Hubert Ingraham and this Conflict with FES Construction Company

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Former MP and Ambassador, Philip Smith.

A letter to the EDITOR

6th October 2011
The Editor,
NASSAU

Dear Editor:

FES Construction Company Limited awarded contract to construct Marsh Harbour Airport Terminal
The question is legitimately asked: What is it about FES Construction Company which will have caused the FNM Government to award so many multi-million dollar contracts to the company during the past four years even while cancelling a legally awarded contract to build a school in Freeport and instead awarding a contract for millions of dollars to FES Construction to build the ‘Sister Mary Patricia’ extension to the St. George’s High School in Freeport?

It should be noted that, as with the New Providence Straw Market building contract which the FNM Government also cancelled and was successfully sued for multi-million dollars, the government is being sued for the cancellation of the ‘Heritage School’ contract. This cancellation will probably cost the taxpayer some hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in payment for the FNM government’s rash action as the reckless action in the Straw Market cancellation is to cost the taxpayer a few million dollars.

A few weeks ago, on 2nd September 2011, the FNM Government signed a $27.3million contract with FES Construction to build a terminal at Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

FES Construction is presently still building the Government Administration Building on the Mall in Freeport which was originally a $19million contract awarded them by the FNM government and which is apparently going to end up costing around $23million dollars when it is finished. FES Construction was awarded the more than $1million contract to repair the Hugh Campbell Primary School. FES Construction was awarded the $6.67million contract by the FNM government for the Sir Jack Hayward High School. (Information on these contracts comes from the FES Construction website).

FES Construction is likely to be awarded another multimillion dollar contract to add to the St. George’s School again. There were many millions of dollars in contracts between the Government and Mr. McIntosh’s construction company during the period 1992 and 2002. There is no suggestion that Mr. McIntosh is not entitled to bid for and to receive legitimate construction contracts from the government.

What is questionable about this is that the principal of FES Construction is a personal friend of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and has been so for many decades. Rumours abounded during the 1970’s and 1980’s, that Mr. Ingraham was an investor in businesses with Mr. McIntosh. There is no attempt to offer proof that there is anything legally untoward between these many multimillion dollar contacts- totalling much more than $50million over the past four years alone- from the FNM government to FES Construction and the relationship between the President of FES Construction, Mr. Fletcher McIntosh, and the extant Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham.

But, maybe the FNM and Mr. Ingraham will explain away the apparent foul odour emanating from this relationship since they have been so kind as to point out personal friendships between a former Prime Minister and a contractor for a government contract for under $6million dollars and to suggest that it was improper.

The Prime Minister and his FNM minions cannot suggest that this relationship between Fletcher McIntosh, FES Construction, Hubert Ingraham and the FNM government is all above aboard while others involving people who are not FNM supporters or friends of Prime Minister Ingraham were not.
For what it is worth.

Yours sincerely,

Philip P. Smith
philippssmith@gmail.com

6 COMMENTS

  1. So true “questions” The Bahamas has always been about “payola” ie. Kick backs.
    Where do we think the balance of the 27million will go?
    Look also at the per square foot cost of the new straw market.

  2. The sorry double standard of this outgoing Prime Minister.

    I’ve come to learn, when you hear people speak about their credibility. take a second look at them.
    oftentimes, they are void of any credibility but we drop our guard and accept them because they continuosly speak highly of themselves in this regard.

  3. Why should the government build a 23million dollar terminal building in Marsh Harbour when Nassau’s airport is being revamped at a cost of almost half a billion? Let’s stick to the legitimate issue here!

  4. BP should it be “JUNGALISS” or “JUNG-A-L–ASS.”
    I heard Jennifer’s statement to the media, and I agree BP it was ASININE!

    I also wondered, where in the world these knuckleheads are going, when most people are at work.

    It is sad to see a few ignorant people can be lead down a slippery slope to hell. This is the perfect case of, the blind, leading the blind.

    The good they should draw from their march is, people are tired wasting energy in the hot sun, and have made up their minds to exercise their power on Election Day.

  5. This letter is asking the legitimate questions. We all must question the cost of the Marsh Harbour Terminal, 27Million is far to much for the building they are proposing, that building should cost no more than 3Million. Also was it not Ingrahams own position that NO contractor will have simultanous building contracts with government. We also have to question the cost of building a classroom, a room that contains nothing, nothing but a few outlets and light fixtures, but the government is awarding contracts to building classrooms at well over $150 a square foot. This will never happen in the private sector. We need to wake up because “WE” are paying for this. No wonder the country is broke.

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