Concluding that the efforts would be misdirected, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe has rebutted calls by PLP Senator Philip Galanis for an investigation into the appointment of Mr Hannes Babek as chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority.
Following the recent spate of resignations and terminations at the Port Authority, Senator Galanis has publicly criticised the organisation, challenging his own party to carry out thorough investigations into its state of affairs.
Stopping short of calling Senator Galanis's request premature, Mr Wilchcombe said: "I am not sure what my colleague's arguments are. I have been working with the Port on many of their matters over the past several years, so I am not sure that I would go that far."
He went on to say that the Port Authority was a private company with a right to appoint whomever it deemed fit to represent its interests.
"I am trying to ascertain the value of an invesigation," said Mr Wilchcombe. "The Grand Bahama Port Authority is an organisation that has worked with the government, and if there is an interest by the Bahamas government, we can invite the Port in to discuss it. But an invesigation? I think that is stretching it a bit."
Mr Galanis began taking his administration to task shortly after Mr Julian Francis resigned and was immediately replaced by Mr Hannes Babek as chairman of the Port Authority. Shortly after Mr Francis's "resignation," executive vice-president Barry Malcolm followed suit, and also resigned.
"The kind of actions we have seen taking place over the last few weeks with the removal and/or resignation of persons in very high positions at the Port is a major cause for concern," said Senator Galanis last week.
"It is indicative, in my opinion, of a fiefdom and plantation mentality of the stakeholders in the Grand Bahama Port Authority, who are being supported by the lackeys that they have appointed in key positions down there."
Challenged
Mr Galanis has challenged the PLP administration to adhere to its policy of Bahamianisation, which ensured that foreigners are not given work permits for jobs that can be filled by qualified Bahamians, as he presumed was done in the case Mr Babak, who is Austrian.
"I could not believe that there was due process in the selection of a replacement for Mr Francis," Senator Galanis has said. "Immediately on his retirement, they brought in Mr Babak to replace him. I do not recall there being any kind of advertisement or job search made by the Grand Bahama Port Authority to find a Bahamian to replace him."
In response to Senator Galanis's concerns, Mr Wilchcombe said: "We understand what they are trying to do. Lady Henrietta St George and Sir Jack Hayward, they are the private owners, and they are appointing someone to represent their interest. To what extent do we influence that? It is still their personal subjective interest, and we cannot force upon them a Bahamian or anyone. What we wish to do is encourage them to look [for Bahamians]."
However, while appearing on the radio show Jones and Co yesterday, Senator Galanis said that the Port Authority was more than a private company; and in answer to what he expects the government to do, the Senator said it was very simple. He suggested that the government ought to do what former governments have done.
"The first PLP government required manpower projections, required statement or discussions to be caused between the Port Authority and the government to ensure that the Bahamianisation policy that was laid down in the first PLP administration was adhered to."
But again Mr Wilchcombe differed with Senator Galanis, saying: "No government has had a hand on Freeport. The first PLP administration had a hands-off approach. The Hubert Ingraham administration took a hands-off approach as well. This government is now trying to integrate itself into the decision-making of the Port Authority, as it relates to business by developing a relationship, a partnership."
By MARK HUMES, The Tribune
