Looking pass the ‘colorful’ language used, one must question why is it the Auditor General, who just seems to be going about doing what he is being paid to do, would be in issue to anyone to have them reach this point.

“Johnson: Auditors did a poor job” – The Nassau Guardian 8^th April 2019

Excerpt from this article; “Former Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture Dr. Danny Johnson accused auditors of performing their jobs poorly following a report on the National Sports Authority (NSA) from Auditor General Terrance Bastian, which found, among other things, that contracts issued by the NSA ‘lacked formalized process and transparency’.

The report, which was tabled in the House of Assembly last week, covered the period from July 2011 to December 2017.

‘If Mr. Bastian feels that there are things that are untoward, then I think that’s fine, and we can answer those questions, but I could defend whatever the hell that is,’ Johnson said on Friday on ‘The Hit back” with Naheja on Star 106 Hits..

He added, ‘Every penny can be accounted for.’

He continued, ‘…..Don’t put no nonsense out to the public.  You think Danny Johnson might have thief some money? Man kiss my ass.’

‘I can make my own money’

Johnson insisted all the necessary paper work was available to account for the authority’s spending.

‘They are not good auditors,’ he said.”

Now, I am not at all offended by the former cabinet ministers ‘strong language’, as I have been known to use such language from time to time to get my point across  but from what I can see an audit was done, which indicated some irregularities – so I think at this point  the response of “If Mr. Bastian feels that there are things untoward, then I think that’s fine, and we can answer those questions..” was sufficient…..then go ahead and answer the questions as to why there seems to have been no value delivered for the monies paid out on these contracts, because this is all that that the report suggests. But to attack the very same auditor general that you once used as a member of the government, since he has been on the job since 2000 and find no fault with, makes one look over a situation two or three times, which would have otherwise been basically passed over by the public at large.

It would seem that this is a case of Mr. Johnson, whom many have come to his defense labeling him as one of the best at that Cabinet position, protesting too much. Now having some believe that where there is smoke there is fire because at this point the former minister has not been accused of any wrong-doing.

END

 

 

“Were just trying to make it clearer – Bethel defends proposed changes to Immigration law” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “ATTORNEY General Carl Bethel said yesterday the government’s proposed Nationality, Immigration and Asylum bill is seeking to establish greater certainty and fairness in its handling of nationality cases.

Addressing the legislation outside of Cabinet, Mr. Bethel said the government would provide a legal framework to improve upon its ability to deal with offenders, while still being able to appropriately deal with asylum seekers and anyone that otherwise qualifies to reside or work in The Bahamas.

The bill, which is currently out for public consultation, will among other things, subject persons born in The Bahamas post-independence who have not applied to be or have not been registered as a Bahamian citizen by their 19^th birthday to deportation within six months of its implementation if some other legal status is not secured.

The NIAB 2018, as proposed by the Law Reform Commission, further seeks to address areas of the constitution relating to what happens to persons born post-independence to two non-Bahamian parents before their 18 birthday and after their 19^th birthday; and those persons born outside of The Bahamas to a Bahamian mother before their 18^th birthday and after their 21^st birthday.”

It has been this areas where in The Bahamas has been experiencing mot of its trouble or a lot of it, because currently, Article 7 of the Bahamas constitution states that a person born in The Bahamas after independence, neither of whose parents is a citizen of The Bahamas shall be entitled upon making application on his attaining the age of eighteen (18) years or within 12 months thereafter, be registered as a citizen of The Bahamas.

The constitution does not, however, give any direction as to what is to happen to those individuals before  their 18^th birthday, or after their 19^th birthday and it would seem now with this proposed change to the Immigration Laws,  this issue is finally being addressed.

While this is being done we have “others” that have sat back and questioned; “……what was the true agenda…driving the initiative?” and to these persons I ask, really?

First let me say that I feel that there is really nothing to defend here, the country seeks to correct a ‘loop-hole’ in our immigration laws/polices which has been exploited by the very same persons that now seek to question the “true agenda…driving the initiative”.

The simple answer to this question; Your unrelenting attack on the immigration laws is partially what is driving this new initiative, feel proud of your accomplishments and do not seek to hide them or from them.

This proposed change is attempts to set right a problem that has threatened the sovereignty of The Bahamas for far too long, so to now question the “true agenda” driving them is disingenuous as best and only now proves that you as an activist were never about the rights of persons but rather simply undergoing an exercise of self-promotion by exploiting the very same persons that you claimed to fight for.

Indeed, there is nothing to be defend here and those that now complain about the proposed immigration changes are now realizing that they have losing a fight that they picked, especially when Senator Freed Mitchell’s only criticism is that the bill should have been three separate bills.

END