While speaking at the renaming ceremony of a portion of Thompson Boulevard to University Drive, Prime Minister Perry Christie urged University of The Bahamas executives and students to ensure they have leaders who are knowledgeable and "accountable" for the state of the economy, insisting " it's so important to recognize how easy it is to piss away money".
The Christie administration has been under heightened scrutiny surrounding how more than $1 billion in value-added tax (VAT) revenue collected since its implementation has been used.
After months of demands from the opposition and the general public requesting proper accountability, the prime minister finallytax reductions, VAT refunds and key investments and projects that resulted in increased expenditure.
Speaking to guests at the street renaming yesterday, Christie said, "You are so privileged to be the first and to set the standard, those of you who are professors and administrators.
"You are so blessed and privileged to put in the definitions for The University of The Bahamas.
"To create the platform to lay the foundations. "To be able to integrate our national life and our goals into your syllabuses. "It's a wonderful time for our country.
"And to be able to help with levels of accountability in our country. "I don't care who you are and what you are and what your politics is, make sure you have leaders who can stand up here and if they are going to run the economy of The Bahamas they have a grasp of it.
"Apply the same standards to public life that you apply to the students in the class when you mark them on grades.
"Otherwise, you are joking. "I said this years ago and I say it now, those of us in public life must be accountable for the positions we hold and have the capacity to be able to do it.
"And so if I'm described as the Minister of Finance you want to believe that I have made myself understand that.
"And even though I have a brilliant young man in Michael Halkitis, a graduate of The College of The Bahamas, I have to be able to challenge him, because it's so important to recognize how easy it is to piss away money.
"Excuse me for the language. "That's what you call 'rich language'. "And one day, you'll teach it as a very graphic expression for annoyance, my definition."
Thompson Boulevard from the six-legged roundabout to the roundabout at Wulff Road is now renamed "University Drive" and Corridor-8, which is the two lane road that links Thompson Boulevard and the Moss Road intersection to the Baillou Hill and Cordeaux Avenue intersection, is now named "University Commons", according to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Urban Development Philip "Brave" Davis.
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