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Bannister warns families water bills will increase as subsidies too costly By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Deputy Prime Minister yesterday voiced optimism that Water & Sewerage customers are “prepared” for price increases as he hinted they will no longer receive their first 3,000 gallons for free. Desmond Bannister, who as Minister of Works also has responsibility for the corporation, said the Government has little choice but to drag the water utility “into the 21st century” following the economic blow-out inflicted by COVID-19 and Hurricane Dorian.
With no tariff increase for 22 years, he suggested it simply cannot continue to sell water at a price below the cost incurred in purchasing it from Consolidated Water, the BISX-listed reverse osmosis plant operator, and then rely on annual $20m-plus taxpayer subsidies to cover the difference. Besides ending the free provision of 3,000 gallons per customer every month, Mr Bannister said a price increase will also encourage water conservation and better use of a scarce essential resource. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
MARCO City incumbent Michael Pintard admitted yesterday the governing Free National Movement “without question” could have done many things better during its term in
office, but maintained the party is the better choice for Bahamians. Speaking to The Tribune, the newly ratified representative suggested, however, that it may be too early to begin election campaigning. SEE PAGE THREE
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net PUBLIC Disclosure Commission chairman Myles Laroda has been chosen by the PLP’s Candidates Committee to fight as their election candidate for the Pinewood constituency, The Tribune can confirm. Mr Laroda was confirmed on Tuesday night alongside other prospective candidates, including businesswoman and former Miss Bahamas Pia Glover Rolle, for the Marathon constituency. SEE PAGE THREE
FRONT PORCH
WISE OWL OR PREENING PEACOCK?
PAGE EIGHT
‘CRITICISM OF COVID POLICING IS UNFAIR’
PINTARD: WE COULD HAVE DONE BETTER By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
PLP PICKS LARODA TO FIGHT FOR PINEWOOD
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A LIGHTER moment in Parliament yesterday as Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, Health Minister Renward Wells and Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Michael Pintard share a laugh. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
POLICE Commissioner Paul Rolle yesterday defended the conduct of officers against complaints that they have been using excessive force when citing businesses found in breach of the COVID-19 Emergency Orders. SEE PAGE SEVEN
BPC DEAL HAD GOVT OVER A BARREL STATESIDE By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas would have been “on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars”, and its credit rating endangered, if the Government had halted Bahamas Petroleum Company’s (BPC) oil exploration. Romauld Ferreira, minister of the environment and housing, yesterday reiterated to the House
ENVIRONMENT Minister Romauld Ferreira. of Assembly the Minnis administration believed this nation would have paid a heavy price for failing to
renew BPC’s licences and/ or not provide it with the necessary approvals for its Perseverance One well. Suggesting BPC’s licences and agreements were legally watertight, and could not be broken without inflicting a further substantial cost on already-strained Bahamian taxpayers, Mr Ferreira said The Bahamas would have faced “far greater” liabilities had the Government blocked the well’s drilling. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
THE GLOVES ARE OFF FOR TRUMP
SEE PAGE NINE
PAGE 2, Thursday, February 18, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
A NEW ERA FOR MEDICAL FIRM
THE NEW Bahamas Medical and Surgical Supplies building and, below right, the opening ceremony yesterday with the ribbon being cut by directors Margot and Basil Barnett along with their daughter Morgan, Minister Renward Wells and Archbishop Pinder. Photos: Disha Fraser/Island Destination Services (IDS)
BAHAMAS Medical and Surgical Supplies has opened a new corporate complex. The company, now in its 20th year of operations, serves the Bahamas including the Ministry of Health, the Public Hospital Authority, medical and healthcare facilities, dental and veterinary services. It also provides services for Bermuda through the Bermuda Hospital Board; and Interhealth Canada which manages two hospitals in the Turks and Caicos Islands. In view of the COVID19 pandemic, healthcare services have become even more critical, and Bahamas Medical and Surgical Supplies chose to meet that demand by commissioning its new complex and providing the supplies necessary to meet a growing demand. The new complex, at Fifth Terrace, Centerville, Nassau, comprises a 7,850 sq ft warehouse, an office, staff room and three segregated temperature storage rooms for pharmaceuticals and specialty products. The site is also home to a 3,750 sq ft retail store and a 750 sq ft service department. Bahamas Medical & Surgical Supplies is founded by director Margot Barnett, former deputy hospital administrator of the Princess Margaret Hospital. Her husband Basil Barnett, a finance professional, is also the company’s director. Mrs Barnett went from her living room to an initial office and warehouse site in the East Bay Shopping Centre with a single employee. It then expanded to 159 Shirley Street with a staff of seven. An additional off-site warehouse
space became necessary. The company currently has 21 Bahamian employees, including three service engineers, two registered pharmacists, two healthcare specialists and three sales associates. Days ago, Archbishop of the Catholic Diocese Rev Patrick C Paul blessed the corporate centre, encouraging staff to let the “respect for the dignity of life and maintaining the quality of life” be their “guiding light”. Health Minister Renward Wells, speaking on behalf of Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, congratulated the Barnetts for their “vision” and “resilience”. “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of quality healthcare providers and companies in every aspect of the healthcare sphere,” Mr Wells said. “This includes dynamic public/private partnerships for the delivery of healthcare in The Bahamas. Businesses such as Bahamas Medical and Surgical Supplies play an important role in the delivery of healthcare services. You represent one of the global leaders in healthcare and you are known for the quality of your service and high standards. Your continued investment in The Bahamas, including this new centre, demonstrates the quality of our Bahamian talent and entrepreneurship in a diversity of fields.” Bahamas Medical & Surgical Supplies is a distributor for healthcare brands including GE Healthcare, Johnson and Johnson Medical, 3M Healthcare and Alcon Vision.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, February 18, 2021, PAGE 3
Pintard: We could have done better from page one
MINISTER of Agriculture and Marine Resources Michael Pintard in Parliament yesterday. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
Instead, Mr Pintard said both he and his constituency’s executives have decided to continue to focus on the needs of the community. “We’ve made a determination in Marco City to continue to do what we’ve been doing which is one, to build a strong coalition that is made up of persons who have very little interest in political parties, members of the Free National Movement who have every strong support in my estimation in Marco City, members of other political organisations who would’ve in the past supported the PLP or the DNA to build a coalition around dealing with common challenges facing the community. “We will continue that campaign and we believe that after an election it’s not the time to watch colours. That’s the time to solve
what we have been mandated to. “The second thing that we will continue to do is when we knock on doors our priority is to find out what are your challenges, how can we help you as a partner and meet those and how can we better serve you. “It is entirely too tough in the constituency for my primary business and focus to be asking persons to support me the next time when I still have some additional supplies I am sourcing to help them plug a hole in the roof.” He said they have also made the choice to focus on food insecurity and in response run a robust meal assistance programme. Asked if the FNM had done enough to win the confidence and trust of voters in the next election, Mr Pintard said the party has. “Yeah, I think when persons look at the impact of (Hurricane) Dorian on the
country, we lost two of the three economic centres in the country. When persons look at the impact of the pandemic and its impact on the economy, I think they would ask the question whether or not this administration has managed this in a way that will be markedly better than the alternative, had they been in the same position. “I think the average person will say we have done a better job.” He continued: “Have we done a job that has ameliorated all the concerns of persons? Of course not. We are challenged as a country. “Could we have done better in some areas? Could we have communicated our message better? “Could our posture (have been better)? Without question. But if you were to conduct a comparison, I suspect Bahamians would say that while in some areas I am not pleased, I believe that this is a better choice going forward.”
‘RAISING WATER RATES WILL HURT FAR TOO MANY’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net ENGLERSTON MP Glenys Hanna Martin wants the Minnis administration to scratch plans to increase Water and Sewerage Corporation rates, saying an increase will hurt too many Bahamians. State Minister for Finance Senator Kwasi Thompson foreshadowed the rate increase in December while outlining the government’s fiscal strategy report. It is not clear when the increase will take effect. During a debate in the House of Assembly yesterday, Mrs Hanna Martin opposed the plan. She later told The Tribune: “We are a developing nation and access to water is a critical component of health for any population. There is a reason why we have the pumps in communities. It is to ensure continuous accessibility for
people who are not able to get water. “That has been a sustained policy position by successive administrations. If you (are) looking for more revenue, don’t do it on water. As a developing people, we’re not Canada and we’re not the United Kingdom and we’re not the United States. As a developing people we have to ensure that in the process of development that one of the things that is always accessible is water. “It’s not something during this very difficult time that any administration should be contemplating, where people are not working, they ain’t’ getting electricity, their children ain’t in school, you increase VAT and now you want to increase the rates of water? At some point you got to stop putting pressure on the small man in this country and you have to look to the wealthy.” In 2018, the Inter-American Development Bank
released a report that recommended an increase in WSC tariffs. The IDB noted the corporation cannot cover its operating expenses from revenue/cash flow and that this leaves it unable to finance capital projects and repairs. “A tariff increase will be needed to make the Water & Sewerage Corporation a financial viable utility,” the IDB report said. “A core issue relating to the WSC financial condition is the comparative level of the unit tariff to the unit cost.” WSC tariffs haven’t been increased in almost two decades. Regarding the IDB’s analysis, Mrs Hanna Martin said: “That’s always been the case. That is why the government subsidises water. The IDB can come and give a commercial analysis. I’m not giving a commercial analysis, I’m giving an analysis of what developing people do when it comes to an essential
GLENYS HANNA-MARTIN, MP for Englerston. element like water. Where you need capital works, then the government finds funding for its capital works. Next they’re going to say stop subsidising it. I don’t think it’s compelling.”
PLP PICKS LARODA TO FIGHT FOR PINEWOOD from page one PLP insiders said Mr Laroda’s resignation from the PDC will be forthcoming once he is officially ratified by the PLP’s National General Council. However, the news has enraged some Free National Movement supporters who told The Tribune yesterday that Mr Laroda’s position as chairman of the PDC has placed him in a position that gives the upper hand over Pinewood incumbent Reuben Rahming. “Now why should Laroda be privileged to not only Rahming’s disclosure documents, but other FNM hopefuls? He should resign the post forthwith,” one FNM supporter said on condition of anonymity. Another FNM supporter held the view that
Mr Laroda should have left the post sometime ago to focus on his own political aspirations. In an update to supporters earlier yesterday, PLP chairman Fred Mitchell confirmed the Tuesday Candidate’s Committee meeting saying “… and we’re almost done”, adding no announcements can be made until the party’s NGC ratifies the choices. “So, all this stuff you see going on on social media about who got what is false,” he said. PLP leader Philip “Brave” Davis said recently the PLP hopes to ratify all its candidates for the next general election by the end of this month. “We are still deliberating,” Mr Davis said on Tuesday. On Monday, the FNM ratified eight more of its candidates, bringing its
total number of confirmed candidates to 25. The nominees, all incumbents, include Marco City MP Michael Pintard, Southern Shores MP Frankie Campbell, Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis, West Grand Bahama and Bimini MP Pakesia ParkerEdgecombe, Pinewood MP Reuben Rahming, Long Island MP Adrian Gibson, St Barnabas MP Shannon Cartwright and North Eleuthera MP Rickey Mackey. Earlier this month, the PLP ratified 18 candidates for the next election. The candidates include Mr Mitchell in Fox Hill, former Attorney General Alfred Sears in Fort Charlotte, former State Minister for National Security Keith Bell in Carmichael, and former State Minister for Finance Michael Halkitis in St Barnabas. Others candidates include Senator Clay
Sweeting in South Eleuthera, Senator Jobeth Coleby-Davis in Elizabeth, Leslia Brice in Seabreeze, Jomo Campbell in Centreville, Wayde Watson in Bain and Grants Town, Jamahl Strachan in Nassau Village, Mario Bowleg in Garden Hills, Zane Lightbourne in Yamacraw, Bacchus Rolle in South Beach, Wayne Munroe in Freetown, Ronald Duncombe in Killarney, Tyrell Grave Young in Long Island, Basil McIntosh in MICAL, Mckell De’Angelo Bonaby in Mt Mariah and Leonardo Lightbourne in North Andros & the Berry Islands. The candidates who won an election under the PLP’s banner in 2017 – Mr Davis, Deputy Leader Chester Cooper, Glenys Hanna Martin and Picewell Forbes – have been guaranteed a nomination, The Tribune understands.
Photo: Shawn Hanna
PAGE 4, Thursday, February 18, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
India firm claims it has ‘world’s safest’ vaccine By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
INDIA’S Bharat Biotech International claims to have developed “the world’s safest” COVID-19 vaccine and is hoping to register nations in the region as customers as soon as the World Health Organisation gives the drug the seal of approval. Speaking to Bahamian and Jamaican reporters during a virtual press conference yesterday, Bharat Biotech touted the development of Covaxin, a vaccine with 60 percent efficacy in its third phase of clinical trials. Covaxin is India’s indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The drug has already been approved by India for emergency use, and millions of the country’s health and frontline workers have already been vaccinated with it. Bharat Biotech International Limited is an Indian biotechnology company headquartered in Hyderabad engaged in drug development, manufacturing of vaccines, bio-therapeutics, pharmaceuticals and healthcare products. Bharat Biotech has delivered over three billion vaccine doses all over
the world. Suchitra Ella, the company’s joint managing director, said she is confident the WHO will approve the drug which will soon be studied by the United States for approval by the Food and Drug Administration there. She told reporters: “I feel quite confident that Covaxin will get the WHO’s approval. I am sure when the data is released to the world, as early as we can, I think the WHO will certainly approve Covaxin based on its efficacy and safety data. “We will be very glad to talk to The Bahamas. In fact I will request the honourable High Commissioner’s office to take the
lead. Twenty one countries have already registered, we will be very glad to do the same with The Bahamas, as well, through the High Commissioner of India.” Indian High Commissioner R Masakui said the wheels are already in motion to hopefully get The Bahamas on board. Ms Ella said the company is confident in the vaccine’s safety. She said: “The cell inactivated vaccine is probably the safest vaccine in the world. I’m not saying this because it is our vaccine, but this technology platform using the entire cell of the virus itself is the safest route. It is proven and time tested. Having said that, any vaccine is prone to
give small reactions to the person that is taking it. “We have already proven in our phase one and phase two data that the vaccine is 60 percent effective which was in a smaller subject population of less than 400. Phase three data, which is just completed, will prove if there is anything more than 60 percent. “For now we have satisfied the minimum requirement of 60 percent efficacy that is required for the vaccine to be deployed in any population in any country.” India is set to export Covaxin to Mongolia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Bahrain, Oman, Maldives, Mauritius and Bharat Biotech has signed agreements to supply Covaxin to the USA and Brazil. If details are worked out after WHO approvals are met, The Bahamas could be added to that list. Minister of Health Renward Wells has stressed on several occasions the government would only consider importing and using vaccines approved by the WHO. “The WHO procures from the Indian manufacturers,” said Ms Ella. “We ourselves distribute to more than 120 countries of the world a basket of various vaccines. Sixty percent of the vaccines produced in the world are manufactured by India under the WHO guidelines, the international guidelines and so forth.
