Dear Editor,

Many Bahamians are able to say, and have said so, what they like and do not like about Leslie Miller (PLP-Tall Pines), but he, God bless his soul, calls it like he sees it. He has served the people of this wonderful nation at all levels save for being prime minister. There are few living parliamentarians who are able to match his holistic contributions to the development and growth of The Bahamas.

No, this is not some brown-noser, but rather a critique of the performance or lack thereof of our major utilities during the recent passage of Matthew.

Bahamas Power and Light was obviously not prepared for the advent of this now fabled hurricane. Trees, where they should have been trimmed regularly, were blown over and up rooted. Thereby, falling was to be expected across power and cable lines. Cable Bahamas Limited also appears to have been unprepared for the onslaught.

In too many cases customers who have been impacted by the destruction of the cable transmissions lines here in small New Providence are hot and angry that in too many cases they are still off with no logical explanation or schedule. It is impossible to get through to CBL's customer services line/s. Anybody up there cares?

It is a miracle that most of the lines managed by Bahamas Telecommunications Company were not damaged to any significant degree. The leadership team at BTC, led by Leon Williams, did an excellent job and are to be congratulated. This, dearly beloved, is what happens when true true Bahamians are given an opportunity at leadership.

It is to be remembered that when Leslie was executive chairman at BEC, many Bahamians, inclusive of the honchos in the union down there, Paul Maynard in particular, used to cuss him out stink on a daily basis. Others claimed that he showed too much compassion for the unwashed customers of the long ailing BEC. Today, most of us right-thinking people rue the day and lament the night when the PM crumbled into their demands to remove him.

Often if your supply would have been disconnected, you could get through to the BEC hotline or even directly to the chairman. Terms could be worked out and you'd be back on the grid. Not so today.

There are not many hills left here in New Providence and many residents have, in fact, never seen a hill here, for sure the elusive Pamela Hill, the newly minted chief executive officer at BPL, is hard to find. Disgruntled customers are being literally left in the dark due to the non-communications regime in place, apparently at BPL.

The major utilities have been baptized by Matthew. Their lack of preparations for natural disasters like hurricanes is vivid in the spotlight of the aftermath of our dearly departed brother Matthew and must be a teachable moment in time. The PM and his administration, along with countless our Bahamians and agencies, across the board, did well and we have come to understand the stark need for us to, when necessary, become, again, One Bahamas.

And so, we wish Hill and her team well, but we also look forward to the timely release of PowerSecure's management agreement with the government. We would also like to know the terms and conditions of all high level contracts at BPL. If you work for me, I should have no problem with you telling certain things. Should I?

To God then, in all things, even that of thermonuclear energy, natural gas (literally) and inept management, be the glory.

- Ortland H. Bodie Jr.

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