Dear Editor,
Last week, after almost three months of inaction, Prime Minister Perry Christie finally made a decision and advised the governor general that the office of the parliamentary secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Works and Urban Development was to become vacant.
This careful choice of words ultimately resulted in Renward Wells being stripped of his post as the PS.
We all know that Wells was misguided when he signed the letter of intent (LOI) with Stellar Waste to Energy Bahamas (SWTEB) on July 4, and since then, he, along with the prime minister, have faced harsh criticism, and deservedly so.
Wells was asked by Christie to resign and later he was asked to explain himself to the country in parliament as to the circumstances surrounding the signing of the LOI. He chose not to perform any of these direct requests from his leader.
I am told that Wells is a good engineer and a great communicator and that he had a promising career in the political arena. Maybe he still does.
If he signed the LOI on his own volition or if he was coerced, it really does not matter at this point. He has lost all credibility with the Bahamian public and it is patently obvious that there is more to this matter.
He has also squandered the rare opportunity that the prime minister had given him and for a young up and coming politician; this is very unfortunate.
His recent interview responses with Managing Editor Candia Dames seem to be a smoke screen as he appears to have no intention of telling the whole story, despite a barrage of requests to do so. I think he missed a wonderful opportunity to further impact the state of politics in the country, but he chose instead not to speak when he should have and now others have decided his fate.
- Dehavilland Moss

Sports World Ministry brought its "Go Positive Tour" to students of St. John's College yesterday, as former National Football League (NFL) player Michael Cobb spoke to the kids on the importance of decision-making and overcoming peer pressure. Cobb played tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals (1977) and the Chicago Bears (1978-1981).
DJ Counsellor and Minister Carlos Reid were also on hand to speak to the group of over 200 kids.
During the session, Cobb spoke on his experiences dealing with peer pressure, poor decision-making and how his decisions made parts of his life more difficult than they had to be.
"When I come to speak to schools like this, I get a sense of envy," he said. "Students here are lucky that they can go to a school that puts high emphasis on religion and bringing kids up the right way. When I was growing up, people saw that I was athletic and only wanted to talk to me about football. When I was in college, I would regularly attend a Mass service we held before games, but one day I sat and thought to myself, if I die today, I'm sure the first thing my teammates would say about me wouldn't be about my religious practices, but more about the partying and other things we used to do. That's when I realized I had to make a change."
DJ Counsellor and Minister Reid, the founding president of Youth Against Violence, also gave brief testimonies about their lives and overcoming hardships.
Cobb has been a part of Sports World Ministry for over 25 years and has spoken to over 3,000 schools and over 1 million young people.
St. John's is just one of the many schools that the trio will visit before the week is out; they have already visited schools such as Anatol Rogers, R.M. Bailey, C.I. Gibson, Government High School (GHS) and T.A. Thompson.
Sports World Ministry, led by Dr. Ira Lee Eshleman who founded the organization 30 years ago, is now headed by Devon McDonald. It is a seed-planting ministry which uses former professional athletes to share personal life experiences with students while challenging them with hope.
McDonald is a former linebacker with the Indianapolis Colts (1993-95), the Arizona Cardinals (1995-96) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2000-02).

I guess that a whole lot of people may in fact be rather puzzled by the title of today's article "Are You A Slave?" stating D. Paul did you not know that slavery was outlawed a long time ago? Of course I do, but I'm talking about something completely different here today, because believe it or not, millions of people around the world are indeed slaves to many very bad habits that they're allowing to control them.
Yes indeed, far too many people worldwide are allowing negative thought forms to control them. If this is the case with you as you appear to be negative in the extreme, believe me, you are a slave to your negativity, and until you actually escape from this form of destructive thinking, you will in fact not be free, in the true sense of the word.
Alas as we all know only too well, a great number of people around the globe are being controlled by, [and] held captive by their addictive drug habit. That's right, when you just have to put drugs of any kind into your system each and every day in order to be able to function, you are quite definitely a slave to your habit, as it's controlling you. So you are not free once again in the true sense of the word.
And while we're on the subject of drugs, let's not lose sight of the fact, that alcohol is a drug, one of the most potent and easily available drugs in the world because it's legal; and yet a whole lot of people are slaves to it as they become alcoholics. When you're an alcoholic, you're quite definitely not free at all, you are a slave to your bad habit as the alcohol has taken control of your life and affairs, which is so very sad to observe.
My friend, if you're a slave to anything negative -- destructive thoughts, alcohol or drugs of any kind, or any other very bad habit that appear to be completely controlling your life and affairs, well then, I implore you to get the professional assistance you need today.
That's right, there are professional counselors and life coaches who can assist you in breaking free from your destructive lifestyle so that you can once again be a totally free person, in the truest sense of the word, free to be all that you can be, free to be all that God created you to be, free to be an outstanding success.
o Think about it!
Visit my website at: www.dpaulreilly.com.
Listen to "Time to Think" the radio program on STAR 106.5 FM at 8:55 a.m. & 6:20 p.m.

