by Adrian Gibson

First published in the The Tribune under the byline, Young Man's View, here…

As a person, I’ve come to like Renward Wells over the years. I know his dad (a Long Island man) and he’s “good people!” However, the government has found itself in an embarrassing quandary since Mr Wells signed a letter of intent with Stellar Waste – relative to waste to energy – without having the actual authority to do so. This week, it was reported that the Prime Minister had requested Wells’ resignation, but that was followed by Deputy Prime Minister Brave Davis’ commentary that they entire undertaking had to be further reviewed. And so, Mr Christie has now said that his government will provide answers on the controversy surrounding a letter of intent for a $650 million facility in due course.

So, what is due course?

If Mr Wells did not sign the letter of intent on his own, under whose instructions did he sign it?

What is the reason for the Prime Minister’s about face in the wake of the DPM’s comments? Why has the government or Mr Wells not provided an explanation as to what happened?

Has the Cabinet now disregarded all semblance of collective responsibility and are there persons within the government now making things up on the fly?

Does Renward Wells have any important information which, if he’s disgraced, could be exposed? Is Wells being asked to fall on his sword, to take one for the team only to later be rewarded for his pain?

The fact that the government could enter into two mutually exclusive contracts – each for hundreds of millions – suggests that something clandestine and, possibly illegal, is afoot. In the interest of the reputational integrity of our jurisdiction, I call upon the government to provide a thorough report to the Bahamian people as to what happened. We should not have to hold our breaths for an explanation.

As I said earlier, Renward Wells is a likeable, country-first kind of chap. However, if it is that something untoward happened, I challenge him to do what is ethically appropriate and in the best interest of the country. That said, if he has done nothing wrong or on his own volition, and that can be proven, then he should carry-on smartly … however, someone has to answer for what has happened.