Hurricane Joaquin set back parts of the Central and Southern Bahamas possibly by decades. Crooked Island, Acklins, Rum Cay, San Salvador and Long Island all felt the eye of the category four storm.
The central government, as is sadly expected of our central government, was not at its best with this storm. Shelters didn’t open in some affected islands. Authorities in New Providence couldn’t communicate with impacted islands for days, in some cases. But for the airlift of the United States government, rented helicopters and a private coalition of Bahamians and generous foreigners, state responders would still be struggling to get where they were needed to deliver assistance.
Southern Long Island was particularly damaged. That island’s member of Parliament is Loretta Butler-Turner. Butler-Turner was a minister of state in Hubert Ingraham’s last government. She is a former deputy leader of the Free National Movement (FNM).
In this crisis, Butler-Turner stepped up. She worked with a team of Long Islanders and concerned citizens, including Fr. Keith Cartwright, Paul Aranha Jr. of Trans Island Airways, Gina Knowles of Island Cellular, Bahamas Fast Ferries and Island Link. Together, with scores of volunteers and donors, Butler-Turner’s team has managed an airlift network that has surpassed what the state has. In fact, state officials have had to be transported via this network to be able to respond to the crisis.
This team, though, has done more than provide airlift. Focusing on Long Island, but also giving assistance to those in other islands, those involved have organized a supply chain from the goodwill of those in New Providence all the way to the provision of goods to the people left devastated by Joaquin.
Butler-Turner was there the day after the storm. Her efforts helped create something lasting in the wake of a tragedy. It is no secret that she wants to be leader of the FNM and prime minister. She ran for leader at the last FNM convention and lost to the current party leader, Dr. Hubert Minnis.
Minnis has been uninspiring the last three years as FNM leader and leader of the opposition. During this period of devastation, he has had no impact. He has left no mark that could make anyone think more of him. Speaking with an FNM who watched Minnis this past week, that individual remarked that based on what Minnis showed in the post-Joaquin period, he would likely be a worse prime minister than Christie.
The Bahamas does not need that. We have double-digit unemployment; we’re about to set another murder record; and now we have to rebuild the Central and Southern Bahamas. The Bahamas needs a leader who is focused, who can get things done, who is intelligent and determined. Now is not the time for the mediocre.
Christie is past his usefulness in the Office of the Prime Minister. Our country will further regress if he wins the next general election.
The FNM should now see that it has another option for the post of party leader. It should not meander further with Minnis. He has had three years to prove himself and only those he has promised something still believe in him. Change is needed atop the FNM. We hope those who have the power to make that change happen see what is so obvious to those on the outside of that party.
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