RULES TABLED FOR COVID COMPENSATION By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PEOPLE who allegedly suffer loss or injury after taking COVID-19 vaccines will have one year to send their claim for compensation to a specially created, five-member tribunal that will assess their case, according to new rules tabled in the House of Assembly yesterday. Applications must include the date and location of the administration of the medicine, the full details of the loss or injury suffered, and the occupation and place of employment of the person
“We will be starting the exporting Covaxin to other countries. As many as 20 plus countries have already registered with us for supplies of Covaxin. The very first shipment went to Myanmar – 200,000 doses were shipped.” However before doing any business with the United States, there will have to be further studies done on Covaxin and applications have already been submitted to the FDA for the same. “We also hope to start trials in the US very soon because we have markets where we have entered into commercial agreements with private entities,” Ms Ella said. “We will also start doing the bridging studies and trials that have to be done according to the guidelines of their regulatory agencies – whether it is the US or Brazil or whichever country is interested to take Covaxin into their markets in the private sector.
“Our partners in the US have now applied to the FDA to start the bridging study and the trials that need to be done in the US for taking Covaxin to their private markets.” According to chiefs at Bharat Biotech, this vaccine is very inexpensive and pricing cannot be matched in any other county. Ms Ella continued, “When a government procurement happens, it is in very large numbers in order to cater to the population. That determines the pricing for that particular requirement. No other country can supply vaccines cheaper than India. This has been proven time and again with many other vaccines. UNICEF and PAHO knows this.” Meanwhile, Bahamian officials are awaiting 100,000 doses of the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine which are expected to arrive in the country soon. India has also approved use of the Oxford vaccine in that country.
TOTAL CASES TOTAL DEATHS
8,393 179 NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES TUESDAY 10 CASES NEW PROVIDENCE 5 ABACO 2 GRAND BAHAMA 1 ELEUTHERA 1 ANDROS 1
suffering the loss or injury. It must also be accompanied by available documentary evidence. The tribunal will determine if people are eligible for aid and, if so, how much. “In making a determination under this section, the tribunal shall make a determination based on compelling, reliable, valid, medical and scientific evidence provided by the applicant,” the rules say. “A decision by the tribunal shall be final.” According to the Health Services (COVID-19) (Aid for Loss of Injury) Rules 2021, people eligible for aid could be awarded general
damages, special damages and “such other damages as the tribunal may consider just”. “Any aid payable to an applicant shall, in respect of general damages, be fixed according to the type of loss in respect of personal injury suffered; and special damages, be determined on a case-by-case basis,” the rules say. “Where a person receives aid pursuant to these rules, the receipt thereof shall constitute a full waiver and release of any further liability in respect of the medicine administered.” The tribunal will consist of a medical practitioner, a
pharmacist, a retired justice of the Supreme Court nominated by the chief justice, a public officer designated by the financial secretary and “a person with such qualifications, expertise or experience in the finance or insurance industry as would, in the opinion of the minister, enable them to make a contribution to the performance of the tribunal’s functions.” Loss or injury is defined as “all damages, losses and liabilities, including claims for death, physical, mental, or emotional injury, illness, disability, or condition, fear of the foregoing property loss, or damage, or business interruption.”
THE Ministry of Health reported ten new COVID19 cases on Tuesday. Five of those cases are New Providence residents, one is from Grand Bahama, two are from Abaco while there is one each from Eleuthera and Andros. The cases brought the country’s coronavirus toll to 8,393. Health officials say three new cases have been
imported; three New Providence residents newly diagnosed with the disease have a travel history within the last 14 days. Seventeen people are currently in hospital fighting COVID-19, four of which are in intensive care. Forty-eight cases were listed as recovered on Tuesday while there are 1,033 active cases.
according to Ministry of Health officials. The ongoing effort to feed those taking care of others began in May. “On behalf of all the health care workers, and especially those on the front lines, we at the Ministry of
Health are very grateful to McDonald’s for coming forward and offering 1,000 meals to those who have been working tirelessly since this pandemic began nearly one year ago,” said Health Minister Renward Wells. “It has been a challenging
year for all of us, but perhaps no group of people has experienced the continuing pressure more so than these frontline workers so we are especially pleased that McDonald’s had the heart to reach out to the Ministry of Health with its generous offer to make these workers’ lives brighter.” Recipients are able to redeem their coupons at any of the three McDonald’s locations in New Providence: Oakes Field, downtown Nassau and Palmdale. According to franchise holder Earla Bethel, the donation was a natural for a company closely affiliated with caring for the sick, the less advantaged and those
in need during crisis. “We like to remind ourselves that when we feed the body, we are also nourishing the soul,” said Mrs Bethel. “When we look at how hard these frontline workers work, especially those who nurse the patients with COVID-19 and may be the last ones to see them alive, we are driven to do whatever we can to ease their emotional burden the best we can. If that means relieving them of the need to cook even one meal, we are grateful to be in a position to do that.” The story of McDonald’s generosity, revealed by the Ministry of Health, unintentionally coincided with news of the death of Carleton
Williams, a pioneer in the world of black-owned businesses in The Bahamas who opened the country’s first McDonald’s in 1975. That gathering spot in Palmdale became an instant success. Tributes poured in for Williams who was described as a “visionary who combined an uncommon skill for commerce with a deep respect for humankind.” “He would have approved of this gesture to reward those who dedicate their lives to saving the lives of others,” said Mrs Bethel who bought the franchise from him in 1998. Williams continued to mentor and guide her. He died at home in Nassau February 7 at the age of 91.
TOTAL TESTS
65,156
HOSPITALISED
13
CASES IN ICU
4
RECOVERED
7,119
TEN NEW CASES CONFIRMED
McDONALD’S TELLS HEALTHCARE WORKERS: BE OUR GUEST WITH frontline workers pushed to the limit during the COVID-19 crisis, one of The Bahamas’ most popular eateries is providing sizzling sustenance – McDonald’s is dishing out 1,000 Be Our Guest coupons and health care workers are lovin’ it,
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, February 18, 2021, PAGE 5
Digital billboards to play part in MARCO alerts By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net FOUR digital billboards have been erected across New Providence to send out warnings about missing children to facilitate the rollout of the Mandatory Action Rescuing Children Operation (MARCO) Alert system. Speaking at an event at Police Headquarters yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said information about missing children will be broadcasted on billboards stationed at several sites on the island like the Lynden Pindling International Airport . He said: “Four digital billboards will facilitate the MARCO’s Alert System to broadcast important messages about a missing child at the Lynden Pindling International Airport, the junction of Chippingham Road and West Bay Street, R M Bailey Park, and S C McPherson School on Blue Hill Road.” Full implementation of the MARCO alert system has long been a promise of the Minnis-led administration. Despite several
promises last year, it is still not clear when the system will be fully up and running. However, National Security Minister Marvin Dames suggested yesterday the government is very close to achieving its goal to have the system fully rolled out this term. He said the Cabinet recently approved funding for software that will play an important role in getting the information out there once the system becomes operational. “You can see the billboards up throughout New Providence and Cabinet would have recently a few weeks ago approved the acquisition of software that will allow us on a minute’s notice to disseminate information wherever we want, however we want and as quickly as we want,” he said. “And if we want to bring hence that information meaning that if there’s a situation on Abaco and that it’s solely related to Abaco, if we want to solely send it to Abaco we can do that.” Asked for a definitive timeline on the rollout of the system, Police
Commissioner Paul Rolle replied: “As the minister said a moment ago, we got the funding for the integration software of that…so I would imagine in a few weeks because you would see them out on the polls and they’re doing testing and setting up grids so if something is (contained) to a specific area, the mall and the child goes missing we can geofence the mall and everybody in the mall will get a message saying ‘we’re looking for this child and have you seen this child?’ But that message wouldn’t come to someone out here (at the police headquarters). If it’s something on a national level that can go throughout the commonwealth.” After the murder of 11-year-old Marco Archer in 2011, a law was enacted allowing authorities to send notifications alerting the public to missing children, dubbed the MARCO Alert. While the system was rolled out by the Christie administration, it is unclear if it was ever used and it was set for an overhaul by the Minnis administration. In 2019, Mr Dames said the government had
ONE of the digital billboards that has been erected. committed $3.05m over three years for the MARCO Alert. A contract was later signed between the government and Multimedia Technologies for the system
in late August of that year. According to the latest Royal Bahamas Police Force statistics, there were 100 missing person reports filed in 2020. Of those
Photo: Racardo Thomas figures, the police chief said previously, 88 of those required no further actions from officers, but he added that 11 cases are still being investigated.
RISE IN PEOPLE SEEKING CRIMINAL RECORDS EXPUNGED By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net CHAIRMAN of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Committee Paul Farquharson said the group has seen an increase of people seeking criminal record expungements for possession of small amounts of marijuana. Mr Farquharson told reporters yesterday at the Ministry of National Security that the committee had about 50 applications for record expungement in 2020. “The word is getting out all over The Bahamas because there a lot of people on the Family Islands that have records and so this is a process that will affect us for a long time,” he said. So far, 11 people had their records expunged this year and the chairman
added the committee had just interviewed about ten applications for the same process. Although he could not provide the breakdown of the applications seen, he said the committee hears matters from a cross-section of applicants including men and women, young and old such as those convicted of murder down to assault, fraud, and particularly possession small amounts of marijuana. “These matters that have been lingering for years,” he said. “We have many applications that come before us from persons who would’ve committed one offence over the span of 20 or 30 years and still carry this burden of a police record and that record prevents them from travelling, getting a bank loan, getting a job. “We have almost I believe 1,400 or so persons
from police statistics that have been charged with drug offenses I believe in 2019. You could imagine the years before that. You would have thousands of persons who are walking around and probably in a valley of despair with this record holding them down.” When asked if they have seen an increase of seeking record expungements of possession of small amounts of marijuana, he replied “I think so”. Mr Farquharson spoke of the hardships experienced by two young men, Davah Cash and Calvin Sargeant, due to convictions they received in their youth. He presented the men with instruments to expunge their record. Mr Cash does volunteer work as a part of a programme by Governor General C A Smith and is a member of the crime watch
in Montell Heights. In the summer of 2008 when he was 16, he entered a store, attacked and robbed a man with a piece of two by four. He only got away with $5 but was subsequently charged with armed robbery. Mr Farquharson explained the charge was one of the offenses that cannot be expunged by the committee but can be considered by Prerogative of Mercy. The Rehabilitation Offenders Act outlines offences that cannot be expunged by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Committee which includes murder, manslaughter, treason, kidnapping, rape, possession with intent to supply 10 pounds of marijuana or two pounds more of cocaine. However these offences can also be considered by the Prerogative of Mercy.
Mr Farquharson acknowledged an “albatross” that hung around Mr Cash’s neck for almost ten years because of the charge. The 27-year-old thanked God for where he had brought him from and where he is about to go. “By His grace He has used Mr Farquharson and his team in areas where I desperately needed help,” he expressed. “I could go on and on about my testimony because my life is a testimony. I am proof that second chances are real and they are very much a part of our daily lives. “I grew up in Montell Heights. I was exposed to gang activity, gun violence, and all these lifestyles that often pledged the youths of the nation now and only until I seek the Lord and I realize that it’s only him and I have my wellbeing.” He is now employed at
Island Wholesale. Mr Sargeant’s troubles started in 2016 when he was 21 years old and worked as a security officer at a nightclub. One night there was a disturbance at the nightclub. The police arrived and he and the police got into an argument and therefore he was eventually arrested for assaulting an officer. Mr Farquharson said more businesses need to give young people in this country an opportunity, mercy, and forgiveness. “We have a very unforgiving society in this Bahamas who do not want to give these young persons a chance, but this committee is all about trying to reach especially persons and first-time offenders.” The committee chairman appealed to young persons with criminal records, especially for minor offenses, to apply to have their records expunged.
