Minister of Education Desmond Bannister said yesterday he is confident the Free National Movement (FNM) will win the North Andros constituency in the next election.  Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) MP Vincent Peet currently holds the seat.  Bannister is currently the MP for Carmichael.  Bannister added that North Andros -- which he said is beset with high unemployment and deplorable infrastructure -- has been "disappointed" for far too long.

Although he has yet to officially announce his intent to run as the FNM's North Andros candidate in 2012, it appears that the Stanyard Creek native has hit the campaign trail.  He was part of a contingent of Cabinet ministers who accompanied Minister of Works Neko Grant to a $2.5 million contract signing for reconstruction and repair of "disgraceful" roads in Stanyard Creek.  
"Stanyard Creek is my home, where I grew up," Bannister said on the sidelines of the contract signing.

"That road there is the same road I walked as a little boy, never been paved in my life.  There's no community in Andros that has good roads.  The entire island has been disappointed over and over again.  "These roads in front of the school; it's absolutely disgraceful and we're 10 minutes from New Providence.  "Andros really deserves a whole lot more with the rich resources we have, with what we can contribute to the development of this country.

"My job is to make sure that Androsians [realize] the potential they have and to bring as much development as we can."  Bannister spoke to The Nassau Guardian in front of his former school. While North Andros is grappling with high unemployment, Bannister said it has tremendous untapped potential.  "The government's employment initiative in North Andros -- we had over 400 people register and I keep coming across people who didn't register, so I think it's close to 600 people [who are unemployed in North Andros]," he said.

"If you compare that with Central Andros, for example, where they had maybe 10 percent of that register. In other areas of the country, you have less.  So you have a huge unemployment issue, but you have tremendous opportunities for employment.  "When you deprive people of hope for so long, they tend to lose hope.  We have to rekindle that spirit in them and that's one of the things we hope to do now.

"I think the main issue is this issue of unemployment, of people looking for opportunity, and over the years being constantly disappointed.  The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) has already ratified pilot Randy Butler as its candidate for North Andros.  Peet, the current MP and an attorney by profession, recently acknowledged that his renomination bid is in jeopardy due to an issue related to $180,000 in client funds.  It is still unclear whether he will be the PLP's candidate in the next general election.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian