Lisa
01-15-03, - 12:56 PM
I find the level of corruption in Nassau highly offensive. From members of Parliament, judges, lawyers and court employees to police, immigration and custom officers - everywhere I look there is a crooked face. Like the racist MP who rented my building and attempted to "steal" it by threatening to have my foreign mother deported. Never mind that she had been living in the Bahamas, married to a Bahamian man for 20 years, had four Bahamian children and owned prime commercial property here.
After my father died my mother had to manage the business and raise four children alone. This crooked MP saw a woman in a weakened state and like a wolf he attacked, no doubt, figuring he could swindle the property right out from under her.
At the time the man was operating a successful business out of the building he rented from my mother. After my father died the MP stopped paying rent and threatened to have my mother deported if she tried to fight him in court. Because he was married to a lawyer he knew my mother wouldn't have a chance. That man is now one of the wealthiest and most powerful Bahamians and is hailed as a financial genius. In reality he is nothing but a common thief.
I remember those years well and how nervous, upset and vulnerable my mother felt...not to mention afraid! The man was an MP and very well connected - my mother had good reason to be afraid. The financial "genius" ran his business into the ground and left our building when his business went bankrupt - owing my mother nearly $100,000 when he left. Perhaps it is this $100,000 and money that he swindled from other widows and foreigners that allowed him to build his insurance empire.
This is just one example of the outrageous corruption I have had to deal with as a young Bahamian. And it isn't just me, I know and hear of so many horrible stories of blatant corruption everyday. I am not talking about sour grapes, I am talking about clear and obvious violations of people's constitutional and civil rights. In many cases those rights are being trampled by the very people we pay to protect those rights; Members of Parliament, police officers and others that we trust.
While there are a number of import issues that affect the Bahamas; financial legislation, labour laws; international treaties, etc., none is so important as the reputation and integrity of our great nation. I will no longer sit by and watch a group of crafty cunning crooks, disguised as lawyers and businessmen, corrupt our country.
The first place to start is our Members of Parliament. I urge every Bahamian to carefully evaluate the integrity and track record of the people in office. MP's who have switched parties just to be on the winning side, MP's who have been unresponsive, MP's who have accomplished nothing in prior terms and MP's with questionable ethics should be dismissed even if it means going against party affiliations. The party doesn't run the country, the government runs the country and the government is made up of individuals. Lets make sure each individual is worthy of the job and capable of getting it done.
The Bible extols the virtue of a clean home, Parliament is one house that we are all responsible for keeping clean. Lets make our New Year’s resolution "Cleaning up Our Bahamas".
Lisa Wells
www.bahamasb2b.com (http://www.bahamasb2b.com)
After my father died my mother had to manage the business and raise four children alone. This crooked MP saw a woman in a weakened state and like a wolf he attacked, no doubt, figuring he could swindle the property right out from under her.
At the time the man was operating a successful business out of the building he rented from my mother. After my father died the MP stopped paying rent and threatened to have my mother deported if she tried to fight him in court. Because he was married to a lawyer he knew my mother wouldn't have a chance. That man is now one of the wealthiest and most powerful Bahamians and is hailed as a financial genius. In reality he is nothing but a common thief.
I remember those years well and how nervous, upset and vulnerable my mother felt...not to mention afraid! The man was an MP and very well connected - my mother had good reason to be afraid. The financial "genius" ran his business into the ground and left our building when his business went bankrupt - owing my mother nearly $100,000 when he left. Perhaps it is this $100,000 and money that he swindled from other widows and foreigners that allowed him to build his insurance empire.
This is just one example of the outrageous corruption I have had to deal with as a young Bahamian. And it isn't just me, I know and hear of so many horrible stories of blatant corruption everyday. I am not talking about sour grapes, I am talking about clear and obvious violations of people's constitutional and civil rights. In many cases those rights are being trampled by the very people we pay to protect those rights; Members of Parliament, police officers and others that we trust.
While there are a number of import issues that affect the Bahamas; financial legislation, labour laws; international treaties, etc., none is so important as the reputation and integrity of our great nation. I will no longer sit by and watch a group of crafty cunning crooks, disguised as lawyers and businessmen, corrupt our country.
The first place to start is our Members of Parliament. I urge every Bahamian to carefully evaluate the integrity and track record of the people in office. MP's who have switched parties just to be on the winning side, MP's who have been unresponsive, MP's who have accomplished nothing in prior terms and MP's with questionable ethics should be dismissed even if it means going against party affiliations. The party doesn't run the country, the government runs the country and the government is made up of individuals. Lets make sure each individual is worthy of the job and capable of getting it done.
The Bible extols the virtue of a clean home, Parliament is one house that we are all responsible for keeping clean. Lets make our New Year’s resolution "Cleaning up Our Bahamas".
Lisa Wells
www.bahamasb2b.com (http://www.bahamasb2b.com)