CONCERNS OVER BACKLOG AND LACK OF JUDGES IN GB By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A GRAND Bahama attorney has expressed concern about the lack of judges and long delay in trial dates for criminal matters at the island’s Supreme Court. K Brian Hanna said there is only one sitting judge for civil matters and that all criminal matters in the Supreme Court have been given lengthy adjournment dates. “That is of utmost concern. We need more judges here as soon as possible; they need to pay some attention to the Supreme Court and stop treating Grand Bahama as second class,” he said. Although there are two more courtrooms available, Mr Hanna said there is one sitting Supreme Court judge who is inundated with civil matters. “She is overburdened, and you have people waiting two and three years to get a judgment. It is of utmost importance… that those in charge look at filling the vacancy at the Supreme Court. We already have a backlog, and parents are knocking down my doors… asking about trial dates for their children, and I cannot provide them with a date. We need more judges here as soon as possible.” Due to the absence of a judge for criminal matters, Mr Hanna claimed that criminal matters have been
adjourned to 2023. He indicated that the long delay for matters to come to trial can discourage witnesses who sometimes lose interest and withdraw themselves from the case. “Another issue is that persons are on remand for three, four, and five years before they get before a judge and jury to hear the merits of their care – it is unfair.” Mr Hanna believes that there are enough educated lawyers that are qualified to sit as judges who can be appointed and given the opportunity. “They should not be selective and biased as to
who sits on the bench and utilises the educated talents at the Bar,” he said. The attorney was also concerned about the storage of old furnishings that are still sitting in the foyer of the courthouse building in both the Magistrate’s and Supreme Courts. Mr Hanna said that contractors have done a good job with major renovations of the courthouse building, but old furnishings are still piled up in the foyer. “It is unnecessary that they should have old stuff there that is supposed to be discarded. It has been close to eight to nine months since the
courthouse has been completed, and the old chairs and desks are unacceptable and create a hazard… for people accessing courts,” he complained. Parking is also an issue for judges, magistrates and attorneys, the lawyer said. “There is no place and no provision that has been made for attorneys to park; there is nowhere to park at all,” he claimed. Mr Hanna said that secure, safe parking for judges is still not completed and ordinary citizens attending court are parking in the area reserved and allocated for judges. Also, he said, magistrates
have to park in general parking with ordinary citizens. “There are no safe provisions for judges and magistrates to park their cars,” he said. Attorneys, he said, also
have difficulty finding parking at the courthouse. “I would greatly appreciate it if there is somewhere for us to park. I would like to see parking for attorneys,” he said.
PAGE 6, Thursday, February 18, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
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Water charge increase overdue - but is now the time? IT’S fair to say the announcement about water bills going up will not be a vote winner. No one votes to have less money in their pocket – and that won’t be any different this time. The question is, is it necessary? That there hasn’t been an increase in charges this millennium is scant comfort. No one is going to be partying like it’s 1999 for long. But as Deputy Prime Minister Desmond Bannister says, “The Water & Sewerage Corporation has always lost money. It’s been a regular loser. It has never to my knowledge made any money, and has to be brought into the 21st century.” Haven’t we got enough corporations losing money and having to be baled out by the government? Let’s face it, one way or another we pay for it. It can be through bills for our usage, or it can be through extra having to be raised through VAT or shipping charges or other taxation so that the corporation can be bailed out. The water corporation should be able to stand on its own two feet – and making it do so might well force it to pay more attention to water conservation efforts. After all, at the moment, why stop the leaks when you know the government will just bale them out? There is another question, of course – is now the right time? Granted, that kind of question has clearly been used to kick the can down the line on an increase in charges for decades now – but we truly are in unprecedented times right now. WSC chairman Adrian Gibson pointed out last year the backlog on payments had reached $30.8m at the end of August – a change of $15m year on year. That’s unsustainable, certainly, and again it is all of us that will be paying for it as government reaches into its pocket to keep things going, but there has never been a reason for such a backlog as the economic crisis we are now going through. Once the tourism engine kicks in
again, businesses and individuals will have more money again – and be able to start paying down those bills. More to the point, those who can’t afford to pay now won’t be able to pay more anyway – so will those backlogs grow with higher bills? The corporation’s subsidy has also been cut in the budget – and we have to be realistic to understand that there is no bottomless pit of money to cover all the needs brought on by the pandemic. So, absolutely WSC should stand on its own and manage its own bills. But is now the time to do it and will raising bills even achieve that right now? That’s an altogether more difficult question to answer.
Well done, Mr Ferreira A round of applause for Romauld Ferreira! The Environment Minister deserves such praise after the Biological Resources and Traditional Knowledge Bill passed in the House of Assembly yesterday. Underneath that long name, the bill will give The Bahamas a chance to capitalise on its own resources. Until now, if a scientific group carried out some research in The Bahamas and found something that could be the basis of, say, a medicine or a vaccine, The Bahamas would earn nothing out of it. This bill helps to sort that out – handling permits for companies looking to exploit our genetic resources, and providing advice on the revenue and benefit sharing terms. In short, it stops us giving away our resources for nothing to people who can make millions – or billions – as a result. If a cure for cancer is found in future thanks to a resource found in The Bahamas, then our nation will benefit from that discovery. The bill closes a gap that was there, and just might make our lives better in future. For that, we say well done Mr Ferreira.
Readers have say online READERS have been posting their reactions to the stories making the news this week on tribune242. com. After it was announced that the Melia Nassau Beach resort will stop operating for 24 months to undergo renovations, which could make more than 300 people redundant, Bahamianson said: “So sad for us. We need to tighten our belts and purchase what we must. Just like only the essential workers went to work, you only need to buy the essentials, and save what you can until the economy looks brighter and better. Be encouraged my fellow Bahamians, better days will come. Such are the vicissitudes of life. Prepare for the good and prepare for the bad.” SP posted this comment: “This is an eye-opening classic example of what can happen because Bahamians do not own our economy! Thank you, PLP and FNM for five decades of asinine stupidity, that has now come home full circle to roost. No need for naysayers and apologists. We are tone deaf to both of you!” Bogart had this to say: “The nation’s continuance of tourism being the primary engine over decades and decades should have the personnel to have done all likely possibilities of
producing in advance various options to soften the blow of the hammer. Surprisingly, there seems to have been no foresight for disasters and plans to ease the distress of the one blow. “In this time now upon these workers, the taxi drivers who have income from transporting guests, beach vendors, workers who deal with the travel industry, the loss of revenue from electricity bill to BEC, fewer travellers not flying Bahamasair to and from the now closed hotel, the children of these hotel workers, merchants, farmers and suppliers to the hotel and the hundreds of other Bahamians who benefited, may the Good Lord help them all in these added challenges they face to find a good solution to ease their pain.” Bahamasair chairman Tommy Turnquest revealed that Bahamian taxpayers have spent $40m “and counting” to prop up the airline over the past seven months. That prompted this response from Sickened: “This used to be about national pride - now it’s just
another way government hopes to keep some votes. Surely it would be much cheaper to give all the staff $50k a year and let them start their own businesses or do nothing.” And after FNM chairman Carl Culmer said he’s had no indication that Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis will call an early general election, there was this comment from John: “So what is the benefit of the FNM government calling an early election, and even at this juncture? They are still battling the tail end of a pandemic and their efforts in combating it are yet to be appreciated. The coronavirus will disappear over the next few weeks and tourism will start to come back strong in the summer. People will get their jobs back and, if the winter of 2021 is half as bitter as this one, The Bahamas will experience a most booming winter season. (Start cooperative advertising and promotion now). And with a booming tourism industry, the FNM can go into May 2022 elections and come out with no less than 21 seats. The country will be in a position to tackle its debt without imposing too much additional tax burden on Bahamians. It’s a matter of trust and, NO, I hold no brief for the FNM!” • Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.
Will union perish with no vision? EDITOR, The Tribune. Please publish this letter to our Prime Minister. Dear Prime Minister, Dr Minnis, please come over into (NAD) Macedonia and help us. There is great pain and suffering being felt at this “supposedly” Quasi-Government entity. I watched the news clip on social media a couple nights ago and saw the Airport Authority staff – a group still making one hundred percent of their salaries – clamouring for monies owed to them, and I can fully understand their plight! What I didn’t get, however, was the union president, Mr Kingsley Ferguson, leading the way with the microphone in hand and saying it’s the “Squeaky wheel that gets the oil” or something to that effect. Really now? NAD’s staff and Airport Authority (AA) staff are both working under the same roof at LPIA and (to the best of my knowledge) are both represented by Mr Kingsly Ferguson’s union – BPSU. NAD staff has been on fifty percent pay for roughly one year now! (some make 50% and others 40%). And this is all before deductions are taken out: NIB, insurance, loans and mortgages, etc. All with no real sense of relief in sight; the glaring reality is that employees can go home with as low as 25-35% of their salaries in hand. Dr Minnis, I have heard one person say that she was left with as little as $20 on her account after deductions – now please let that sink in for a minute. Another lady laments that following her basic deductions and her mortgage she has a negative balance of under $10 on her account. And this is a productive, hardworking, single Bahamian mother with children. This means she has to now go out and find the difference to satisfy and appease the needs of her loan provider.. God help us all. What I don’t understand is Mr Ferguson’s logic in
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net only publicly pushing the envelope for the AA staff and does not appear to be exerting the same level of energy as it relates to the plight of the NAD employees. Let me hasten to emphasise here that this approach is a great source of consternation for many of the NAD employees he also represents. Has Mr Ferguson completely lost all of his marbles? Can you imagine firemen rushing to a burning building and only looking after those that are already “one hundred percent” safe while showing little to no visible interest in the cries of those still trapped inside, screaming in the midst of the burning flames! I wonder what would the future of those seemingly foolish and “out of touch” firemen look like? One can only imagine how many NAD employees must have dropped out off the union over the past year after finding themselves in such dire financial straits. And conversely, how many AA workers were still able to retain their membership in the union because they were all able to take home a hefty one hundred percent of their salary! I wonder which of the two options does more and goes further with the afflicted: a broad and consultative approach aimed at easing the pain or an insensitive and vindictive nature. It is one thing to raise both arms and lead a hymn, to get riled up an already frenzied crowd; and its quite another to hear the afflicted say: “We can hear his hymn, but we just cannot see his heart or does he even have a heart!” As a representative of both entities one should be careful of giving “the appearance” (rightly or wrongly so) that some favours might have been involved. Not only must a union leader be fair, but he must
also be seen to be fair! Don’t tell us what you’re negotiating behind the scenes; we only know what we have heard and seen in that media clip on social media with – only one of the twin entities being publicly mentioned. Maybe there is another clip that I missed from the same period. If that is the case, I would really love to hear it! Mr. Ferguson’s last election appeared to have been a nail biter at the outset; and though he eventually pulled away and won, some would still consider it a relatively close race. Dr Minnis, unlike Mr Ferguson’s recent triumph – you came sweeping into power on a substantial wave of popularity. A wave so massive that even the former administration was swept out to sea in your landslide victory! Mr Ferguson’s view, in my opinion, is both narrow and myopic; but you, Sir, must always look at something Mr Ferguson “appears” to be struggling to get his mind around and that is – the big picture! Now let me be abundantly clear – Airport Authority has a very hard-working staff complement and these people deserve every dollar they are owed! Having said that, however, the same can be said of NAD employees, and we are all Bahamians – so please, don’t let them try to pull another one over on us! You, sir, are not the Prime Minister for some Bahamians, but you are the Prime Minister for all Bahamians. Dr Minnis, we have prayed, seen and heard in a vision of the night – someone saying: “Come over into Macedonia (NAD) and help us!” And when the fog had cleared, and lifted of that heavenly vision, the man we saw coming on a white horse to help us was Dr Hubert Alexander Minnis! An “open-minded leader” with both a “heart,” a” soul,” and an abundance of compassion. BIG JAKE McPHEE Nassau, February 17, 2021.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, February 18, 2021, PAGE 7
VENEZUELAN WOMEN ON OVERSTAYING CHARGE By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
TWO Venezuelan women who said they fled their home country to escape violence after their husbands were murdered were yesterday charged with overstaying. The women — one 22 and the other 24 — appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis accused of residing in the country beyond the time granted to them by an immigration officer. The prosecution also alleged the women attempted to present two forged Bahamas immigration extension letters when detained on February 13. Yesterday, the women were arraigned alongside a 29-year-old woman also charged with overstaying. The court heard the women were staying at a condominium on West Bay Street. The prosecution said immigration officers proceeded to the apartment unit and asked them to show proof of their status. The women allowed the officers to enter their home and gave them their Venezuelan passports. The 22-year-old had travelled to the country in March 2020 and was given permission to stay for one month. The 24-year-old’s passport indicated she had come to The Bahamas in February 2020 and was given permission to reside in the country for 21 days. The 29-year-old arrived in January 2020 and was given permission to stay until April 2020. The women were arrested and transported to the Detention Centre. There, the 22-year-old produced an extension letter which
purported to show she was granted an additional 180 days. The 24-year-old also presented a letter which said she had been given a 202-day extension. However, when checks of the system were made, it was revealed both documents were invalid. The three women were cautioned and charged. During the hearing, all of the women pleaded guilty. Their attorney told the magistrate that Venezuela was a “problematic” country and two of the women were forced to flee after their husbands were killed. He said the women were not aware their extensions were fake and claimed the pair had paid a Colombian friend of theirs $300 to apply for the legal documents since they were unfamiliar with the process. The defendants’ counsel said the 29-year-old left Venezuela after her exboyfriend tried to kill her. He added the country had closed its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic and this made it hard for the women to return home or get a visa to travel to Colombia, which was their desired destination. Magistrate Rolle-Davis noted citizens of Venezuela only needed a negative COVID test to return home. As a result, he fined the two younger women $1,000 or nine months in prison for overstaying and presenting the fraudulent documents. The 29-year-old was also fined $300 for residing in the country past the allotted time granted to her. Magistrate Rolle Davis warned her if she did not pay the fine she could risk spending 30 days in prison.
MAN ‘THREATENED TO KILL’ EX By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A 28-YEAR-OLD man who threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend during an argument was yesterday warned to be of good behaviour. Police arrested Michael Adderley after he hurled death threats at his former lover during a heated argument on February 12. He owned up to the offence when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis. The prosecution said the woman told police that Adderley, who had just been released from prison, asked to borrow her vehicle. The court was told that when she told him no, he became angry and threatened to kill her. As a result of her complaint, Adderley was arrested. In an interview with officers at a nearby station, he denied the allegations. Yesterday, the accused had a different recollection of the events. He told the magistrate that although he and his ex-girlfriend had an argument that night, he never “placed her life in jeopardy”. He said the day after he was released from prison, he and the complainant were sitting in her car and she accused him of cheating on her with other women. Adderley said the verbal argument started after the woman told him she smelt another lady’s perfume on him. He admitted that there was an exchange of harsh words, but insisted they had broken up since the incident and begged the magistrate for leniency.
