Since the announcement of Hannes Babak as newly-appointed chairman of the Port Authority, The Tribune has been reliably informed that several people were planning to stage a demonstration opposing the move.
However, yesterday there was no sign of a demonstration or protest.
It was reported that public relations agent Peter Adderley of Creative Works was contacted to spearhead those efforts. When contacted by The Tribune, Mr Adderley explained that while the retainer offer was attractive, the group opposing the appointment could say nothing more than that Mr Babak was not born in the Bahamas.
Mr Babak, 45, was appointed on June 1 as new chairman following the resignation of former chairman and CEO Julian Francis. And yesterday it was announced that Sir Albert Miller was appointed as the new CEO.
Mr Adderley said that while the late Edward St George was not born in the Bahamas, – he did a miraculous job relative to the development of Freeport.
He also noted that while Sir Jack Hayward and Lady Henrietta St George were not born in the Bahamas, no-one could question their love, loyalty and, commitment to the growth of Freeport, Grand Bahama Island and the entire Bahamas.
“The Grand Bahama Port Authority is a private entity, and Mr Julian Francis has announced his resignation, and so they have every right to hire whomever they deem qualified and suitable for the job.
“I have every confidence in the leadership of Sir Jack and Lady Henrietta, and I am most certain that they were very thorough in their decision making.”
Mr Adderley said Sir Albert’s wealth of experience and immeasurable contribution bode well for the Port’s future. He believed that “the highly qualified, talented and skilful combination of Mrs. Willie Moss, Albert Gray, Barry Malcolm and other Bahamians should go well in partnership with the international contacts and expertise that Hannes Babak will bring to the table.”
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter
