TWO retired prison officers are calling on the government to launch an investigation into operations at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Speaking about their experiences as former assistant commissioners, the pair outlined a laundry list of allegations concerning malfeasance, negligence, and total disregard for established protocols, such as accounting and reporting procedures...

TWO retired prison officers are calling on the government to launch an investigation into operations at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Speaking about their experiences as former assistant commissioners, the pair outlined a laundry list of allegations concerning malfeasance, negligence, and total disregard for established protocols, such as accounting and reporting procedures...

 

Jesus stated that His kingdom would come, but we cannot go to a place and say here is the throne and here is the king's physical residence, so this kingdom is unusual to the human mind. Jesus went so far as to say 'this kingdom is within you', which is a new concept for earth. It has been established that the kingdom of God is not a physical kingdom, but it is a very real kingdom. Jesus' contention was that this kingdom superseded the kingdoms of this world and therefore could not be dismissed or diminished in importance. He said that this kingdom should hold the highest place of prominence in our lives, because the seen world emanates from the unseen world and the unseen world is therefore the preeminent world.
It has been established that we have this kingdom without a physical location that causes the question to arise as to the mission of this kingdom and the assignment of its ambassadors and representatives.
We are told that we are a part of a kingdom that supersedes the physical world and we live in a world that is not naturally conformed to this kingdom, so there must be some guide or instruction on how to live as a dual citizen or as a representative of another government.
To answer this question it brings us to one of the important keys in understanding our role in the world, which is found in the Book of 2 Corinthians. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
This is an interesting and powerful proposition. We are told that when we enter the kingdom we are new creations -- a brand new people. We are then given further clarity with the notion that God has, through the establishment of this kingdom, brought about the opportunity for man to be reconciled with Him. This is again a strange concept to most residents of earth, because we may not even know that we were separated from God and needed to be reconciled. This scripture tells us not only that we were separated, but that Jesus established this kingdom and the result was reconciliation of God and man. We who are a part of this kingdom have been charged with the ministry of reconciliation.
Another way to look at it is that He made a way for us to be reconciled and now He has commissioned us as reconciliation agents to bring others into relationship with the King of kings. The scripture then continues to tell us that we are ambassadors for Christ and it explains that God is using us as agents to implore others to take advantage of this kingdom without location, and be reunited to their creator. This is indeed a powerful and revolutionary concept that is often taken for granted when we read scriptures. We do not often think of ourselves as official representatives who are assigned a mission and mandate as diplomats of a foreign government that supersedes all earthly governments, but that is exactly what the Bible states. We are ambassadors. We have a specific mission and assignment and we have a charge that represents the most important portfolio of all time.

o Pastor Dave Burrows is senior pastor at Bahamas Faith Ministries International. Feel free to email comments, whether you agree or disagree, to pastordaveburrows@hotmail.com. I appreciate your input and dialogue. We become better when we discuss, examine and exchange.

Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Hubert Minnis, in his contribution to the Budget Debate, June 20, in the House of Assembly accused the former Progressive Liberal Party Administration of using Hurricane Matthew “as a way of channeling money to certain people.”

“Hurricane Matthew was a massive storm. It left destruction and devastation [across a number of islands]. It is absolutely unacceptable for public funds to be channeled to a select few in the aftermath of the Hurricane,” Prime Minister Minnis told House Members.

The Prime Minister said, for example, a total of $28,975,187 was expended on Hurricane Clean-up. $22,939,178 was spent to clean up New Providence, while $5,881,649 was spent on clean-up efforts in Grand Bahama and another $154,360 on clean-up efforts in North Andros.

Prime Minister Minnis said a number of individuals were engaged in the clean up exercise following the passage of Matthew.

“Upon my review of payments made to various vendors, I was astonished by one particular vendor which stood out. There are many questionable payments, but the payments the vendor are shocking.”

Prime Minister Minnis said the one vendor received 46 payment transactions totaling $7,056,348.24. The request for payment was submitted through the Ministry of Works and the National Recovery and Reconstruction Unit. In addition, he said, contracts for cleaning and sorting debris at three dumpsites totaled $1,057,560 for a grand total of $8,113,908.24.

“We have quite a bit of information, much of which is quite shocking,” Prime Minister Minnis said. “We will pass this and other information to the Office of the Auditor General.

“Can you imagine what over eight million, one hundred and thirteen thousand dollars can do for this country? When one examines this, one can imagine the families that could have been hired; the homes that could have been constructed; the school repairs that could have been completed; the scholarships that could have been awarded,” Prime Minister Minnis added.

 

 

 

Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Hubert Minnis in the House of Assembly during his Budget Debate Contribution, June 20, 2017. (Photo/OPM Media Services)

By Matt Maura

Bahamas Information Services

The new Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers' Confederation (BCCEC) Chairman Michael Maura is concerned that visits by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and credit ratings agency Moody's will not be good ones this summer, as both agencies will be hit with the reality of the government's need to borrow $722 million.
Maura, who is also the president and CEO of Arawak Port Development Limited, said when he is able to have an audience with the IMF and Moody's, he will ask both agencies to give the new government a chance to work out its plan to help The Bahamas' economy rebound, before submitting an economic review and making a final decision on a credit rating.
"I'm concerned with the meetings that will happen around the middle of July, as Moody's and the IMF come in to hold their meetings with government and various private sector entities like the chamber, like BICA (Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants), like the U.S. Embassy... and everybody's got a perspective," he said.
"I'm concerned that the new government has broadcast that they need to raise $722 million to cover what I understand to be primarily current liabilities... that is an alarming state to be in."
Maura expressed his own concerns regarding the state of the economy and the government's need to borrow millions of dollars, but he said he would implore the credit rating agencies to pay attention to the work of the new government.
He is afraid, however, that the agencies will ask why the information regarding the possible extent of the country's borrowing needs was not disclosed by The Bahamas government earlier.
Meantime, he said The Bahamas government has to "truly understand" this country's dire fiscal circumstances and consider bringing the best and brightest minds to the table to solve it.
"The chamber had some concerns.. with the move by the government to reduce some of the duties at a time when, at the same time, they are going out to borrow $722 million," he said.
"I speak not only as a Bahamian, not only as a business executive... but we've had it with fiscal irresponsibility, we've had it with the cost of energy being too much, we've had it with the cost of living, we've had it with our children not wanting to come home when they've finished their degree."
Maura lamented that a full grocery cart could cost a family $600.