by Adrian Gibson
First published in The Tribune on Friday, December 22, 2006 under the byline, Young Man's View.
IT is a crying shame that victims of the Bahamas’ worst sea tragedy would go to the extent of handcuffing themselves to the gate of Prime Minister Perry Christie’s residence to gain his attention.
On Tuesday, I received several phone calls stating that protesters had ambushed the PM’s residence, cuffed themselves to his gate and were chanting for their “servant” to face the music and address their concerns. I was astounded, as it appeared that Bahamians had finally had enough of Mr Christie’s showboating and apparent inertia.
In August 2003, the Bahamas recorded its worst maritime mishap when two vessels—the Sea Hauler and the United Star—collided in the middle of the night off of Eleuthera. The result of the collision was gruesome, as a crane and other equipment had fallen apart and caused the deaths of four people and left 25 others with life altering injuries and lost limbs. Even further, children were orphaned and some families were left without their sole breadwinner.
For the past three years, the survivors of the tragedy have unremittingly appealed for government assistance, only intensifying their quest for immediate aid in the past few weeks.
This government, which claims to be “caring and consultative”, has yet to address the concerns of these desperate victims, allowing them to languish in a state of abject poverty while our promising Prime Minister and his cohorts go about their comfortable lifestyles.
It was this same Mr Christie, who the victims believe are now ignoring their plight, who had earlier pledged to them that he would see to it that they were taken cared of and make certain that they received “help and hope”. Thus far, this seems to have been yet another one of Mr Christie’s “hot air episodes” as, so far, it would appear that all the talk and empty promises have yet to come to fruition, just like the promises of a fresh wind that never came. Just ask these people if they are feeling Mr Christie’s fresh wind!
Since the wreck commission found the government liable—as it had failed to ensure that the vessels were properly insured before granting licenses—the survivors have been seeking compensation or some form of quantifiable assistance for years. The inquiry also found that both captains were negligible—so why isn’t anyone being held accountable in a civil action?
And, since the Ministry of Transport dropped the ball here, have any measures been taken since this catastrophe to correct any regulatory failures?
While I’m not supportive of the idea of waylaying at PM’s home, it appears that these people in their desperation may have felt that it was their last resort. To protesters’ credit, they did warn last week of their intent to protest outside of Mr Christie’s residence—so why weren’t they taken seriously by the PM or his security detail?
Whilst the quest of the victims is worthy and seemingly necessary, it worries me this election season to see certain political elements suddenly slithering to the forefront of their struggle in what I feel may be political grandstanding and an attempt to get press coverage and simply go along for the ride.
Mr Christie, it appears that you have dillydallied around the issues for far too long now, so it’s high-time that you shuffle some help and hope to these people this Christmas.
THE SUDDEN DEATH OF MY COUSIN
This week, my cousin, Sharmila Smith, daughter of Alphonso and Willamae Smith, tragically and suddenly passed away. Sharmila, a bubbly and bright 27-year-old, was full of life and had a world of opportunities ahead of her.
Although we had briefly lost touch for a while, Sharmila and I were very close. As I reflect on Sharmila, I can remember her lighthearted outlook of life, her cheerful laughter and her way of always being there whenever she was called upon. As I think about our times together, I remember a kindred spirit, a down-to-earth and intelligent young lady who never failed to tell you what she genuinely thought.
Following her passing, Sharmila’s distraught father sadly relayed to me the circumstances of her death, saying that she had come home from work, complained of pain and went to lie down in his room. He said that as he and her mother prepared to take her to a doctor, she began exhibiting signs of impending death. Seeing this, Sharmila’s mom (the chief nurse at PMH’s theatre) did everything to resuscitate her, however, she unfortunately was gone. I will never forget the grief in his voice as he told me of helplessly watching his youngest child take her last breath. Although an autopsy is to be done, he said that Sharmila may have succumbed to a blood clot.
I wish to express my deepest sympathies to Alphonso and Willamae, and to Sharmila’s sister, Sheree.
Cos, may your soul rest in peace—you will always hold a special place in my heart.
Merry Christmas, Bahamas!!