“I get do bad in jail,” Adderley stated. “I ain’t looking to go back.” After listening to his explanation, Magistrate Rolle Davis ordered Adderley to stay away from his ex-girlfriend and warned him to be of good behaviour. Yesterday, another man who was accused of harming a co-worker during an argument was also discharged with a warning. Police said Anthony Plakaris, 66, punched his colleague in the face during an argument over a radio set. The court was told that the incident took place at Lynden Pindling International Airport where both men are employed as security officers. During the hearing, Plakaris told Magistrate Rolle Davis that when he had started his shift on the day in question, he noticed that one of the radio sets was missing. He said when he reported the matter, the complainant brought the device back to their office. However, as he turned to leave the room, he slammed the door. Plakaris claimed the man’s actions prompted him to call him a “smart (expletive)”’ and the two began arguing. He said during the disagreement, his coworker looked as though he was going to grab a “gadget” from his right side, so he punched him in retaliation. After Plakaris pleaded guilty to one count of causing harm, he was warned to be of good behaviour.
JAIL FOR ATTACK WITH METAL BAR By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A HARBOUR Island man who last week swung a metal bar at a man before threatening to kill him was sentenced to three months in prison. Perez Johnson, 41, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes accused of harassing the man at a local beach in the settlement on February 9. He pleaded guilty to one count each of assault with a dangerous instrument and threats of harm during his arraignment. The court was told Johnson’s victim was at a house near the beach when the
defendant approached him with an iron bar and began swinging it at him while threatening to take his life. The man then ran away and reported the matter to officers. After he requested police action, Johnson was arrested. When he was questioned in custody, he admitted the offences. After accepting Johnson’s guilty plea, Magistrate Forbes told him he could not just go around swinging metal pipes at people. He also noted that a harsher charge could have been brought against Johnson if he had ended up hitting the complainant. As a result, he sentenced him to three months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
A LOOK inside the Real Time Crime Centre yesterday.
Photo: Racardo Thomas
Real Time Crime Centre unveiled By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Royal Bahamas Police Force officially opened its Real Time Crime Centre yesterday in a move officials say will allow for better policing and help strengthen the agency’s fight against crime. Giving official remarks at yesterday’s launch, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the centre includes a wide range of current and evolving technologies that will be utilised by officers to help detect and prevent crime. It will serve as the RBPF’s centralised technological base for data gathering and close monitoring of the agency’s ShotSpotter, closed circuit television (CCTV) and Marco’s Alert digital billboard systems. Officers attached to the centre will also be able to gather data from the RBPF’s body worn and dash cameras and drone
technology to ensure better transparency in the force. Dr Minnis said: “The mission of the Real Time Crime Centre (RTCC) is to provide the police with the ability to capitalise on its wide and expanding range of technologies for efficient and effective policing. “…The centre will coordinate assets and direct the attention of resources to high-crime areas, active crimes in progress, largescale public events that may require law enforcement presence or response, and high profile or highly repeat offenders in the community. “The Real Time Crime Centre will maximise the likelihood that members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force can respond to crimes occurring in real time and do so effectively. The centre will serve as a launch pad for newly acquired remote controlled drone technology.” Dr Minnis also said the initiative falls in line with his administration’s efforts
to ensure that officers are equipped with the tools needed to meet the policing challenges of a 21st century environment. His comments were echoed by National Security Minister Marvin Dames yesterday, who said the government remains committed to supporting the police in their crime fighting efforts. “I can assure you that we have already begun the process of further moving our law enforcement agencies to a place unheard of and unforeseen because it’s our government’s commitment and we recognise that if you do not invest in your law enforcement agencies, you cannot talk about bringing tourists to this country. “You can’t talk about financial investments and growth and development. It first starts with safety and security and giving people a feeling of comfort that they can travel without any concerns of being robbed or tapped and so our (crime)
numbers continue to show some very positive signs. “We are not there yet. We will be the first to tell you that we recognise that but we know exactly where it is that we’re going and we have rolled out a plan that clearly points the way and we will continue to improve on that and we recognise that.” Police Commissioner Paul Rolle estimated the infrastructural costs for completion of the RBPF crime centre to be around $20 million. With the new technological crime tools, the police chief said officers at the centre were able to help solve two murders so far and deal with several police complaints. He told reporters: “We had two murders that we used this for (as a result) of the cameras that officers were wearing and also, we had a few matters that we dealt with from the complainant and discipline side and then there’s one I’m reviewing right now.”
‘CRITICISM OF COVID POLICING IS UNFAIR’ from page one
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a police event, he admitted that while he has had to deal with “a few” officers who have acted inappropriately, there are times when officers are not always in the wrong. “There have been a few that I had to intervene in when I felt that officers acted quite improperly and we dealt with it and so we try to sensitise officers,” said Commissioner Rolle. “I also want to sensitise the business owners because what we have been having a lot of recently is
people who operating illegally, things like operating a bar. Those things have not been permitted.” The police chief pointed to one particular instance where a person was found fabricating stories and trying to paint officers in a negative light. He said: “I saw a video circulating recently where a chap was accusing one of my officers and he was disingenuous because he was cited for loud music that was being played on the outside and officers walked on the outside and they were talking and nobody was inside there and so we’re not going to cite anyone in there, but it gives the impression that
the police have done something wrong. “And I want to set the record straight that we don’t go out of our way to cause any unnecessary hardship or embarrassment to people but we simply ask people to let us abide by these protocols that are being placed so that this is for everybody.” His comments come as some businesses in the entertainment sector are gearing up to reopen after months of being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, Fusion Superplex officials said it planned to call 70 more workers back to work after the government gave the
go-ahead to reopen its cinemas in a letter dated February 12, 2021. Mario’s Bowling was expected to reopen yesterday with 58 of its 120 employees. However, the Commissioner sent a stern warning to those businesses that have not been given the approval from the competent authority to resume operations. He said: “I would ask those people not to attempt to open because if they do, then we have a duty to shut them down. We don’t want to do that, but if you test us, then we will do it.” Last year, there were 4,275 violations to the COVID-19 Emergency Orders.
PAGE 8, Thursday, February 18, 2021
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue. - Proverbs 17:28 There is the natural vanity to which most humans are heir. There is the narcissism that often accompanies celebrity. At the extreme end of the continuum is pathological narcissism, of which Donald Trump has given the world master classes over the past four years. There are intelligent and capable pathological narcissists. But when such narcissism is combined with other shortcomings the combination is sometimes outrageously hilarious and sometimes dangerous depending on the role such an individual has in society. The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Halson Moultrie has mastered a sort of pathological narcissism, replete with vanity, grandiosity and pomposity, on which he constantly fumbles in his Speaker’s robes. He behaves with a shocking lack of self-reflection
and constant feverish antagonism accompanied by a fundamentalist worldview. When a motion of no confidence was defeated in the House against the Speaker, Opposition Leader Philip Brave Davis assessed the Speaker on that occasion: “You have embarrassed, debased and desecrated the office of Speaker. The majority should not protect or cloak you in your error and buffoonery. They should assist you in finding the exit. That is the right thing to do.” The majority did not take Mr Davis’ advice but decided to give the Speaker another chance. Was this a mistake on the part of the majority? Speaker Moultrie has again demonstrated that he does not understand the role of the Speaker, he does not have the judgment required to be a good Speaker and he most certainly does not have the temperament to occupy that high office. Though he enjoys styling himself as an ardent defender of the
THE TRIBUNE
WISE OWL OR PREENING PEACOCK? I KNOW WHAT MY VIEW IS Westminster system and parliamentary norms, he appears to have limited understanding of the system and has brazenly and arrogantly jettisoned various norms when they do not serve his purpose. As noted in a number of previous columns, some of the conventions and traditions of Westminster do not neatly apply in countries with considerably smaller parliaments such as ours. In Britain, there will
always be a larger number of backbenchers and a more robust and larger committee system. We have 39 House members in The Bahamas as compared with 650 members in the UK House of Commons. The Speaker of the House should not be contentious as is Mr Moultrie, who spews forth on a multitude of topics ranging from foreign to domestic matters. To ensure impartiality, a Speaker should be especially careful in public pronouncements.
TARNISHED
Just as the Chief Justice must be careful in his or her public statements and serve with a level of decorum, so should the Speaker. Sadly, Mr Moultrie, like Trump, has tarnished the high office in which they served. The Speaker should not breach confidential conversations, especially with the Prime Minister, as now appears the case after the former went to the Press to disclose and to blather about a private meeting with Dr Hubert Minnis. A Speaker should epitomize good judgment. Mr. Moultrie has proven an intemperate man of reliably poor judgment. He lacks the wisdom of an owl and he preens like a peacock. Mr Moultrie delights in citing the need for greater independence by a Speaker. Yet, at times he shows himself to be a determined partisan, as have other Speakers, including former Speaker Kendal Major during the PLP’s last term in office. In a letter to the editor of this journal former House Speaker Maurice Tynes noted of Mr Moultrie’s resignation: “The Speaker’s resignation from the FNM and his decision to remain as Speaker of the House of Assembly is most unusual. “In fact, it is the first time in my memory that I have seen that. His decision to remain in office is protected by the provisions of Article 50(2) as his continuing in office is not dependent on his membership in a political party. The question then is does he have the moral authority to stay in office as Speaker? “Moreover, the Speaker tried to make the claim in his letter that his resignation from his political party was a matter of principle. He made the charge that he could not remain affiliated with the FNM because the party was not committed to the ‘fundamental essentials of democracy’, a very serious charge. “But if those fundamentals of democracy were the real reason for his resignation from the FNM, then his continuing in office as
Speaker remedies nothing. His resignation as Speaker of the House of Assembly, however, would have sent a stronger signal of his fidelity to those democratic principles he espoused.”
PETULANT
Few doubt that Mr Moultrie would have remained a member of the FNM if re-nominated. His petulant and angry resignation is the sort of pathologically narcissistic behaviour of someone like Trump. It is curious and laughable when someone dresses up their personal pique and wounded pride in the language of supposed principles. Mr Moultrie’s egotism is so extreme he seems to believe the FNM cannot win without his winning the Nassau Village seat he currently occupies. What makes this even more guffaw-inducing and side-splitting are the news reports with numerous comments from constituents glad to see his political back. If Mr Moultrie returns to private practice, potential clients may be very weary of someone who appears to have breached a serious confidence. After reportedly being denied re-nomination by the FNM, Mr Moultrie seems to have gone politically berserk. The tragedy is that at times, there were some important issues raised in his diatribes. But he was the wrong messenger and he delivered the message in the wrong manner. It is true that the legislative branch of our government does not have the administrative independence it ought to have in our system of parliamentary democracy. In 2000, a Parliamentary Review Commission was appointed by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and co-chaired by Sir Arthur Foulkes and the late Sir Clement Maynard. Other members of the Commission were: Messrs Felix Stubbs, Raymond Winder, Ishmael Lightbourne, Timothy Donaldson and Ms. Wendy Warren. Among other things, the Commission dealt with the very matters raised by the Speaker and made recommendations including the establishment of a separate administrative arrangement for the legislative branch of government.
INDEPENDENT
It is wrong for the Attorney General, who is Legal Adviser to the Executive Branch of Government and a part of that Branch,
to give legal advice to the Speaker. The legislative branch should have independent legal advice when the occasion arises. Unfortunately, this study, like many others done for the advancement of the country over the years, was put on the shelf and little or no action was taken by successive administrations since 2000. If Speaker Moultrie was really interested in results, he would have taken out that Report, dusted it off and made representations through the appropriate channels to both the government and the opposition to effect the desired and necessary changes. Unfortunately for us, too often individuals elected to the post of Speaker of the House have little or no experience in parliamentary procedure and less in even following the goings on of parliament. We are not alone in this and the Commonwealth has held meetings of Speakers to assist especially those from small developing countries to learn the ropes, so to speak. A report from the 20th Commonwealth Conference of Parliamentary Speakers shed some telling insights: “The stated aim of this 20th Conference was to ‘maintain, foster, and encourage impartiality and fairness on the part of Speakers and presiding officers of parliaments; promote knowledge and understanding of parliamentary democracy in its various forms and the development of parliamentary institutions.” The Report went on to record that several Speakers complained that soon after they are elected, and try to fairly apply the Standing Orders, their own parties accuse them of being favourable to the opposition and hostile to the government. The Report noted that such negative tendencies can only be overcome by expanding the knowledge and understanding of parliamentary democracy and strengthening parliamentary institutions. Mr Moultrie is the worst Speaker since independence. While the late Sir Arlington Butler was known for his affectations and loveable vanity, he was highly intelligent, versed in the parliamentary system, approachable and beloved by many. Mr Moultrie cannot touch the hem of Arlington Butler’s robes or class act.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, February 18, 2021, PAGE 9
The gloves are off for an embittered ex-president and those who turned against him
IT’S just hard to resist the continuing saga of Donald Trump. A couple of things have happened in the past week that many foresaw but whose dramatic impact is nonetheless notable. First, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has finally dropped the pretence of tolerating Trump. The Kentucky Republican, secure now that he has just been re-elected for another six-year term, is prepared for a bare-knuckle brawl with Trump. Moments after the Senate voted to acquit Trump on Saturday, McConnell addressed the Senate and accused Trump of spreading “wild falsehoods” about a stolen election and creating a “manufactured atmosphere of looming catastrophe” that inspired the mob that attacked the US Capitol January 6. McConnell continued his diatribe. “The leader of the free world cannot spend weeks thundering that shadowy forces are stealing our country and then feign surprise when people believe him and do reckless things,” he said. The Kentuckian suggested, moreover, that he believed Trump was potentially liable both criminally and civilly for his incitement of the Capitol riot. “We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation. And former Presidents are not immune from being held accountable by either one.” Even without his traditional Twitter megaphone, Trump surprised no one in promptly raging back, now via a political action committee website. Trump said he would back proTrump Republicans in congressional primaries where “necessary and appropriate”. It was hardly the first time he had issued this threat to rebellious Republican office holders. “Mitch is a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political
hack, and if Republican Senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again,” Trump said in the statement released by the Save America PAC. “He will never do what needs to be done, or what is right for our country.” Trump never quite trusted McConnell’s political instincts which were to ensure a durable GOP Senate majority, not to promote Trump personally. And the courtly, traditional McConnell never hid his personal distaste for Trump’s rudeness and general lack of decorum. The ex-President also revealed he hasn’t lost his singular touch to find the nastiest, most personal if
unfounded insult to inflict on those who oppose him. Trump this week accused McConnell of being soft on China because of “his family’s substantial Chinese business holdings”. McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao, who served as Trump’s Transportation Secretary until she resigned in protest over the January 6 riot, was born in Taiwan. The other predictable outcome of Trump’s Senate acquittal is the move to convene a Commission of Inquiry into his January mob incitement – and, probably, other crimes and misdemeanours the House prosecutors didn’t have time to examine before the Senate trial.
