STATEMENT BY SENATOR FRED MITCHELL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
13TH SEPTEMBER 2017
SETTING THE PLP’s RECORD STRAIGHT ON EMERGENCY DISASTER MANAGEMENT
It has come to my attention that the Nassau Guardian reported that the PLP left no plan in place to address natural disasters such as hurricanes. This statement is a blatant untruth and these attempts to willfully mislead the public by rewriting history and telling patent untruths by people who know better cannot and must not stand or left unanswered.
It was the PLP that tabled, passed and brought into force emergency disaster management legislation that led to the establishment of the National Emergency Management Agency commonly known as NEMA, the nucleus of emergency disaster management in The Bahamas.
It was the PLP that caused for the installation of the 100 gigabyte national submarine cable designed to enhance national communication and management in the event of a national and natural disaster such as a hurricane.
Emergency airport lighting is a reality because of the foresight of the PLP government to assist in safe evacuations from affected islands in the event of an emergency or natural disaster such as a hurricane.
It was the PLP government that established the country’s first National Energy Policy in the era of global warming and climate and negotiated and signed onto the Paris Accord on Climate change.
It was PLP government that lobbied relentlessly in the international arena for the right of The Bahamas to access international funding at concessionary rates for energy related projects that impact the arrest of global warming.
The PLP government executed the Sandy Bottom Project where its fleet of auxiliary ships proved invaluable in transporting supplies and support personal to affected islands in the wake of hurricane Joaquin. Additionally, the PLP bought the brand new Bahamasair fleet that evacuated the residents from the affected islands in the southern Bahamas.
The Ministry of Transport and Aviation built organizational capacity at the Meteorological Office, inclusive of improved services in Grand Bahama and the recruitment and training of more than 15 in the capacities of technicians, forecasters and observers. The $20 million Doppler radar project, with radars strategically placed throughout the island chain will go a long way in improving the capacity of the government to identify changing and adverse weather patterns
From my observation, Dr. Minnis was merely following the management script left behind by former Prime Minister Christie in addressing Irma.
The record on what the PLP government has done to better prepare The Bahamas to address the fallout from natural disasters such as hurricanes is well documented for all to see.
There is no need to lie, mislead the public or rewrite history on this score. It is pitiful.
