Outgoing Prime Minister Hubert Minnis has headed the most corrupt administration in recent history.
Minnis broke his campaign promise to stamp out corruption.
Instead, Minnis and his Cabinet Ministers have abused their positions and enriched themselves without consequences.
Almost immediately after taking office, Minnis misled Parliament with the fraudulent signing of the Oban deal. The touted $5 billion investment turned out to be a sham.
After resigning as Minister of Immigration, Brent Symonette revealed that Minnis personally negotiated the lease of the Town Centre Mall for the general post office during a telephone call.
Symonette and his wife own 50 percent of the mall.
Minnis did not dispute that the conversation took place.
Minnis broke his promise of fiscal responsibility by creating The Office of The Spouse at a cost of $10,000. However, his wife Patricia has no portfolio.
What’s even worse, she’s still receiving a salary from Ministry of Agriculture although she doesn’t go to work.
He did nothing after Health Minister Renward Wells misused honorariums intended for frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wells paid his driver and secretary $1,100 each while some nurses and doctors didn’t get a dime.
After he was exposed, Wells claimed that he asked them to return the money.
The Bahamian public has not forgotten how a magistrate condemned the actions of two sitting Cabinet Ministers in the Frank Smith trial.
The false accusations of corruption backfired after it was revealed that National Security Minister Marvin Dames and Health Minister Duane Sands were in contact with prosecution witness Barbara Hanna.
Days before her testimony, Sands awarded Hanna a $1.2 million contract to clean the hospital. After the trial ended in an acquittal, Sands took the contract from her and gave it to one of Dames’ relatives.
Sands later resigned after he allowed foreign residents into the country while the borders were closed in exchange for COVID-19 test kits. At the time, Bahamians were stranded abroad and unable to return home.
Speaking of COVID-19, the government has failed to disclose who owns the companies that benefitted from pandemic contracts.
We do know that Dr Nigel Lewis, the FNM campaign coordinator, is one of the directors of Kanoo.
The company is responsible for collecting travel visa payments. It also has the contract for the food assistance program and Family Court fees.
The FNM wants Bahamians to forget how they looked out for themselves and their friends over past four years. They have secured their future—it’s time to secure yours by voting this corrupt government out.