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Disempowerment of Our People

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#TurksandCaicos, January 20, 2024 – As this new year 2024 started, I observed the Premier and his Ministers putting out some press releases on their so-called accomplishments for the past three years. When I saw it I laughed out loud, and then a few moments later, I felt ashamed for them. In three years, all some did was get 3 policies approved in Cabinet, for which the technocrats did all the work, as none of them were original nor new to the government.

Then other Ministers listed things that are hurting our people and our country. And another is listing a few feet of road works completed in 3 years. Talk about a grossly underperforming government. I also saw digitization, which only refers to applying for police records online. Wow, talk about not getting the job done.

Now I have to give the Premier and his Ministers for approval the Deputy Governor’s outstanding project of the Salary and Grade increases. But we all saw the real motives for why it was approved- Giving themselves $45,000 to $50,000 more in annual salaries, while the people who needed it got a $4,000 to $7,000 increase in annual, with most of the allowances being removed. No allowances were removed for the Premier and his Ministers.

I am also seeing where the Hon. Premier wants to meet with the general public at his Party’s headquarters. What is he thinking, that is not how a democratically elected leader should behave, that happens in an autocracy (dictatorship)       .

If he was meeting with his Party supporters yes that’s the way to go, but when it is extended to the general public, No that is not how it should be done. Those meetings should be at a government facility or a a non politically affiliated facility rented by the government for that purpose

We have to hold the premier and his government accountable for not addressing the issues facing the country.

All we are seeing is there Marketing on the disempowerment of our people.

We are in a historic national security crisis… and all they do is hide from dealing or talking about tough issues, but when they think they want to mislead the masses to think that they are looking out for them and have done something to misdirect our people, then we see their dog and pony show.

Can anyone name one thing that the Premier has done Proactively to combat boat landings, crime, and illegal guns? In his release, he failed to mention that we ended the year on a sad note where families were devastated by the loss of loved ones to gun violence and preventable accidents. But it is radio silence on these serious crime occurrences from the Premier and the Ministers.

He failed to mention have seen a record number of illegal boat landings and illegal boat interceptions, and the country closed off the year with some reaching land. Our citizens almost daily report seeing illegal people marching across their properties in the early hours of the morning. Some of our people have said that they have stopped going out in the morning for their wellness routine as they have been encountering aggressive persons who appear to be new illegal arrivals.

Let us look at roads, road use, and the dramatic increase in illegal jitneys and illegal vehicles…. What new roads have been done in 3 years? What major repairs? One maybe? What proactive policy to deal with illegal jitneys on the road? Not one thing.

People are still losing their homes to the bank, yes you completed the write-off of the TALCO mortgage loans, which was well deserved for some, but what about many other people who need help with securing their home ownership? Nothing as expected, because that would be developing an original plan, original policy, implementation, and execution, something that the Premier and his government have proven that they are unable to do.

The Premier and his Ministers don’t want you to talk about these real issues facing our people and our country. So, the only option they have in holding your attention is to try and flood the streets with money and take advantage of our struggling local economy and our people’s need to access additional financing.

But instead of putting sustainable systems in that would increase our peoples’ financial independence, they want you to be forever dependent on them, allowing them to remain with all the power over the people. They want to be forever the ones with the fish to give to you at their convenience but never will allow you to come up and be yourself a fisherman, able to catch as many fish as you want, independent of any government or politician.

This is not my way, nor is it my PDM way. I want you to be independent of any political, generating your own wealth, beholding to no government of the day for your survival, self-reliant, stepping out in confidence, knowing that you can provide for all you and your family needs, going and coming as you so desire.

Remember the future is nothing but possibilities, and is completely open to choice, so we must choose wisely, as Everything is Changeable.

We in the PDM are creating something new, something beautiful, something wonderful. I want to show our people how great they can become, and I want to show them the excellence that can be generated from our people and our country. We are seeking to have our people truly empowered, giving them options and tools, with the freedom to choose solutions not people, and in doing so, 2024 and beyond will be magnificent- if you choose correctly.

