They also demanded that the island’s residents take control of their future under the governance of the group of companies.
“As licensees, we want to know the vision and the plans for Freeport,” said Dr. Doswell Coakely, president of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, who was one of the panelists.
“We do not hear it articulatedﾅwe feel we have the right to know and we call upon the Grand Bahama Port Authority to make those plans known without delay. We also call upon the government to hold the Port Authority accountable to its commitment under the Hawksbill Creek Agreement.”
Dr. Coakley said the government must champion the rights of Bahamians in Freeport.
Noted attorney Fred Smith, another panelist, meanwhile, asked a list of key questions as more attention was focused on recent actions of the Port Authority, including administrative changes which saw several prominent Bahamians leave the Port, and a foreigner, Hannes Babak, appointed chairman.
“In my view, Mr. Babakﾒs appointment, and the storm surrounding it, is a blessing in disguise,” Mr. Smith said. “Indeed, I take the view that we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mr. Babak.”
He explained, “Mr. Babak has finally awakened the citizens of Grand Bahama from their 33-year poisoned slumber. We are finally starting to ask serious and legitimate questions about our community; where it has been, where it is going, who is taking us there and where, and how are we getting there. What is our plan? Finally, our community has started to focus on real and important issues.”
Mr. Smith said Mr. Babak is the reason Grand Bahamians “are suddenly bestirred.”
“He is the handsome prince who has delivered the magic kiss to awaken the Snow White of Grand Bahama from her poisoned sleep,” Mr. Smith said.
Senator Philip Galanis, who was the only Nassuvian on the panel, again questioned whether it was inappropriate for Mr. Babak to head the Port given that he has business interests in Grand Bahama.
“Whilst Mr. Babak is indeed an employee and he was appointed by the shareholders and the shareholders have a right to appoint whomever they wish, I have a fundamental problem when an employee assumes the position as chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority when he is in a conflict of interest position,” Senator Galanis said.
“And he is indeed in a conflict of interest position in my opinion to the extent that he is a licensee engaged in business that is in direct competition with Bahamians who are in this town, and that is wrong. It also begs the question if it is an honest arrangement, honest becauseﾅI am led to believe that Mr. Babakﾒs company, Freeport Construction, has gotten the contract to build Associated Grocersﾒ warehouse.”
He also said he had serious issues with the fact that Mr. Babak was allowed to compete against Bahamians in the construction and retail sectors.
Maurice Glinton, another prominent Freeport attorney, said it took decades for something controversial to happen to spur this kind of dialogue.
“There is something very good and very legitimate about this process,” Mr. Glinton said. “Now itﾒs unfortunate of course that we have had to come together because of certain recent events because it raises the question as to what in fact may be our fate if something controversialﾅdoesnﾒt happen.”
Mr. Glinton also said he had taken particular interest in how the utility companies are operated and how those in authority saw it possible to “divorce” the Grand Bahama Power Company from the Port.
“The power company now supplies power to East End and West End, and I know some of you may say thatﾒs a good thing. Itﾒs a good thing if they are paying their full fares. What you will find happeningﾅwe here are subsidizing the power and the electricity and the cost of it for persons not living in the port area,” he said.
Dr. Coakley, meanwhile, said in his estimation, the Port Authority is in trouble and he said no one seems to care about the small man.
He called on the government to step in and “institute without delay a commission of inquiry to determine exactly what has happened in our names.”
Dr. Coakley was referring to earlier comments he made regarding the increase in licensing fees.
However, one resident and businessman, Clarence Bellot, who was a member of the audience, said that issue was not a real concern for him.
“I have been a licensee here in Grand Bahama for some 20 years now and Iﾒve been very satisfied with the services I get and the fees that I payﾅand the ability to be able to pay them off at a half rate if you pay them within a certain amount of time. Iﾒve been able to operate in a clean environment and I really canﾒt complain about the last 20 years with the Port Authority,” Mr. Bellot said.
“I do agree that there are a lot of policies in place now that we need to question and I hope weﾒre going to take steps toward that end,” he said.
By: Courtnee Romer, The Bahama Journal