The American politicians aren’t calling the coming investigation a Commission of Inquiry, a term in common use throughout British Commonwealth common law nations including The Bahamas. But given that Commissions of Inquiry are often formed after widely publicized events resulting in deaths or scandal or both, what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is organizing is exactly a Commission of Inquiry. Many observers are comparing this to the 9/11 commission, which investigated the terrorist attacks of that day. That commission took two years to deliver its report.
NOW that private citizen Trump has been predictably acquitted by the US Senate in his second impeachment trial, the former President has emphatically signalled that he will not accept the fate some had forecast. One pundit had predicted that Trump’s flight to Florida and exile from New York and Washington would lead to his becoming “just another ageing caudillo, basking in the fading glow of the glory years.” While there is no precise definition in English of caudillo, which is often used interchangeably with
warlord and strongman, the term basically denotes a “personalist leader wielding political power”. Caudillo does seem to define Trump, or at least some of his public aspirations, pretty well. And his passage to Florida may echo similar moves taken by various Latin dictators to the Sunshine State over the decades. When war criminals, guerrillas and dictators escape to South Florida, said Carmen Pino, onetime special agent in charge of the Miami office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, “they want to blend in, and that’s easiest
in an ethnic community full of people from the same place as you.” Trump and Palm Beach? It appears that so far, the locals aren’t sure Trump fits in as a full-time resident. But you wouldn’t want to bet against his staying power. The former President now joins the ranks of exiled strongmen from Guatemala, Bolivia, Honduras, Peru and Haiti who have sought and mostly found comfort in South Florida. Perhaps the most notorious were the men whose excesses in power incited rebellions resulting in the present Communist/
Socialist regimes in Cuba and Nicaragua. Trump is the first former American President to seek retirement safe haven in South Florida. But then he was always different.
MANCHESTER BLUE HAS IT IN THE BAG
STATESIDE
with Charlie Harper
HE’S DOWN - BUT NOT OUT
THE most competitive professional league in the world’s most popular sport has now passed the halfway point in its 202021 season. Still trying to shrug off the continuing disruptive scheduling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the English Premier League is back on track to complete its season in May as scheduled. Who’s going to win? Right now, recent two-time champion Manchester City is in control of this year’s race. City hold a seven-point lead over their nearest pursuers and have played one fewer game with nearly two-thirds of the season complete. It will take a dramatic collapse to deny City their third title in the past four years. City travelled to Liverpool 11 days ago and looked like losers for most of the game. But then they staged a late blitz and whipped the Reds 4-1. Even Liverpool’s irrepressible manager Juergen Klopp admitted that his team – itself one of the world’s best and the defending league champions – were out of the running this year. Manchester City is on a long current winning streak despite missing its two most recognizable players, Argentine striker Sergio Aguero and MVP Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. This team is simply too strong and deep for its competition. Liverpool, now in sixth place, has suffered from both inconsistency and the loss of its two most talented defensemen to season-long injuries. Still often awesomely impressive offensively, Liverpool are now in a dog fight for the remaining three automatic places in next season’s European championships. Two of their main competitors for those Champions League spots are traditional powerhouses Manchester United and Chelsea. United currently sits in second place, and has been reignited in the past
year by the arrival of electric midfielder Bruno Fernandes from Portugal. Man U is enjoying a fine season under its Norwegian manager. Chelsea started the season fast, hit the skids and then fired manager Frank Lampard, the team’s all-time leading scorer. The club’s new German manager has the team undefeated so far, and the Blues seem to be rounding into form just in time to finish near the top of the EPL table. Chelsea now occupies fourth place. Among the favourites every year to contend for the championship are North London’s Tottenham and Arsenal. Not this year. The Gunners often look lost against better opposition, and are not beating the league’s underlings as consistently as in the past. As for Spurs, preseason hopes were high in manager Jose Mourinho’s second season. He had won league titles in his second year at several previous coaching stops. But this year, Spurs may rely too heavily on a stingy defence and the breakaway threat of forwards Harry Kane and Korean Son Heung-min, who have missed games through injury. There are two surprises at the top of the league table. Leicester, which shockingly won the crown in 2016, sits this morning tied with Manchester United in second place. The plucky Foxes, mostly finishing just outside the top four positions, have been mostly healthy this year and just stunned Liverpool last weekend. Depth is a concern, but Leicester may still surprise with a top finish. Tied for fourth place today is West Ham United from London’s East End. The Hammers are having a season to remember. Lack of depth fuels scepticism here, too, however, that West Ham can finish the season in such a lofty position.
PAGE 10, Thursday, February 18, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Global vaccine distribution ‘wildly uneven and unfair’ UNITED NATIONS Associated Press UN SECRETARY-GENERAL Antonio Guterres sharply criticised the “wildly uneven and unfair” distribution of COVID-19 vaccines yesterday, saying ten countries have administered 75 percent of all vaccinations and demanding a global effort to get all people in every nation vaccinated as soon as possible. The UN chief told a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council that 130 countries have not received a single dose of vaccine and declared that “at this critical moment, vaccine equity is the biggest moral test before the global community”. Guterres called for an urgent Global Vaccination Plan to bring together those with the power to ensure equitable vaccine distribution -- scientists, vaccine producers and those who can fund the effort. And he called on the world’s major economic powers in the Group of 20 to establish an emergency task force to establish a plan and coordinate its
UNITED Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres. implementation and addressed the virtual counfinancing. He said the cil meeting organised by task force should have the Britain on improving access capacity “to mobilise the to COVID-19 vaccinations, pharmaceutical companies including in conflict areas. and key industry and logisThe coronavirus has tics actors”. infected more than 109 milGuterres said Friday’s lion people and killed at meeting of the Group of least 2.4 million of them. Seven major industrialized As manufacturers strugnations -- the United States, gle to ramp up production Germany, Japan, Britain, of vaccines, many counFrance, Canada and Italy -- tries complain of being left “can create the momentum out and even rich nations to mobilise the necessary are facing shortages and financial resources”. domestic complaints. Thirteen ministers The World Health
Organization’s COVAX program, an ambitious project to buy and deliver coronavirus vaccines for the world’s poorest people, has already missed its own goal of beginning coronavirus vaccinations in poor countries at the same time that shots were rolled out in rich countries. WHO says COVAX needs $5 billion in 2021. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the council the Biden administration “will work with our partners across the globe to expand manufacturing and distribution capacity and to increase access, including to marginalised populations”. President Joe Biden has rejoined the WHO and Blinken announced that by the end of February the United States will pay over $200m in previously assessed and current obligations to the UN agency, which Washington will seek to reform. America’s top diplomat said the US also plans to provide “significant financial support” to COVAX through the GAVI vaccine alliance, and will work to
strengthen other multilateral initiatives involved in the global COVID19 response. He gave no details. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticized the growing “immunity divide” and called on the world to “come together to reject `vaccine nationalism,’ promote fair and equitable distribution of vaccines, and, in particular, make them accessible and affordable for developing countries, including those in conflict.” At WHO’s request, he said, China will contribute ten million doses of vaccines to COVAX “preliminarily”. China has donated vaccines to 53 developing countries including Somalia, Iraq, South Sudan and Palestine, which is a UN observer state. It has also exported vaccines to 22 countries, he said, adding that Beijing has launched research and development cooperation on COVID19 with more than 10 countries. India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar also
called for a halt to “vaccine nationalism” and encouragement for internationalism. “Hoarding superfluous doses will defeat our efforts towards attaining collective health security,” he warned. Jaishankar said India has been at the forefront of the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, initially providing medicine, ventilators and personal protective equipment and now directly sending madein-India vaccines to 25 nations across the world, with 49 additional countries from Europe and Latin America to Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands slated to receive vaccines “in the coming days.” Two vaccines, including one developed in India, have been granted emergency authorisation, the minister said, and as many as 30 vaccine candidates are in various stages of development. Jaishankar announced “a gift of 200,000 doses” of vaccine for about 90,000 UN peacekeepers serving in a dozen hotspots around the world.
FREEZING WEATHER DELAYING US VACCINE DELIVERIES ATLANTA Associated Press THE icy blast across much of the US injected more confusion and frustration into the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination drive yesterday just when it was gathering speed, snarling vaccine deliveries and forcing the cancellation of countless shots around the country. Across a large swath of the nation, including Deep South states like Georgia and Alabama, the snowy, slippery weather either led to the closing of vaccination sites outright or held up the necessary shipments, with delays expected to continue for days. In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio said doses expected this week were delayed by weather elsewhere in the country, forcing the city to hold off making 30,000 to 35,000 vaccination appointments. One public health expert said the delays were unacceptable. “Having vaccine centres take snow days is just going to back things up more than they already are,” said Dr Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “The virus doesn’t take snow days.” Adalja said people in charge of vaccination
DRIVERS tackling the snowy Interstate 55 in north Jackson, Mississippi, on Monday. efforts need to find ways to be more resilient to weather, “just like mailmen can deliver the mail through sleet or snow.” He suggested clinics use better contingency plans. The goal, he said, must be “a continuous assembly line of vaccines going into people’s arms.” In Washington, White House COVID-19
coordinator Jeff Zients said: “People are working as hard as they can, given the importance of getting the vaccines to the states and to providers, but there is an impact on deliveries.” He added that in places where vaccination sites are closed, like Texas, the government is encouraging sites to increase their hours once they are open.
“We want to make sure that as we’ve lost some time in some states for people to get needles in arms, that our partners do all they can to make up that lost ground,” he said. The US is vaccinating an average of 1.7 million Americans per day against COVID-19, up from under 1 million a month ago. New figures from the
Photo: Rogelio V Solis/AP White House show a steady increase in the pace of vaccinations over President Joe Biden’s first month in office. Much of the increase, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, comes from people receiving their second dose. The pace of first-dose vaccinations has been largely steady over the
past several weeks, hovering around an average of 900,000 shots per day. Biden is on track to blow past his goal of 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office — though the pace must pick up even further to meet his plans to vaccinate nearly all adults by the end of the summer. The White House also said the government will ramp up genetic analysis of coronavirus samples from around the country to gain information on where more infectious and potentially deadlier mutations may be spreading. In the face of frustrating delays, some people showed remarkable persistence. Fran Goldman, 90, of Seattle, told The Seattle Times she walked six miles round trip in the snow to get her vaccine. Goldman said that after much effort, she had finally secured a slot for Sunday morning, but on Friday and Saturday a strong storm moved through, filling streets with snowdrifts. Goldman dressed in fleece pants and threw a few warm layers over a short-sleeve shirt so that the nurse could get to her arm easily. “It was not easy going. It was challenging,” she said. She made it to her appointment, just five minutes late.
PRINCE PHILIP ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL, AGED 99
BRITAIN’S 99-yearold Prince Philip has been admitted to a London hospital after feeling unwell, Buckingham Palace said yesterday. The palace said the husband of Queen Elizabeth II was admitted to the private King Edward VII Hospital on Tuesday evening. It called the admission “a precautionary measure” taken on the advice of Philip’s doctor. The palace said Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, is expected to remain for a few days of “observation and rest”. His illness is not believed
to be related to COVID19. The queen and Philip received a first dose of a vaccine against the coronavirus in early January. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office said he “sends his best wishes to the Duke of Edinburgh as he undergoes a few days of rest in hospital.” Philip retired from public duties in 2017 and rarely appears in public. His most recent public event was a military ceremony at Buckingham Palace in July. During England’s current coronavirus lockdown, the duke has been staying at Windsor Castle.
US RADIO HOST LIMBAUGH DIES RUSH Limbaugh, the talk radio host who ripped into liberals and laid waste to political correctness with a gleeful malice that made him one of the most powerful voices in politics, influencing the rightward push of American conservatism and the rise of Donald Trump,
died Wednesday. He was 70. Limbaugh said a year ago that he had lung cancer. His death was announced on his show by his wife, Kathryn. Forbes magazine estimated his 2018 income at $84m, ranking him only behind Howard Stern among radio personalities.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, February 18, 2021, PAGE 11
WHAT CHANCE A COVID-FREE WORLD WHEN ONE AFRICAN COUNTRY REFUSES TO VACCINATE?