 

Hon. Edwin A. Astwood

Leader/PDM

Leader/Opposition

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Bahamas News

Camp Inclusion tours Nassau Cruise Port

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NASSAU, The Bahamas – Participants of the Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting’s Camp Inclusion, including the camp’s student advocates, recently toured Nassau Cruise Port in a move designed to produce multiple benefits for the children.

Camp officials said the tour was part of the “moving away” from the old tradition of keeping children with disabilities locked away at home, and towards greater social inclusion for persons with disabilities – especially children.

Facilitated by the Community Affairs Division of the Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting at the Flamingo Gardens Family Life Centre, the camp is a collaborative effort between the Ministry, its Community Affairs and Disability Affairs Divisions, the Bahamas Coalition of Advocates for Disability Awareness and Service (BaCADAS), and the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD). The majority of the Camp Instructors are persons with disabilities.

The Camp is in keeping with the Global Family Day 2024 theme of “Embracing Diversity, Strengthening Families,” and is an extension of the Ministry’s continued efforts to take the lead in ensuring access and inclusion for all — particularly the community of persons with disabilities — in every aspect of society.

Children with different levels and types of disabilities, along with student advocates, participated. Its focus was to ensure that participating youth learn about living with mobility and intellectual disabilities, advocacy, inclusion and accessibility.

Mr. Townsley Roberts, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, said the visit is expected to have a number of expected outcomes.

“It was very important to get the kids out and for them to see parts of the island that they rarely get a chance to experience,” Mr. Roberts said. “It was also an opportunity for them to feel a part of the Bahamian society because many times they are kept at home or just in the classroom (and) so this gives them a chance to spread their wings; an opportunity to dream. You never know, something they saw today can spark their imaginations and some may become artists, want to work in the tourism field or even just to try and experience a cruise. The ability to dream, to feel a part of society, to feel included, is important to the growth of all children, including persons with disabilities.”

Mr. Roberts applauded officials at Nassau Cruise Port for agreeing to the tour, which he said also allowed chaperones to inform the student advocates of some of the aspects that makes a facility accessible and inclusive.

“We are so happy that the Cruise Port allowed us the opportunity to come and tour the facility. As the name of the camp goes, what we are promoting is inclusion — total inclusion in all aspects of Bahamian society including the culture, and the open spaces. We want to make sure that all spaces are accessible and one of the things we know, because we had the opportunity to inspect the cruise port, is that the Port is accessible to persons with disabilities. So why not bring the children – including the student advocates — here as a means of helping them to understand and to witness first-hand what accessibility means and how it, or the lack of accessibility, affects the lives of persons with disabilities.”

Mr. Antoine Munroe, a Camp Instructor and employee of the Disability Affairs Division of the Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting, said access and inclusion ensures that every person is able to achieve the same outcomes whether in social, educational, or employment settings, and are the best methods of ensuring that persons with disabilities are given the same opportunities to participate in society. He applauded the inclusion of the student advocates in the camp.

“It is a passion of my own to see young people included and exposed to the life of persons with disabilities. Being able to tour the facility gave me an understanding of how I can use my cane to move about with a little assistance and I thought that was very, very smooth. I congratulate those persons who were able to cause this to happen, and also the persons in charge of the Nassau Cruise Port.  I think this is a very good step in the right direction,” Mr. Munroe added.

 

Release: BIS

(BIS Photos/Patrice Johnson)

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Bahamas News

National Commission for Persons with Disabilities gauges ‘accessibility’ at ZNS, BIS as part of ongoing inspection schedule

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NASSAU, The Bahamas – Inspectors attached to the Inspectorate Division of the Secretariat of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) conducted assessments of the facilities at the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, and Bahamas Information Services, Tuesday (July 23) as part of their ongoing efforts to ensure that all public facilities, and those private facilities that provide services to members of the public, are accessible for all.

Both entities fall under the remit of the Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting as does the Secretariat.

