Prime Minister Philip Davis yesterday defended the contractor responsible for an incomplete roof that collapsed during school repairs at R. M. Bailey Senior High School, despite the contractor not having all risk and liability insurance, and working under an oral agreement.

On Friday, the Ministry of Works released a statement acknowledging that the "lunch pavilion roof" at R.M. Bailey High School collapsed on August 9.

The statement noted that employees of the general contractor "either in an effort to take down some of the members or adjust the members, removed some of the bracing making the system unstable and causing a collapse of the trusses."

The statement confirmed that nobody was injured and that the contractor accepted full responsibility. It also stated that work was stopped, and the area was fenced off.

The statement released on Friday noted that the contractor did not have all risk and liability insurance, nor a formal written contract.

When asked about the contractor not having insurance or a formal contract during a tour of repairs at R. M. Bailey yesterday, Minister of Public Works Alfred Sears said the previously released statement was recalled and a new statement was released.

However, Prime Minister Philip Davis admitted that the contractor was "self insured" and had no written contract.

Davis said, "He had a contract. The question is whether it's a written or an oral contract. He in fact had a contract. It was to be reduced to writing and in fact the insurance; I understand that the contractor decided that he would self insure until all of the dots and the i's would have been crossed, which is not unacceptable. You could self insure yourself. He takes the risk, which he has done ..."

Video of the roof collapsing went viral on social media.

While the Ministry of Works characterized the incident as a "roof collapse", Davis took issue with The Nassau Guardian asking about the "roof" that collapsed, insisting that it was the trusses.

The prime minister also accused the press of claiming the contractor was an incompetent Progressive Liberal Party supporter granted a favor.

"... Responsible journalism, I think, requires that you understand the facts, and don't turn an incident into a controversy," Davis said in response to questions about the roof's collapse.

"Examine the incident to determine whether the issue should be controversial. The first thing you talk about is a roof. So the whole country is believing that some roof, shingled and complete, somehow collapsed. And it was constructed by some friends of the Progressive Liberal Party - some friends who got a contract and he was incompetent, which is so far from the truth.

"But that's the impression that the print media gave and they were here; they didn't see a roof. I happened to be here along with the minister the very day we were doing our own private inspection of work to see how the progress of these schools were coming, and when we came, what I saw was those trusses were up. That's the building there, and at least a third of the trusses on the long link were going up. It wasn't even a third, I don't think.

"... The contractor was not on site. We left. Next thing I heard the roof collapsed and I was wondering, which roof? Not where I was.

"My information is that one of the workers in the absence of the foreman, and I won't get into all the details, the brace was being moved, and it should not have been moved, and that's what held the trustees together until they were properly in place for the permanent trusses to be put in.

"That was removed and hence they collapsed. The contractor very responsibly said 'that's my agent; he did it; he ought not to have done it. It's going to be no cost to the government and I will correct this.'

"Like the minister of works, I have confidence in this contractor. He has done work for many years for the Ministry of Works and not just for our administration - just to dispel any sort of favoritism that this is some sort of PLP who is incompetent.

"He did much work for the FNM and schools as well. In fact, we met projects that they had given to him. Fortunately, we don't engage in the stop, review and cancel. We are satisfied with his work. He's been a master builder.

"For the press to carry the story in such a way to suggest that he was incompetent and it is some major scandal is really troubling. I don't mind when you are editorializing or giving your opinion on things, but let's make sure it's rested on facts. You could criticize me, I expect it; in fact, I want it because that's what makes me better.

"I don't want anyone to just agree agree, agree to please me, because that don't make me any better. I need to know if I am doing what is right. I need to know if I'm doing something wrong. I need to know what I'm doing, how it's impacting on others."

It was not clear what print story Davis was taking issue with, but in a recent Tribune article, Bahamas Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson called for a report on the collapsed roof, saying the union hopes the contractor working on the building is not a crony, relative or lover of someone in the government.

Yesterday, the contractor, Anthony Roker of A&M Construction, was present at the school tour and said he took "full responsibility for what happened".

"I want the public to know that I'm a four decade builder and contractor and I've built places for both governments," he said.

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