By CATHERINE KYOBUTUNGI Executive Director, African Population and Health Research Center TANZANIA has had a unique approach to controlling COVID-19. Only a few months into the pandemic last year, the president of the country, John Magufuli, declared Tanzania COVIDfree following three days of national prayers. He has since refused to impose a lockdown, reopened schools, allowed large sporting events, continued religious gatherings, stopped testing and stopped public communications campaigns about the virus. The country also stopped reporting cases and deaths. The argument was that people should stop living in fear and that they should trust in God and rely on traditional African remedies to prevent getting the virus. It may be the only country in the world that has taken this approach. It goes against everything that has been recommended by scientists, other national health agencies and the World Health Organisation (WHO). It’s therefore not surprising that the authorities have said that they do not have plans to vaccinate the population against COVID-19, at least for now. Will people still be able to access vaccines? No. And yes. No, because a vaccine may not be used in the country without it being registered and licensed for use. The normal process is that experts in the country, together with regulatory bodies, review the data about the vaccine and approve its use if they are satisfied about its efficacy and safety. For the COVID-19
IN this July 11, 2020, photo, President John Magufuli speaks at the national congress of his ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi party in Dodoma, Tanzania. Magufuli openly expressed doubt about COVID-19 vaccines and accused people who were vaccinated outside the East African nation of bringing new infections into the country. Photo: AP vaccine, this is being done through the WHO Emergency Use Listing procedure. The review is done by an international team of experts with participation of experts from national authorities. If Tanzania refuses to register the vaccine for use in the country, it will not be accessible to anyone. The country could, however, register the vaccine but refuse to import it. This would allow the private sector to import some, but it won’t be enough. COVID-19 vaccination programmes of any country are a massive undertaking. If it’s driven by the private sector many may not be able to access or afford the vaccines. In the meantime those that could get vaccinated are Tanzania’s elites (or those with means) who could fly out of the
country and get vaccinated elsewhere. Other Tanzanians that could access vaccines are border communities who, in the past, have crossed over to neighbouring countries and benefited from vaccination programmes. This may be the case if and when widespread vaccination starts happening in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Malawi. But that’s a couple of years from now. There is still a chance that Tanzania could register and import the vaccines in the future. Magufuli has been sending mixed messages. On one hand, the government has said that it doesn’t plan to order vaccines through COVAX – a global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines – or any other mechanism. Indeed, the recently released COVAX
allocation has zero doses for Tanzania. On the other hand, he has said that Tanzanians should only trust those vaccines that have been reviewed by Tanzanian experts and found to be safe. Does Tanzania have a history of vaccination resistance? Not that I am aware of. Tanzania, like other countries, has implemented routine vaccination programmes. These mostly target children below the age of five against diseases like tuberculosis, polio, whooping cough, measles, rubella, and diphtheria. In recent years these expanded to include vaccines again bacterial pneumonia, diarrhoea and hepatitis B. Vaccination coverage (the percentage of people who receive the vaccine out of the target population) in Tanzania is very high:
around 80%-90%. This means that there isn’t a history of vaccine resistance. What’s different in the country compared with neighbours like Kenya and Uganda Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Malawi have all frantically been trying to get their hands on COVID-19 vaccines for their citizens. They have all participated in the COVAX facility, and have developed vaccine rollout plans, costed them and submitted them. Rwanda has even gone ahead and obtained vaccines outside the COVAX facility. All four countries have also started communicating to the public about these plans. For instance, they’ve said that the first round of allocations will be prioritised for healthcare workers and high risk members of the population. The biggest problem African countries face right now is the lack of vaccines on the global market to vaccinate a significant part of the population. Many rich countries will have vaccinated everyone that needs to be vaccinated by the end of this year. But African countries will only have a widely available vaccine late next year or even in 2023. If the countries which has been aggressively looking for vaccines are so far behind, imagine a country like Tanzania which at this time has not even started. What’s the risk for the country and the region? The risk for the country is already evident. The approach taken by Tanzania has allowed the virus to spread unchecked in the population. All of a sudden, people are dying of what is being labelled as “pneumonia” and “breathing difficulties”. People living in Tanzania aren’t sufficiently prepared
or protected: there are no protocols for what lay people should do if someone falls sick to prevent the virus spreading. Most information is about steaming – to prevent COVID-19 – but that does not stop the virus spreading from person to person. The second biggest problem is the impact on healthcare workers. Even in countries where stringent measures have been put in place, healthcare workers have fallen sick and many have died. Misinformation in Tanzania could mean health workers don’t take enough precautions in outpatient clinics, emergency rooms and even wards when taking care of patients. With healthcare workers falling sick, other health services are bound to be affected. The biggest danger to the region and the world is two-fold. First, as long as there are COVID-19 cases in Tanzania, it is impossible for neighbouring countries – with which it shares porous borders – to be COVID-free. Second, and perhaps more importantly, is the risk of new variants developing in the country when no one is keeping track. New variants emerge because of uncontrolled spread. If, down the line, a new variant emerges in Tanzania, the danger is that it could spread across the region and invalidate vaccinations that may have taken place if they’re not effective against that variant. The pandemic will not end for anyone, anywhere until it is controlled in every country. Tanzania’s approach will make it that much harder for normality to return. • Originally published on theconversation.com
PAGE 12, Thursday, February 18, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Bill ‘will let nation harness biodiversity’
ENVIRONMENT Minister Romauld Ferreira yesterday. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net ENVIRONMENT Minister Romauld Ferreira said the Biological Resources and Traditional Knowledge Bill, which was passed in the House of Assembly yesterday, will finally let the country harness its biodiversity and reap financial benefits from research
conducted. “One problem that is of increasing concern in our country is the unlawful harvesting of samples of marine life for both research and commercial purposes because of a lack of an institutional framework to effectively implement the provisions and the obligations set out in the Nagoya protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing
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Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited
(ABS),” he said during his contribution to the debate yesterday. The Bill introduces an Access to Benefit Sharing Committee that will review and make recommendations on whether to approve research and development applications by companies seeking to exploit The Bahamas’ genetic resources. The committee, which will be staffed by civil servants from multiple government agencies, will recommend to the Competent National Authority – the entity in charge of all matters related to biological diversity – whether to approve such permits, and provide advice on the revenue/benefit sharing terms agreed with private sector entities. Any earnings generated for The Bahamas will be placed in a so-called Benefit Trust Fund for the public’s benefit. While the legislation introduces more government bodies and bureaucracy, it also sets out a regulatory regime complete with penalties for those who illegally exploit the country’s biological and genetic resources. “Virtually no institution receives monetary benefits from research conducted in our country,” Mr Ferreira said. “Further, the fee structure for permits is very low and oftentimes free. There is no question that The Bahamas is a hot bed for researchers, we have
no comprehensive permitting process and no clear management process for research. More so, laws to ensure fair and equitable benefits for the country do not exist.” Mr Ferreira said he enforced an 18-month moratorium on issuing research and scientific permits to international agencies when the government recognised the rising number of requests to access the resources found in the country for research and development use. The moratorium started in May 2019 and ended November 2020. “This was not a ban on scientific research in our country,” he said, “but this only impacted permit applications which sought to export resources for the identified period. The 18-month moratorium on research was put in place to limit the entry and unlawful extraction of genetic resources of The Bahamas. “Finally, as we all may be aware, biodiversity is the basis of our nation’s wealth. We have neither gold, nor silver, coal nor oil to mine. “Instead, The Bahamas has what the world yearns for: a beautiful land, scattered like 700 pearls in an emerald sea, capped with startlingly clear, blue skies, bathed in sunshine and moonlight year-round, and behind it all the promise of the cure for cancer, Aids and other health benefits.”
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity (Unaudited) For the Twelve Months Ended 31 December 2020 (Expressed in Bahamian dollars)
(Incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas) Consolidated Statement of Financial Position (Unaudited) As of 31 December 2020 (Expressed in Bahamian dollars)
Capital – Ordinary Shares $
Capital – Preference Shares $
Revaluation Reserve $
Retained Earnings $
Total $
20,410,050
15,000,000
1,013,064
61,299,140
97,722,254
-
-
-
7,414,389
7,414,389
Property, plant and equipment revaluation
-
-
-
-
-
Total comprehensive income
-
-
-
7,414,389
7,414,389
As of 1 January 2020
ASSETS Cash on hand and at banks Investment securities Loans and advances to customers Other assets Investments in joint ventures Property, plant and equipment
2020 $
2019 $
187,658,187 92,942,871 418,491,123 950,321 202,955 10,237,900
165,667,063 83,364,488 431,080,313 928,932 204,691 11,669,397
Net income
Total assets
710,483,357
692,914,884
Depreciation transfer
-
-
(41,839 )
41,839
-
Total transfers
-
-
(41,839 )
41,839
-
Issuance of ordinary shares
-
-
-
Dividends – preference shares
-
-
-
(975,000 )
(975,000 )
Dividends – ordinary shares
-
-
-
(6,350,668)
(6,350,668 )
Total transactions with owners
-
-
-
(7,325,668 )
(7,325,668 )
20,410,050
15,000,000
971,225
61,429,700
97,810,975
0.22
0.65
Capital – Ordinary Shares $
Capital – Preference Shares $
Revaluation Reserve $
Retained Earnings $
Total $
20,380,694
15,000,000
330,695
54,156,529
89,867,918
-
-
-
32,822,573
32,822,573
Property, plant and equipment revaluation
-
-
725,349
-
725,349
Total comprehensive income
-
-
725,349
32,822,573
33,547,922
LIABILITIES Deposits from customers Accrued expenses and other liabilities Debt securities
574,997,393 13,665,774 24,009,215
567,607,647 3,391,919 24,193,064
Total liabilities
612,672,382
595,192,630
EQUITY Capital – ordinary shares Capital – preference shares Revaluation reserve Retained earnings
20,410,050 15,000,000 971,225 61,429,700
20,410,050 15,000,000 1,013,064 61,299,140
Total equity
97,810,975
97,722,254
710,483,357
692,914,884
Total liabilities and equity
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited) For the Twelve Months Ended 31 December 2020 (Expressed in Bahamian dollars)
Depreciation transfer
-
-
(42,980 )
42,980
-
Total transfers
-
-
(42,980 )
42,980
-
16,259,980
67,217,534
70,502,279
Issuance of ordinary shares
29,356
-
-
77,394
106,750
-
-
-
(975,000 )
(975,000 )
55,247,458
57,864,213
1,159,828 65,632
3,402,992 215,247
3,073,585 20,156 264,350
14,415,557
58,865,697
61,222,304
Net income from continuing operations Profits of operations held for sale Gain on sale of operations Net income OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME Items not reclassified to net income Property, plant and equipment revaluation Total comprehensive income Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding Earnings per share
Other comprehensive income
66,988,405 3,513,874
13,190,097
Share of profits of joint ventures
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity (Unaudited) For the Year Ended 31 December 2019 (Expressed in Bahamian dollars)
63,737,504 3,480,030
Net interest income
Operating profit
Dividends per share
-
15,361,142 898,838
(12,638,066 )
Total expenses
As of 31 December 2020
-
Transfers
(11,970,076 )
EXPENSES Provision for loan losses General and administrative Salaries and employee benefits Depreciation and amortisation
Transactions with owners
Net income
12 Months Ended 31 December 31 December 2020 2019 $ $
(3,069,883 )
Total income
Transfers
Comprehensive income
Interest expense
Fees and commissions Rental income Other income
Other comprehensive income
As of 1 January 2019
3 Months Ended 31 December 2020 $ INCOME Interest income Bank deposits, loans and advances Investment securities
Comprehensive income
Transactions with owners
Dividends – preference shares Dividends – ordinary shares Total transactions with owners As of 31 December 2019 Dividends per share
-
-
-
(24,825,336 )
(24,825,336 )
29,356
-
-
(25,722,942 )
(25,693,586 )
20,410,050
15,000,000
1,013,064
61,299,140
97,722,254
0.86
0.65
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited) For the Twelve Months Ended 31 December 2020 (Expressed in Bahamian dollars)
4,653,366 2,748,541 2,584,535 742,063
24,967,590 12,747,522 12,111,849 1,642,239
10,204,825 12,860,733 13,099,296 1,408,830
10,728,505
51,469,200
37,573,684
The objectives of Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited (the Bank) when managing capital, which comprises total equity on the face of the consolidated statement of financial position, are:
3,687,052
7,396,497
23,648,620
To comply with the capital requirements set by the Central Bank of The Bahamas (the Central Bank).
4,230
17,892
22,376
3,691,282
7,414,389
23,670,996
To safeguard the Bank’s ability to continue as a going concern so that it can continue to provide returns for its shareholders and benefits for other stakeholders; and
-
-
1,591,078 7,560,499
To maintain a strong capital base to support the development of its business.
3,691,282
7,414,389
32,822,573
Capital adequacy and the use of regulatory capital are monitored by the Bank’s management, employing techniques designed to ensure compliance with guidelines established by the Central Bank, including quantitative and qualitative measures. The required information is filed with the Central Bank on a quarterly basis. The Central Bank, the Bank’s principal regulator, requires that the Bank maintains a ratio of total regulatory capital to risk-weighted assets at or above a minimum of 14.00%. For the years ended 31 December 2020 and 2019, the Bank complied with all of the externally imposed capital requirements to which it is subject.
Capital Management
-
-
725,349
3,691,282
7,414,389
33,547,922
Subsequent Events Subsequent to 31 December 2020, certain events have transpired in relation to the global pandemic COVID-19 (commonly referred to as the Coronavirus), which could potentially exacerbate the uncertainty regarding the future economic performance of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. These events are being evaluated by the Bank to determine whether the circumstances existed as of 31 December 2020, and in turn would impact forward-looking information that is factored into the expected credit loss models used for calculating a portion of the provision for loan losses. Accordingly, provision for loan losses may require adjustment for the twelve (12) months ended 31 December 2020.
28,815,779
28,815,779
28,813,110
0.12
0.22
1.11
SPORTS PAGE 13
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021
PAGE 15
Bowleg and Team Bahamas touch down in Puerto Rico
REGATTA CANCELLED FOR 2ND STRAIGHT YEAR
By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
T
eam Bahamas is set to face its toughest test in their FIBA AmeriCup 2022 Qualification bid this weekend in the third and final leg of the process. The full roster has arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and head coach Mario Bowleg said he is optimistic about its prospects following their first practice session. The Bahamas is slated to take on the United States of America on February 19 and Puerto Rico on February 21. “The energy that was displayed by the entire team showed that they are ready to face this challenge of trying to win both of these games in this upcoming window. Our game plan and preparation for both teams has been put in place, but we will continue
to work on those things, continue to improve on the things we need to improve on until game time,” he added. Team Bahamas includes Travis Munnings, Aaron Levarity, Tavario Miller, David Nesbitt, Dominick Bridgewater, Jaron Cornish, Godfrey Rolle III, Mychel Thompson, Nashad Mackey, Michael Carey Jr, D’Shon Taylor and Kentwan Smith. “I am pleased with the roster. I think we are well balanced, we have length, we are very athletic and we have the potential to play very, very good defence,” Bowleg said. “Playing teams like the US and Puerto Rico, we want to be able to switch on everything in manto-man situations. With multiple players in that 6’76’8” range we are able to do that. Once we are able to compete we give ourselves a chance to win and that’s all that matters.”