The team was headed by Mr. Townsley Roberts, Deputy Executive Secretary, Secretariat of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, and included Mr. G. Michael Ellis, Senior Inspector; Mr. Wesley Paul, Inspector; and Mr. Thorne Clarke, Inspector.

Deputy Executive Secretary Roberts said the inspections were two-fold.

“Today we are inspecting ZNS and BIS which are both a part of the Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting to ensure that they are accessible because it is our belief that we cannot ask the public to do the things required by law without first ensuring that our entities are also in compliance,” Mr. Roberts said.

“People need to understand that accessibility to persons with disabilities is just as important as it is to persons without a disability. We want to be able to go about your day-to-day business without any obstacles in our way.

“What makes us disabled is the built environment, the barriers in front of us. If you remove those barriers, then we can do many of the same things persons without disabilities can do, and sometimes better. So this is what we are about. We are trying to make The Bahamas a place for all persons (and) where it will be comfortable for persons with disabilities to be able to manoeuvre through buildings and other spaces with the same ease and comfort expected by everyone else.”

The inspection team conducted assessments of wheelchair ramps, bathrooms, office spaces, and parking and reception areas, and measured doorway and hallway widths, in addition to other spaces to ensure that the requirements as set out in the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities) Act, 2014, are met.

Mr. Ellis, who spent 34 years as a member of the Royal Bahamas Police Force before retiring as a Senior Police Officer and who brings that same knowledge of the law to his new role, said the inspections help to ensure that the community of persons with disabilities enjoy the same rights to accessibility as any other citizen.

“Persons with disabilities, including those in wheelchairs, persons with walkers, crutches and those who use other assistive devices such as canes, should be able to move around just like everyone else,” Mr. Ellis said.

“We were looking to make sure that there were accessible bathrooms for both males and females, to ensure that there are proper ramps and that the ramps are the proper sizes, to ensure that all of the offices are accessible and all of the other areas are accessible for persons with disabilities.

“The Act says whatever we, as able bodied persons can do, a person with a disability should be permitted or allowed to do the same without any hindrance. Our job is to ensure that these facilities are in compliance with the Act.”

Once inspections are completed, Adjustment Orders are sent to those facilities/businesses found not to be in compliance with the Act, advising them of any faults, and providing a time-frame for compliance.

 

(BIS Photos/Anthon Thompson)

Release: Bahamas Information Services

 

PHOTO CAPTIONS

 

Header:  – ZNS/BCB

Left to right:

1:  G. Michael Ellis – Sr. Inspector (NCPD)
2:  Thorne Clarke – Inspector (NCPD)
3:  Townsley Roberts – Deputy Executive Secretary (NCPD)
4:  Wesley Paul – Inspector (NCPD)
5:  Carlton Smith – Chief Security Officer (BCB)

Insert:  – BIS
Left to right:

1:  Elcott Coleby – Director General (BIS)
2:  Wesley Paul – Inspector (NCPD)
3:  Townsley Roberts – Deputy Executive Secretary (NCPD)
4:  Carlton Smith – Chief Security Officer (BCB)
5:  Thorne Clarke – Inspector (NCPD)
6:  G. Michael Ellis – Sr. Inspector (NCPD)

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Crime

Shooting Incident

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***MEDIA RELEASE***

 

July 23rd, 2024.

 

Around 10:59 am, the Police Control Room received a call of gunshots at a location along the Millennium Highway, Providenciales.

Officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force were dispatched and, based on preliminary investigations, were told that the occupant (s) of a red Suzuki Swift was at a business place when another car pulled alongside it, and the occupants started shooting.

The driver of the Swift drove off while the other unidentified vehicle sped off in a separate direction. 

Officers found the Swift abandoned near Miracle Close, Blue Hills, shortly after.

Based on investigations, no injuries were reported.

This remains an active investigation.

The RT&CIPF is asking anyone with information or CCTV footage of the shooting that may assist the police with enquiries to contact 911, the closest police station, the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 and anonymously give any information.

Additionally, persons are being asked to download the Crime Stoppers P3 app.

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