NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Opposition leader Michael Pintard yesterday asserted that Works Minister Alfred Sears should resign or be fired by Prime Minister Philip Davis, arguing that he has lost the moral authority to oversee his ministerial portfolio.
What is worrisome is that today he is still in that job. He has lost the moral authority to oversee the government affairs in the ministry with responsibility for works,” Pintard told Eyewitness News in an interview.
“Added to the BPL situation, he now has the burden of trying to explain to the public, his and his colleagues’ failure in Water and Sewerage and the problems he is having with road works.”
During a press conference on Thursday, Sears again admitted that he had received details of Bahamas Power and Light’s (BPL) fuel hedge program back in October 2021, noting however that Financial Secretary Simon Wilson had rejected the company’s request to execute the hedge trades. The hedge trades were intended to secure BPL extra fuel volumes below market prices, as global oil prices were beginning to rise.
Pintard has repeatedly blamed the Davis administration for rejecting the proposals which he said could have saved the Bahamian people some $100 million.
“He had an opportunity since this matter was raised months ago to do the research. At the end of last year he said on the record when being interviewed by the media that the hedge program was a significant matter that the new board would have to turn its attention to and evaluate,” Pintard said.
“What is the possibility that a competent policymaker, having said that, would appoint a board and that board not go and look at the signature program for that particular department he was overseeing? Unfortunately, every time he speaks he digs a deeper hole for himself and this administration.”
Pintard added: “The prime minister now has to explain to the public why a minister who has on at least eight separate occasions denied receiving a briefing in person, any documentation on the hedging and then have to come on two separate occasions and admit that he received information.
“We can definitely say that he received it verbally, in a binder, and electronically. The possibility of him having forgotten that is slim to none. Even if he forgot then that means he has an additional problem, either one of which disqualifies him from holding that significant position. Either he has a phenomenal memory problem or he made a bad decision.”
Pintard said the Davis administration could have admitted from the onset that it had rejected the fuel hedge recommendations.
“This is not an issue of a bad decision by the prime minister and minister of works,” he said.
“It is their decision to cover it up. They could have admitted that they got it but did not accept the recommendations… by not doing it would cost the Bahamian people $100 million plus.
“What they sought to do was to cover a bad judgment by denying they ever knew there was a real chance of them saving the Bahamian people over $100 million. It speaks to their credibility. He should resign forthwith or the prime minister should fire him. The prime minister also has to explain why a sitting minister would identify him as having seen the recommendations and rejected it himself,” said Pintard.