SEE PAGE 14
A MAJOR staple of The Bahamas’ sporting calendar, the National Family Island Regatta committee was forced to cancel its signature event for the second consecutive year due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Danny Strachan, the committee chairman and commodore, issued a statement yesterday to announce the cancellation of the 2021 edition of the National Family Island Regatta, traditionally hosted in George Town, Exuma. Strachan said that the circumstances the committee took under consideration last March, which forced the cancellation of the
SEE PAGE 15 HEAD coach Mario Bowleg and the men’s national basketball team are set to face the United States which will prove to be their toughest test in their FIBA AmeriCup 2022 Qualification bid in the third and final leg of the process on Friday and Sunday.
USA BASKETBALL CALLED THOMAS, WHO HOPES NBA DOES NEXT By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer THERE was a day last spring when Isaiah Thomas noticed he could lift his leg without any pain. That hadn’t happened in years. This weekend, he plans to show the NBA what that means for his game. More than a year removed from his last NBA appearance, and nine months after surgery that he says fixed a bone-onbone condition in his right hip, Thomas has games to play. The two-time All-Star is suiting up with USA Basketball for a pair of FIBA AmeriCup qualifying games in San Juan, Puerto Rico — and Thomas expects NBA teams to be watching.
“My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA as soon as possible,” Thomas, 32, told The Associated Press. “This allows me to compete against other professionals, represent my country at the same time — which is an honour and a privilege — and ultimately show NBA teams that I’m back to myself and I’m 100 percent healthy. That’s why I chose to come here. When Team USA brought it to me, it was a no-brainer.” The games technically don’t mean much to the US - the Americans already have qualified for the AmeriCup tournament that will take place in September 2022. But to Thomas, the matchups against the Bahamas on
Ayton and Suns squander 24-point lead in loss to Nets By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
quarter. James Harden made a three pointer from the top of the key with 31 seconds left to play to give DEANDRE Ayton and the Nets their first lead the Phoenix Suns nearly of the game, 126-124. He had a perfect ending to followed with the game their six-game homestand, clinching free throws on the but squandered a 24-point team’s next possession. second half lead in a loss to “I thought the first four, the New Jersey five, six minutes Nets on Tuesday of the third quarnight. ter our offence Ayton finished was in mud,” said with 16 points and Suns head coach nine rebounds Monty Williams. but the Nets ral“The ball movelied for a 128-124 ment wasn’t there. win over the Suns The urgency just at PHX Arena in wasn’t there and Phoenix, Arizona. we gave a team He shot 7-9 life.” from the field but Ayton curmade his single rently ranks No.4 AYTON attempts from in the league in both the threerebounding at point and free throw line. 12.2 per game. His scorThe Suns dominated ing numbers are the lowest early and led by double fig- of his career at 13.2 points ures at the end of the first per game and the third quarter, 33-22. They con- year centre is taking four tinued to dominate with a less shot attempts per game 22-point second quarter to than he did in the 2019-20 take a 75-54 lead at the half. season. The Suns travel to The momentum shifted in face the New Orleans Pelithe early stages of the third cans on February 19. Prior quarter, and the Nets even- to the six-game winning tually outscored the Suns streak, the Suns’ last loss 74-49 in the second half. came on the road against Phoenix went scoreless over the Pelicans (123-101) on the final 2:48 of the fourth February 4.
ISAIAH THOMAS (AP) Friday and Mexico on Saturday mean plenty. “My skill didn’t go anywhere,” Thomas said. “The biggest question was whether I am 100 percent healthy. I am now, so why not show it on a stage with ‘USA’ across your chest?”
Thomas is part of a US roster loaded with NBA veterans for these two qualifying games. Joe Johnson is on the team, as is Brandon Bass, and there are five more players besides Thomas with some degree of experience within the league. Typically, US rosters for these qualifying games are almost entirely composed of G League players, names that aren’t exactly of the household variety. The NBA names add tons of intrigue, as does Thomas’ return to game action. “Isaiah, he’s got a spirit about him, a love for the game that I’ve seen not only from the conversations that I had with him before we arrived, but even since we’ve been
CHISHOLM LOOKS TO EARN STARTING JOB AT 2ND BASE
practicing,” said Joe Prunty, who will lead the US coaching staff in these two games. “He has looked good.” Johnson — the 39-yearold who scored 20,405 points in his 17 NBA seasons — offered even more praise after seeing Thomas in practices this week. “He looks great,” Johnson said. “One thing I’ll say: In pick and rolls, I think he’s probably going to be unstoppable. Bigs, I don’t know what they’ll do. Do you get out and hedge? He’ll go around you and split you. Do you try to catch him? He’ll pull up for the jumper. He has a great arsenal. It’s been fun to watch him play, man. I
By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
SEE PAGE 14
SEE PAGE 15
JASRADO “Jazz” Chisholm is headed into Miami Marlins’ spring training attempting to earn the starting job in what is expected to be a heated position battle at second base. Marlins’ general manager Kim Ng said performance in spring training emerging from the open competition between Chisholm, Isan Diaz and Jon Berti will determine who wins the starting nod headed into the 2021 season. Pitchers and catchers reported to the team’s spring training site at Roger
PAGE 14, Thursday, February 18, 2021
SPORTS
THE TRIBUNE
Lillard scores 43 points, Trail Blazers beat Pelicans NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Damian Lillard scored 43 points, including a goahead three-point play with 16.5 seconds left, to lift the Portland Trail Blazers to their sixth consecutive victory, 126-124 over the New Orleans Pelicans last night. Lillard had 11 fourthquarter points and was clutch in the final seven minutes. JJ Redick gave the Pelicans a 105-103 lead with 7:34 left, capping a 7-0 New Orleans run, but Lillard then came off the bench and immediately hit a 3-pointer as Portland regained the lead. Anfernee Simons added a 3-pointer on the next possession to make it 109-105. The Pelicans retook the lead on a pair of 3-pointers by Lonzo Ball and Redick and led for the final time at 124-123 with 26.4 seconds left after Zion Williamson made two free throws. Williamson finished with 36 points. But Lillard drove past Ball on the left side of the lane for the layup and drew contact to put Portland up 126-124. The Pelicans had a final chance, but Ball missed a 3-pointer and Brandon Ingram threw up an airball at the buzzer. WIZARDS 130, NUGGETS 128 WASHINGTON (AP) — Bradley Beal made two free throws with a tenth of a second left and Washington beat Denver for its third straight victory. Davis Bertans had career highs with nine 3-pointers and 35 points, Beal finished with 25 points and a season-high 10 assists, and Russell Westbrook had a triple-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Washington has won three straight for the first time since December 1-5, 2018. Jamal Murray led Denver with 35 points, and Nikola Jokic scored 33 points. Murray scored Denver’s final 11 points, with his 3-pointer tying it at 128 with 2.1 seconds left. Coming off a loss at Boston on Tuesday night, Denver
BAHAMAS from PAGE 13
Bowleg, who also serves as president of the Bahamas Basketball Federation men’s national basketball team, returned to the sidelines while Chris DeMarco is unavailable due to prior commitments with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. He will be assisted by Perry Thompson Jr and Moses Johnson. “Having veterans around along with young pieces gives me a good feeling that we are well balanced. There are some pieces that have experience that will give us an opportunity,” Bowleg said. “We hope that the country will continue to keep us in their prayers and give us the moral and mental support we need from them.”
PORTLAND Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) celebrates with forward Derrick Jones Jr (55) and forward Robert Covington after the team’s victory over the New Orleans Pelicans last night. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) allowed its highest points total of the season. HAWKS 122, CELTICS 114 BOSTON (AP) — Trae Young had 40 points and eight assists and Atlanta beat Boston to snap a fourgame losing streak. Clint Capela had 24 points and 13 rebounds to help Atlanta win in Boston for the first time since April 8, 2018, ending a sevengame losing streak. John Collins added 20 points and six rebounds. The Hawks shot a season-high 57% from the field. They took a 90-81 lead into the fourth quarter. Boston rallied to cut it to 94-91, but Atlanta responded with an 8-2 run get it back up to 102-93 with 6:33 left. Jayson Tatum had 35 points for Celtics. They have lost five of seven. 76ERS 118, ROCKETS 113 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid had
At the last window in November, the Bahamas lost 99-59 to the USA and 91-85 to Puerto Rico. The Bahamas dropped to 1-3 at the group stage of the qualifiers and moved into a tie with previously winless Puerto Rico. The Bahamas will need a win over Puerto Rico or two losses from Mexico to have an opportunity to qualify. The Bahamas holds the tiebreaker over Mexico by the aggregate score of the first window last February. The top three teams from each group will qualify for the FIBA AmeriCup 2022. AmeriCup is the FIBA Americas championship. The United States won the last edition of the event in 2017. Team USA is currently 4-0 and guaranteed a top three spot and AmeriCup berth.
31 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists and hit a key jumper late in Philadelphia’s victory over Houston. Seth Curry scored 25 points, and Tobias Harris added 24 to help the Eastern Conference-leading 76ers snap a three-game losing streak. Ben Simmons (illness) didn’t play for the 76ers a game after scoring a career-high 42 points and adding nine rebounds and 12 assists. John Wall scored 28 points for Houston. The Rockets have lost seven in a row. MAGIC 107, KNICKS 89 ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Terrence Ross scored 18 of his season-high 30 points in the second half and Orlando Magic used a decisive third-quarter run to beat New York. Orlando went on a 25-8 run over the final nine minutes of the third quarter and outscored New York 30-14 in the period to wipe
out a three-point halftime deficit. Nikola Vucevic had 16 points and 17 rebounds for Orlando. Julius Randle had 25 points and seven rebounds for New York. PACERS 134, TWOLVES 128, OT MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Domantas Sabonis had 36 points, 17 rebounds and 10 rebounds, Malcolm Brogdon added 32 points and nine rebounds and Indiana beat Minnesota in overtime. The Pacers played their second straight overtime game, coming off an OT loss to Chicago on Monday. Karl-Anthony Towns had 30 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota. Malik Beasley added 31 points in his first game of the season off the bench. GRIZZLIES 122, THUNDER 113 MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Grayson Allen and Jonas Valanciunas each
scored 22 points, and Ja Morant had 15 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists for his first triple-double of the season and Memphis beat Oklahoma City. Kyle Anderson added 20 points, and Dillon Brooks had 17. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 22 points in his return after missing four games because of a strained left knee. BULLS 105, PISTONS 102 CHICAGO (AP) — Zach LaVine scored 37 points and Chicago beat Detroit on short notice. The Bulls were scheduled to visit Charlotte, with the Pistons at Dallas. Those games got called off Tuesday by the NBA because of COVID-19 contact tracing concerns with the Hornets and power outages in Texas. The Bulls and Pistons were then scheduled to play each other, instead. Jerami Grant scored a career-high 43 points for the Pistons.
ISAIAH from PAGE 13 will tell you that.” Thomas last played on February 3, 2020, for Washington. He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers three days later, then waived, and hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since. The hip surgery — resurfacing, it’s called — was performed three months later, and Thomas said the hip felt better immediately. So now, he’s plotting another way to defy the odds. He was the No. 60, and last, pick in the 2011 draft. The other 73 final picks — granted, the draft used to include more than 200 players — have combined to score 6,644 points, while Thomas’ NBA total is 9,508. He heard plenty of times that at 5-foot-9 he was too short for the NBA; he averaged 28.9 points for Boston in 2016-17, the most ever in league history for someone his height. “I’ve already proven who I am,” Thomas said. “I still love the game. I just need an opportunity.” The 2017 season is when four years of pain, both physical and personal, started. On the eve of the Celtics’ playoff opener, sister Chyna died in a car crash. Thomas played on, scoring 53 points in a second-round game on what would have been his sister’s 23rd birthday. But the hip issues already had started, and Thomas was shut down later that postseason. That summer, he was traded to Cleveland for Kyrie Irving. Nothing has been the same since; he’s appeared in only 84 games, averaging 12.8 points. G League teams talked to him about playing this season; that was never a serious consideration for Thomas. When USA Basketball called, he leaped at the chance. “I’m as good now as I’ve been in any point in the last three years,” Thomas said. “Playing for USA Basketball is going to allow teams to see the way that I’m moving, the way that I’m playing, that I am back to myself, back to being the player that everyone is accustomed to seeing. I have strong belief that after they see me this weekend, somebody is going to pull the trigger and give me that opportunity — and I’m going to be more than ready for it.”
TAVARIO MILLER, left, and TRAVIS MUNNINGS in action for Team Bahamas.
SPORTS
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, February 18, 2021, PAGE 15
Osaka beats Serena Williams in Australian Open Semifinal MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Once again, Serena Williams came within reach of a recordtying 24th Grand Slam singles title, playing well enough to get to the closing days of a major tournament. And once again, Williams couldn’t quite get it done — beaten 6-3, 6-4 by Naomi Osaka in the Australian Open semifinals on Thursday (Wednesday night EST). Osaka, who also beat Williams in the chaotic 2018 US Open final, reached her fourth major title match and stretched her winning streak to 20 matches by claiming the last eight points. “I don’t know if there’s any little kids out here today, but I was a little kid watching her play,” Osaka, 23, said about Williams, 39, “and just to be on the court playing against her, for me, is a dream.” The No. 3-seeded Osaka’s Grand Slam collection also includes last year’s US Open and the 2019 Australian Open and she is, without a doubt, the most dangerous hard-court player in the women’s game at the moment. That used to be Williams, of course. But she was offtarget too much in this contest, finishing with twice as many unforced errors, 24, as winners, 12. After collecting her professional era-record 23rd major singles trophy at the Melbourne Park in 2017 while pregnant, Williams has not been able to pull even with Margaret Court’s mark of 24 for the most Grand Slam titles in history. Since returning to the tour in 2018 after having her daughter, Williams has reached four major finals and lost them all.
