Eleutherans tired of Minnis and Johnson

Earlier this week a voice note went viral with an Eleutheran woman admonishing Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis to change his approach because the island of Eleuthera is no longer with him.

Perhaps her sentiments explain why Member of Parliament for Central and South Eleuthera Hank Johnson tried so hard to distance himself from the government during a recent Ministry of Health Meeting in his constituency. Johnson kept saying “they” (meaning the Government of The Bahamas) have to take care of Eleutherans the same way they took care of Bimini and Grand Bahama. Has the Member of Parliament seen the writing on the wall? Is he trying to regain his position in the bosom of the PLP?

Eleuthera natives are again upset with the Prime Minister and and worthless Member of Parliament. They are wondering if the Prime Minister has taken the approach of Hubert Ingraham in saying that Eleuthera has had its time!

In an article published on June 16th, 2018 in the Eleutheran Newspaper, Minister of Foreign Affairs Darren Henfield ecstatically announced that the government plans to install e-Pics systems on four family islands, namely Exuma, Central Eleuthera, Inagua and Long Island.

In a December 10, 2019 Tribune article, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames boasted of the government’s plans to open satellite passport offices on Eleuthera citing an economic boost that would come from creating new jobs.

As a result, the Administrator at the Department of Local Government with responsibility for Central Eleuthera began the arduous process of identifying a suitable space to house the passport office, ensuring that all the necessary infrastructure was available.

To date, the space remains vacant. The people of Eleuthera continue to utilize the online portal and absorb costs well into $700 per person to collect their passport.

Additionally, with the ever-changing restrictions due to the increase in Covid-19 cases, the need for testing and quarantining, it is almost impossible for residents to travel to Nassau to collect their documents which are completed but require fingerprinting.

The Member of Parliament has been mute on the disruption to the water supply on Eleuthera, he supported the termination of the contract to build a mini hospital on Eleuthera, he speaks from a position of privilege and calls for a lockdown that will no doubt hurt more business owners and residents, and he is mute on the issues of the incomplete Passport Office!

The only thing the M.P. has been vocal on is Disney.

Residents are calling on the Prime Minister to establish the Passport Office in Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera to alleviate the absurd cost and to curb travelling.

With the limited amount of flights into Nassau, residents are unable to even make a day trip as it still requires taking a Covid-19 test to return to Eleuthera.