by Adrian Gibson

First published in The Tribune on Friday, February 9, 2007 under the byline, Young Man’s View.

IT WOULD be a shame if the PLP once again denies CB Moss, Senate Vice-President and pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church (in Bain Town), the nomination as the party’s candidate to contest the Bain and Grants Town seat in the upcoming general elections.

In 1997, Mr Moss offered himself as the PLP’s candidate for Bain Town, however, he suffered a crushing defeat to the FNM’s Gregory Williams, who had represented the constituency since 1992.

According to political insiders, Dr Bernard Nottage’s return to the PLP has once again hampered Mr Moss’s chances of receiving his party’s nod to run.

In 2002, CB Moss was promised that he would have been his party’s candidate for the Bain and Grant’s Town constituency, particularly since the FNM had reduced the House seats to 40 and had thereby combined Bain and Grant’s Town. Current MP Bradley Roberts was also expected to bow out of frontline politics. This was not to be, as Mr Roberts ran again and retained his seat!

After Bradley Roberts’ win, it was reported that the Works and Utilities minister had promised Mr Moss that he would retire from politics after serving half a term, thereby opening the door for Mr Moss to run for the seat in a bye-election. Again, Mr Moss was duped as Mr Roberts did not step aside as promised!

In 2005, Mr Moss wrote an open letter to residents in the aforementioned constituency and asserted that Mr Roberts had broken his word. In his defence, Roberts stated that Prime Minister Perry Christie had invited him to continue on in his Cabinet as the PM felt that he was a significant part of the government in view of the scale of work that needed to be completed during the PLP’s first term.

This was the second broken promise that Mr Moss suffered at the hands of the party that he remains loyal to.

Following Mr Christie’s announcement of the March 12 closure of the old register, where he asserted that no new seats will be created, Mr Moss was again thrust into the spotlight as questions about whether he would be the party’s nominee, considering the speculation about Dr Nottage’s probable nomination for that district, were plentiful.

According to news reports, Dr Nottage is being strongly considered as the PLP’s candidate for Bain and Grant’s Town.

Again it appears that PLP loyalist CB Moss may be hoodwinked by his party.

Although there has been suggestions that Senate President Sharon Wilson would step down and that a new Ministry of Religion was being formed as compensation if Mr Moss again steps aside, CB Moss has been adamant about his desire to run in the upcoming elections—and rightly so! Mr Moss has said that he is waiting for his party to abide by their oath.

A few years ago, as a history student at the College of the Bahamas, I was invited by my lecturer—Chris Curry—to assist with organizing and creating a database of files that were related to the campaign to save Clifton. I met a newly slimmed down Mr Moss at his church office, where my lecturer and I offered volunteer service as we both believed in his cause. At the office, I was also able to observe Mr Moss’s interaction with his would-be constituents and witnessed his passion for social and environmental issues.

So, if CB Moss is once again betrayed, how can he ever trust his party? Having given 42 years of unbroken service to the PLP, shouldn’t Mr Moss be more deserving of a nomination than Dr Nottage who recently returned to the PLP after a five-year hiatus where he led his own party, the CDR?

When Dr Nottage became disenchanted with the PLP and felt he was treated unfairly after Perry Christie’s ascension to the leadership, he left! It’s clear that even though CB Moss has been betrayed by his party twice already, he has remained a member.

Shouldn’t his loyalty be rewarded?

Recently, certain members of the PLP made a racket about the FNM’s refusal to nominate lawyer Ramona Farquharson for the Kennedy constituency, claiming that it was the iniquitous work of party leader Hubert Ingraham.

Because these persons made such an uproar in the newspapers and on the airwaves, I now ask: what would be the difference between Mr Ingraham’s alleged denial of the FNM nomination to Ramona Farquharson and the PLP’s constant betrayal and blatant denial of their nomination to longtime Bain Town campaigner CB Moss?

The irony is that these fellas have got the nerve to shout from the hilltops that Hubert Ingraham is stifling candidates!

From all indications, CB Moss is a good PLP. However, should he not be nominated, he should run as an independent.

The apparent victimization of Reginald Ferguson

Since the Nassau Flight Services (NFS) fiasco, where five baggage handlers were purportedly lured to the US and brought up on charges of allegedly smuggling drugs onboard US-bound airlines from the Lynden Pindling International Airport, the government has had egg on its face.

Several political entities have since called for the government to disclose the circumstances surrounding the suspected entrapment of these men, for crimes allegedly committed in the Bahamas.

It has been suggested that the events surrounding this operation were a contravention of Bahamian law.

Following the arrests, the only person to admit knowledge of the arrests was Assistant Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson, while the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Attorney General and Minister of National Security have all denied knowing of the joint US/Bahamas operation.

There is something awfully strange about this, particularly since the Commissioner of Police reports to the PM and the Minister of National Security at least once per week.

It now appears that the so-called restructuring of the Police Force is a means by which to scapegoat ACP Ferguson, placing all blame at his feet and apparently demoting him to head the Police College.

To add fuel to the flame, ACP Ferguson is also the brother of FNM South Eleuthera candidate Johnley Ferguson.

Indeed, Mr Ferguson’s transfer does come at an auspicious time and from the looks of things, its becoming abundantly clear that, “new” PLP or not, old habits die hard!