REGATTA from PAGE 13
2020 event, remain a concern today. “As with our consideration during early March 2020, during the very early days of the COVID19 pandemic, the National Family Island Regatta Committee met and reviewed available options including postponement. Once again, members concluded that this was in the best interest of our national requirement to comply with the Government’s
CHISHOLM from PAGE 13
Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida this week and the remaining position players will begin workouts on February 23. “I think right now our mindset is we have that candidate in house with Isan Diaz, Jazz Chisholm, as well as Jon Berti who did a nice job for us last year,” Ng said. “I think between the three of them I think the answer is in house and I think we’re one of the fortunate clubs to have internal candidates.” In 21 games last season, Chisholm, the Marlins’ No.4 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, hit .161 with a .563 OPS a .242 OBP, nine hits, two home runs, nine runs, six RBI, and two stolen bases. In his debut MLB season, the 23-year-old infielder started 17 games, 11 at second base. He was called up on September 1 as the Marlins were one of the teams hit hardest by the pandemic and had the highest roster turnover of any team in the league with 17 players eventually placed on the COVID reserve list. Diaz, 24, was projected to be the Marlins starter at the position prior to the 2020 season, but opted out due to his concerns on playing amid the pandemic. He later opted back in and re-joined the club in September as they made a playoff push. He suffered a groin injury just five games into his return that officially brought an end to his year.
JAPAN’s Naomi Osaka watches a video replay during her semifinal against Serena Williams. She’s also now lost in the semifinals twice in that span. On Saturday, at 7:30pm. local time (3:30am EST), Osaka will meet a first-time Grand Slam finalist for the championship. No. 22 Jennifer Brady of the United States was scheduled to face No. 25 Karolina Muchova in Thursday’s second semifinal. One men’s semifinal was on Thursday’s schedule: No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. Aslan Karatsev, a qualifier from Russia who is ranked 114th and playing in his first Grand Slam tournament. Djokovic is seeking a ninth Australian Open title and 18th Grand Slam trophy overall. Rafael Nadal — who lost in the quarterfinals to Stefanos Tsitsipas after blowing a two-set lead — and Roger Federer are tied for the men’s record of 20. Spectators were back in the stands at Rod Laver
Arena on Thursday after they were barred from attending the tournament for five days during a local COVID-19 lockdown. About 7,000 people were allowed into the stadium for Williams-Osaka, roughly half of capacity. Ushers walked through the aisles at changeovers to remind fans they needed to wear a mask or over their nose and mouth. On the hottest day of the hard-court tournament so far — 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) — Osaka got out to a shaky start, perhaps prodded into pressing in her opening service game by a booming cross-court backhand return winner from Williams on the match’s second point. That was followed by a double-fault, a wild forehand and, eventually, a netted backhand that handed over a break. Quickly, Williams went up 2-0, then held another
advice to curtail large social gatherings. “All past regattas have brought together many thousands of persons in George Town, Exuma, onshore and on boats in the harbour in extremely close gatherings. We cannot invite such a gathering with present circumstances,” Strachan said. “We have met with the Minister responsible for Regattas, Hon. Michael Pintard and the Regatta Desk in the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, to offer the
assurance of our commitment to the national fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus. He supports our position for cancellation.” Strachan said that while the committee recognises the plight of the many stakeholders in the regatta community that will suffer economically without the event, the early announcement of the cancellation is meant to limit any possible expenses in preparation. “We, once again, apologise in a heartfelt way to the many vendors, businesses and community
Through seven games he hit .182 average with one RBI and three runs scored. Berti, the 31-year-old veteran utility player of the group, assumed the starting role at second base last season after the Marlins traded away Jonathan Villar in August. He played in 39 of the team’s 60 regular season games because of a finger injury suffered in September. He hit .258 with two home runs, 14 RBI, a .79 OPS and nine stolen bases. In 2019, he became the only player in Marlins history to start 20 games at third base, centrefield and shortstop in the same season. The Marlins will open Spring Training play in the Grapefruit League against the St Louis Cardinals on February 27. Marlins CEO, Derek Jeter, said training camp is the proving ground where the team’s competitive spirit will be developed and players will have an opportunity to showcase their skillsets vying for roles on the main roster. “There are no jobs given before spring training starts. We try to get our best players on the field as a part of our 26-man roster. It’s built on competition. The best players are going to play, if the guys go out and perform they are going to get an opportunity,” he said. “There’s a lot of at bats that are available throughout the course of a season, you can never make the assumption that players are going to stay healthy for 162 games in a season,
especially when we’re still in the middle of a pandemic. Give me too many players, I would rather work with that than sit here and wish I had more. That’s the environment we’ve built here. The best players are going to play.” The Marlins were one of the most improbable stories in the MLB last season. They were the worst team in the National League in 2019 at 57-105 and returned in 2020 to finish 31-29 for their first winning season since 2009 and earned their first playoff berth since 2003. Their 16 season playoff drought was the secondlongest active streak in the majors. Once they reached the postseason, the No.6 seeded Marlins advanced to the NLDS with a two game sweep of the No.3 Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card round on the road at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. “The thing that I’ve enjoyed watching and seeing is the confidence level of the players in our organisation, not just in Miami but throughout our system, when they take the field they expect to compete and they expect to win. I think our players last year got a little bit of a taste of it. “You can tell their confidence level started to rise,” Jeter said. “Made a little progress and got to the postseason, we’re happy with the progress we made but not how the season finished. I think we just have to continue with that mindset.”
SERENA WILLIAMS, of the United States, reacts during her semifinal against Japan’s Naomi Osaka at the Australian Open tennis championship last night. (AP Photos/Andy Brownbill) break point with a chance to lead 3-0 after another double-fault by Osaka. “I was just really, like, nervous and scared, I think, at the beginning,” said Osaka, who was born in Japan and moved to the US when she was 3. “And then I sort of eased my way into it.” Didn’t take long to right herself, however. Suddenly, it was Osaka powering in aces, putting groundstrokes right where she wanted, covering the court so well. Williams’ movement has been terrific in Melbourne. But the 39-year-old suddenly was flat-footed, her miscues accumulating precipitously.
Five games went by in a flash, all into Osaka’s column, and soon enough, the first set belonged to her, too. Williams’ frustration was made plain early in the second set, when she leaned over at the baseline and screamed, “Make a shot! Make a shot!” Osaka never has tried to hide how much she admires Williams and models her game after the American’s. Both are predicated on the same basic elements of big serves and quick-strike forehands, and not only did Osaka do both better on this day, she even sounded just like her idol, screaming “Come on!” after several key shots.
Williams herself began to get louder and increasingly animated the deeper into the second set they went — and plenty of folks on hand were excited to show their support, clapping and yelling after each successful stroke. Those pulling for Williams got their wish: Osaka blinked. A trio of double-faults in one game — she wound up with eight for the match — allowed Williams to break for 4-all. But Osaka regained her composure immediately, breaking back at love with the help of a pair of backhand winners and a double-fault from Williams, then holding at love to end it.
organisations in Exuma and from elsewhere who have come to depend on this event as an opportunity to earn much needed sales during regatta season. We know that it hurts, but we are all reminded that “this too shall pass” and we will get through this together,” he said. “We also wish to forestall any major expenditures by sloop owners to get vessels prepared for competition only to have the
event cancelled at the latest possible date. In this crisis, our priority is the health of the public and our communities. We are grateful to the many sponsors and advertisers who have continued to offer their support to our efforts to stage the regatta when it is safe to do so. This demonstration of support for the sailing community is truly valued and appreciated.” Six new cases of COVID19 were recorded on
Sunday. Five of the cases are in New Providence while one is in Grand Bahama. The Ministry of Health said 16 cases are in hospital, two of which are in intensive care. At last report, there were 1,124 active cases with 7,020 recovered cases. One hundred and seventy-nine people have died from the disease while 15 deaths are under investigation.
PAGE 16, Thursday, February 18, 2021
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THE TRIBUNE
LOVE IN THE AIR AT JOHNSON MEMORIAL TENNIS TOURNAMENT THE tennis community showed overwhelming support for the tournament organised and sponsored by the executive board of the National Tennis Centre (NTC) in aid of the Johnson family. Brent and Eulona Johnson, who were both directors previously on the board of the NTC, have made tremendous contributions to tennis in the Bahamas. This tournament was only a small token of the tennis community’s love and appreciation for these two wonderful individuals who have passed. Over 100 matches were played over the weekend in the Johnsons’ honour. Persons ranging from as young as eight to over 60 showed their support and played some great tennis. The NTC is truly appreciative to all of the persons who supported by participating
in the tournament and also by giving monetary donations. NTC chairman Perry Newton thanked the organising committee which was instrumental in ensuring a smooth and successful tournament led by NTC vice-chairman Darnette Weir and consisting of NTC director Cory Francis, NTC director Steve Taylor, Chilean Burrows, Esther Newton and Linda Thompson. Special thanks is extended to NTC director Mickey Williams who meticulously organised the draws and scheduling. We also thank the additional volunteers who worked alongside the organisers this weekend in various capacities: Everette Munroe, Renesha Tinker, Tara Mactaggart, Candy Bowe, Chantell Carey, Ricardo Demeritte, Kevin Sturrup, Larikah Russell, Bernard Clarke, Kendrick
Gomez, Donte Armbrister, and Sarah Beukes. Sportsmanship medals were awarded to Neveah Sturrup, Saphirre Ferguson, Sarai Clarke, London Mortimer, Brandon Duncombe, Michael McNorgan, Shena Bowleg, Perjae Major, Patrick Fernander, John Gomez, Alexis Mortimer, Michael Cooper, Maddisan Bowleg, Archie Burrows and Cory Conyers. We miss Brent and Eulona and we will continue to honour their memory. The Johnsons daughters Kinza and Sarni will always have our love and support. If you did not have an opportunity to donate you can still do so directly to the account of Kinza Johnson at Commonwealth Bank Transit# 21106, Account #7066053359. To all those who have participated, volunteered and supported thanks again for your show of love.
TOURNAMENT RESULTS GS U10 Winner: Vonteneke Rolle Runner Up: Victoria Sandi BS U12 Winner: Giacomo Paine Runner Up: Cameron Ferguson GS U12 Winner: Claudia Drgon Runner Up: Caila Bowe BD U14 Winners: Patrick and Jackson Mactaggart Runner Ups: Aidan Miller and Patrick Mackey Jr BS U16 Winner: Vontenken Rolle Runner Up: Cailan Bowe GS U16 Winner: Sierra Rodgers Runner Up: Breann Ferguson
MD U45 Winners: Jared Turnquest and Bjorn Ferguson Runner Ups: Bud Cambridge and Patrick Fernander MS 55 Winner: Stephen Thompson Runner Up: Cory Francis MD U55 Winners: Gerry Kanuka and Paul McCann Runner Ups: Eugene Gibson and Alejandro Mesples MD Open Winners: Kevin Major Jr and Oneal Mortimer Runner Ups: Marvin Rolle and Philip Major Jr. Mixed Doubles Open Winners: Perjae Major and Michael McNorgan Runner Ups: Danielle Thompson and Stephen Thompson Mixed Doubles 45 Winners: Eugene Gibson and Rita Roy Runners Ups: Tom McDermott and Sh’ron Saunders
MS 18 -34 Winner: Dentry Mortimer Jr. Runner Up: Colbert Newry WD U24 Winners: Saphirre Ferguson and Breann Ferguson Runner Ups: Sarai Clarke and Maddisan Bowleg WD 35 Winners: Tara Mactaggart and Sarah Beukes Runner Ups: Rita Roy and Sh’Ron Saunders MD U24 Winners: Donte Armbrister and Anthony Burrows Jr. Runner Ups: Jeffrey Thompson and Vontenken Rolle MS 35 Winner: Bjorn Ferguson Runner Up: Archie Burrows MS 45 Winner: Oneil Moss Runner Up: Bradley Flowers
ATLÉTICO HELD BY LEVANTE, MOVES SIX POINTS IN FRONT OF MADRID MADRID (AP) — Atlético Madrid was held to a 1-1 draw at Levante yesterday in a Spanish league match postponed from the second round, a result that still extended its lead over Real Madrid to six points. Seeking its first league title since 2014, Atlético still has a game in hand compared to its city rival. Diego Simeone’s team is unbeaten in 11 straight league matches but has drawn two of its last three. The match had been postponed as Atlético and other teams were given extra time to rest after participating in European competitions later into last season because of the coronavirus pandemic. Atlético had won nine of its last 10 league matches, with the only setback a 2-2 home draw against Celta Vigo two rounds ago in a game in which it conceded a late equaliser. Levante took the lead through Enis Bardhi after a breakaway in the 17th minute. Marcos Llorente equalised for the
visitors in the 37th with a shot from outside the area that deflected off a defender before going in. Ángel Correa had a great chance to score the winner early in the second half but missed the net from close range with only the goalkeeper to beat off the rebound of a shot by Luis Suárez. Atlético forward Saúl Ñíguez had a goal disallowed for offside near the end and Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak made a great save in the final minutes to keep the match level. “We had some clear chances but also could have lost the match at the end,” Simeone said, noting that his team needs to improve defensively after conceding eight goals in the last six matches. Levante and Atlético will meet again on Saturday in Madrid in the 24th round. Atlético has a tough schedule ahead, with matches against Chelsea in the Champions League and Villarreal and Real Madrid in the Spanish league.