Continuing to struggle to put their lives back together, residents in Grand Bahama are growing increasingly disappointed over government’s incredibly slow progress in providing relief to those in need.
Some, including the former President of the Grand Bahama Human Rights Association, are calling the government’s slow progress a “national disgrace”.
Criticizing the government’s lack of assistance in providing shelter for those left suffering from the devastation left by Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne, Grand Bahama based lawyer Frederick Smith said that Prime Minister Perry Christie and his cabinet members should “resign in shame”.
I call upon every citizen of this country to decry and call for the resignation of the prime minister and his cabinet,” he said yesterday. In his opinion government was incompetent in the “administration of the affairs of this country in this time of crisis”.
Today, a week after Hurricane Jeanne and three weeks after Hurricane Frances, “the people of Grand Bahama, especially in the settlements of East and West End, have yet to receive any direct physical relief from the hurricanes and continuing rains,” he said.
Immediately after Hurricane Frances, the new United States Ambassador arranged to have a 10,000 gallon water bladder and filling containers delivered to Grand Bahamas. Almost a week later, while touring the island with Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell, the Ambassador was shocked to see that the water had not yet been distributed to the communities needing it most.
“So many homes and buildings throughout Grand Bahama have had their roofs and windows destroyed by hurricanes and to this day no provision has been made for temporary shelters,” Mr. Smith added.
Concerning the government’s role in this matter, the lawyer and human rights activist pointed out that although millions of dollars have been collected in hurricane relief from individuals, companies and countries, “not a penny has found its way, in nearly four weeks, to relieve the suffering of the people in Grand Bahama.”
What Grand Bahama HAS received is numerous visits by publicity seeking MPs and Cabinet members who like to get their picture on the TV news making it look like they are contributing something, when in fact, they are only grandstanding.
“Grand Bahama does not need visits by our prime minister or other ministers from the region to view, access, deliberate and plan what is to be done. The people of Grand Bahama are sick of visits from bureaucrats in Nassau,” Mr. Smith said. “They need help yesterday,” he added.
