that no less a person than the leader of the Opposition had called for a criminal investigation of Bamboo Town for his signing the LOI without having the authority to do so. In announcing their becoming a part of the FNM, their was no mention of the Opposition leader now being satisfied that Mr. Wells had been vindicated by the appropriate investigating body, or that he was otherwise satisfied that he is a fit and proper person to remain in the Parliament.
In fact, the Bamboo Town member’s behavior with respect to this LOI matter is on the Parliament’s agenda having been placed their by his new boss!
As for Fort Charlotte, the victim of a vicious slap from the hands of the former lady deputy leader of the FNM, his case is even more interesting. He accused his now leader, of conflict of interest with respect to a building allegedly owned by the Leader of the Opposition that is rented to the Public Hospital Authority. It was revealed that the former Prime Minister had asked Fort Charlotte’s new boss to sever the lease many years ago. This did not happen, ostensibly because after all these years, the Hospital authority couldn’t find another building. There is a school of thought that says they could have built one during this period.
Considering all of the above, it is clearly evident that the move by Bamboo Town and Fort Charlotte has nothing to do with Bamboo Town or Fort Charlotte or The Bahamas for that matter and everything to do with messrs. Wells and Rollins. There is a school of thought also, that the leader of the Opposition might have secured himself from a successful vote of no confidence by his parliamentary colleagues.
They say politics make for strange bedfellows. I say that prostitution is alive in The Bahamas and selfishness is the chief pimp.