The 56th Annual Baptist Month culminated with its popular Baptist Day Parade, but two nights before that, 78 outstanding members representing 29 baptist churches in New Providence were honored at the 50th Baptist Kingdom Ball at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort.
Reverend Dr. William Thompson, president of the Bahamas National Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention and senior pastor at Faith United Missionary Baptist Church, presented the honorees with certificates of appreciation for their contributions to their respective churches.

The honorees:
Hillside Missionary Baptist Church: Daria Ettienne, Beatrice Saunders and David Beneby.
New Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church: Mary Dorsett, Martha Rahming and Lavern Stewart.
Ebenezer Mission Baptist Church: Gretel Sweeting.
Bread of Life Baptist Church: Annadell Thompson and Breneya Murphy.
Antioch Native Baptist Church: Charnell Gardiner, Clarice Gardiner and Kayla Lightbourne.
New Freedom Community Holiness Baptist Church: Deacon Nevis Ferguson, Evangelist Louise Gibson and Lavinia King.
First Baptist Church: Dr. Emannuel Francis, Andrea Francis and Shirleen Clarke.
Mt. Ararat Baptist Church: Shakara Rahming and Chandera Sands.
New Bethlehem Baptist Church: Kendrick Williams, Melanie Knowles and Andre Kelly.
New Destiny Baptist Church: Elder Barbra Brooks, Deacon Ronald Saunders and Elder Beryl Elliott.
Transfiguration Baptist Church: Marinette Bethel, Tamara Pinder and Hessley Stubbs.
Mt. Vernon Baptist Church: Elkenah Black and Diana Taylor.
Faith United Missionary Baptist Church: Charles Davis, Margo Moxey and Lavaughn Ferguson.
Mt. Paran Baptist Church: Rev. Barbara Saunders, Jeffery Whylly and Wilfred Moss.
Mt. Horeb Baptist Cathedral: Elaine Frew, Kendall Rolle, Genice Rolle and Marlene Moncur.
Jubilee Mission Baptist Church: Patrice Duncombe-Saunders.
New Bethany Baptist Church: Delicia Black, Ruth Miller and Veranell Dean.
New Beginning Jubilee Baptist Church: Shacoya Mitchell, Waltavia McKinney and Walthera McKinney
New Lively Hope Baptist Church: Calrabell Major, Ruth Carey and Emerald Nixon
Mt. Moriah Baptist Church: Godfrey Toote and Omeas Joffre
St. Paul's Baptist Church (Bias St.): Lulamae Smith, Collean Taylor and Amanda-Lyn Basden
St. Paul's Baptist Church (Fox Hill): Kim Hanna, Dwayne McPhee and Jamielle Davis
Foresight Baptist Church: Nita Darville, Vernita Gibson and Deacon Sheldon E. Forbes.
Pentecost Baptist Church: Dec. Sophia Rankine, Oscar Dames and Katrina Joseph.
Judaea Baptist Church: Evan. Deborah Williams-Turner, Evan. Jennifer Anderson and Deacon Robert Young.
Mt. Calvary Baptist Church: Arnette Hanna-Rolle and Maedawn Munroe.
Divine Praise Church: Sonia Johnson, Damien Ingraham and Elizabeth Darville.
New Covenant Baptist Church: Bishop Simeon B. Hall, Minister Beverley Beneby and Anna Lloyd.
Macedonia Baptist Church: Ashley Williams and Denero Rahming.