Minister of Works and Utilities Bradley Roberts on Wednesday lashed out at Senate Vice President Rev. C. B. Moss for sending a letter to constituents of Bain and Grants Town regarding the Minister’s refusal to give up his seat at the halfway mark of his term.
“I am deeply saddened that after your 18 years in the community trenches, you have yet to become a team player, the Minister said in a letter to Rev. Moss dated March 15.”It seems that to you, the only team you wish to serve on is the one that says, I, I, I, Me, Me, Me.
But it was unclear whether Rev. Moss got the letter as he was attending a conference in Jamaica.
Minister Roberts, who is the Member of Parliament for Bain and Grants Town, had promised that he would have stepped down after two and a half years, but he has had a change of heart after reportedly being asked by the Prime Minister to stay on.
In the letter to the constituents, Rev. Moss, who had hoped for an opportunity to run for the seat, said that Minister Roberts broke a promise to them in refusing to resign.
Minister Roberts hit back, saying in his letter to Rev. Moss, “I wish to tell you that I found your letter surprising, appalling and patently untrue in the full context of the situation.
“I am surprised that you did not convey in your letter that Prime Minister Christie, yourself and I had a conversation in mid-2004, where it was made absolutely clear to you that the prime minister was not prepared to allow me to resign my cabinet post and obviously my member of parliament status.
He added, “I am also surprised that you did not convey in your letter that the prime minister told you that his view was based on the fact that I was too important to his government in view of the magnitude and scope of national work needed to be accomplished by the PLP Government in its term in office.Likewise, you were aware that prominent leaders of the Baptist Church were told of the prime minister’s position and his basis for the same.
Minister Roberts also said, “I am appalled that you would choose to ignore the tenets of the political organization that both you and I serve in where it is a truism that individual politicians or wannabe’s cannot act independently of the wishes of the organization. Even if I were to act on my personal wishes, my successor would be determined firstly by the Bain and Grants Town Branch, secondly, the PLP National General Council and ultimately, the voters of the Bain and Grants Town Constituency.
“Likewise, I am presently unaware of any member of the Bain and Grants Town Branch having expressed any desire for me to vacate the position of Member of Parliament for Bain and Grants Town.
In his letter, Rev. Moss said, “I have been serving you for 18 years and each year my love and commitment to you grows stronger. Two and a half more years is a short time to wait for you because you are worth the wait.
Rev. Moss, who pastors a church in Bain Town, had been jockeying for the Bain Town Constituency nomination prior to the May 2002 general election, but lost out after boundary changes resulted in Bain Town being merged with Grants Town.
Minister Roberts said he was appalled that Rev. Moss did not make it clear that those 18 years were spent in service as a pastor and not as a politician “who has been denied what you think is rightfully yours to have.
“Unfortunately, after 18 years of observance and partial participation in political elections, you have still to recognize that you cannot inherit a constituency seat. You have to earn it by garnering enough votes to make up the majority.
Minister Roberts also indicated that Rev. Moss did not quote biblical scripture in its full context when he used the story of Jacob and Laban in his letter to the constituents.
In the story, Jacob works for Laban, the father of his beloved Rachel, for seven years, after being promised by Laban that he would give Rachel to be Jacob’s wife. But at the end of the seven long years, Laban backed out of the deal, leaving Jacob no choice but to agree to work another seven years for Rachel.
Rev. Moss said in the letter to the constituents, “My brothers and sisters, like Jacob’s love for Rachel, my love for you is strong enough to overcome any obstacle, to withstand any delay.
But Minister Roberts said in his letter to Rev. Moss, “You sought to equate yourself with Jacob, his trials and tribulations. And while Laban did indeed work for Jacob seven more years than it was their agreement, I wish to remind you that there is another part of that story that you seemed to have ignored.
“That part is where Jacob ended up working for Laban because he fled from his homeland after he stole his brother, Esau’s birthright. Jacob was no saint during that time. However, God made him a saint after the completion of his trials and tribulations.
“Maybe you will seek to interpret something from that if you view the story in the full context of Holy Scripture, for though man will have his plants, it is God’s purpose that will prevail.
By: Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
