Clifton Commentary ( Kms-4)

7/29/2019 Clifton Commentary ( Kms-4)

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CLIFTON COMMENTARY

By Keod Smith

Awaken a People and they remain aware!!

In their awareness they arrive at a bright new voluminous consciousness which

makes for a new vibrancy and creative civic mindset.

Sometime in 1989 the Lynden Pindling PLP Government acquired a 208 acre

tract of land known as Clifton from its private owners, Lady Nancy Oakes, and

Nassoak Company Limited with a view to using this property to move the

Container Port from down town Nassau.

Hardly an eyebrow was raised and it would appear that the Bahamian people

were for the most part, totally ignorant as to the precious cultural and national

jewel that this property would soon be revealed to be.

The Pindling Government left office in 1992 never having paid for the land even

though under the Acquisition of Land Act, 1913; the property was vested in the

Treasurer of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and its true owner only entitled

to its money value in compensation.

Sometime in late 1998 several land developers, led by Chaffin/Light Associates

and a company owned by the Bechtel Family of the USA, entered the picture

under the new FNM Administration led by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham with

a view of developing Clifton, a former slave plantation, into a $400-million gated

community of 600 upscale residences for wealthy foreigners.

What initially incensed the Bahamian people was the idea that Jaws Beach was

now going to become inaccessible to us. With that, coupled with having suffered

through government policies that gave certain public beach rights at Sandy Port

away and a proposed development to close Goodmans Bay to the public by

allowing another resort to be built there, unprecedented public indignation was

at the ready to explode.


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The FNM Government in wanting to curb these concerns and give Chaffin/Light

Associates the green light for its development, brought in eminent US

archaeologists to evaluate the property at Clifton in hopes that their report

would substantiate an EIA already submitted by Chaffin/Light Associates, which

basically ignored what these other scholars were about to reveal.

Suddenly, the Bahamian people awoke to the reality that the property at Clifton

was more than qualified to be a World Heritage Site under UNESCO and may be

the last and only property with artifacts dating back a 1,000 years evidencing

the existence of the Lucayan civilization of the pre-Colombian era, the African

Slave Trade and the arrival and settlement of the English Loyalists, fleeing the

American Revolutionary War.

Awaken and now aware, the Bahamian people took a stand.

It was when I attended a Town Meeting at St. Pauls Catholic Church, Lyford

Cay, sponsored by Chaffin/Light Associates and the then Government, I became

even the more incensed that the Government had taken the view that the deal to

sell the property to Chaffin/Light Associates was a done deal. They were just

taking the Bahamian people through motions, content on grandstanding to give

the appearance of wanting to hear the views of the Bahamian people. Fact was,

only a miracle from on High could get Hubert Ingraham to change his mind.

For me, that miracle came in the form of Vivian Whylly, a childhood friend, when

he got to the open microphone that evening and talked about his direct slave

ancestral connection to Clifton and the fact that the pain and the sacrifice that

his African ancestors would have borne on the William Whylly Plantation along

with the fact that they were buried on that property, demanded protection and

preservation.

Mystically, this sparked a level of passion in me that was so deep-rooted, that I

felt something come over me at that very moment that this was a part of my

calling. I was driven by this to join the growing chorus of protest and civil

disobedience to get the Government to listen, fall in line and change their minds

about destroying this unique historical, cultural and spiritual preserve lust for

the sake of money-hungry investors who had come to simply rape and plunder.


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Now, Clifton is in the international spotlight again. Hedge Fund International

Banker Louis Bacon, said to be a resident of the Bahamas at Lyford Cay, was

recently awarded the Audubon Medal, a prestigious honour for his efforts in the

USA on environmental issues and, as reported, for a claim that he led the

campaign to Save Clifton.

Mr. Bacons high honour is endorsed by our Prime Minister Perry Christie who,

in a recent news release, certifies Mr. Bacons lead claim about his

involvement to Save Clifton.

It is not my intention to inquire into the decision of the Audubon Society, an

organization of high and decent international repute. Rather, I am satisfied and

delighted that such an entity would recognize the importance of Clifton and its

distinction as a World Heritage Site.

In recognizing Mr. Bacon, and in reviewing Mr. Bacons own printed comments,

once again the Bahamian People can draw sustenance and pride from the fact

that we were correct and honourable in challenging the FNM Governments

decision; which would have destroyed what may be the most precious and most

valuable piece of real estate in our country with far reaching cultural

implications which date to the period of the Lucayans before Christopher

Columbus ever set sail from Genoa, Italy on his discovery voyage in 1492.

What is troubling for me, is that our Prime Minister, in communicating with the

Audubon Society missed a great opportunity to salute the Bahamian people as a

whole, who responded to the call from the spirit of our ancestors, to stop the

intended desecration of this wonderfully preserved place that was not only

unique archeologically and anthropologically, but also environmentally.

This is not the occasion to get into a debate on what Mr. Bacon did or did not do

in assisting from behind the scenes in saving Clifton. Rather, what I am

submitting is that for generations of Bahamians yet unborn, for whom Clifton has

been preserved; it cannot be right for a Prime Minister, who knows the facts, to

be on international record ignoring the struggle of his own countrymen and the

men and women of his own political party, in what we as a people did

collectively to Save Clifton.


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By the time that Mr. Christie and the party which I support went to the beach at

Clifton in March 2000 to declare its abhorrence with what the FNM Government

was doing, Nassau had long before been ablaze with vigorous and spirited

protest in the form of petitions, letters to the editor, protestations from the

pulpits, debates on radio talk shows, in barber shops, in beauty salons, onbasketball courts, at domino tables, and under the sprawling canopies of the

guinep, mango and dilly trees over-the-hill in the backyards of our people. The

entire island gyrated to the honk your horn to Save Clifton.

Before Mr. Christies pronouncement, the campaign had intensified with bigger

demonstrations attended by a wider cross-section of people who participated in

one of the largest motorcades ever seen on this island. The fight had gone

international, in a call-to-arms from our African American brothers and sisters,

who, through the coordination of local businessman Mr. Al Collie and Mr. Jerry

Lopes of famed American Urban Radio Network, international personalities like

the Rev. Jesse Jackson of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Bev Smith a former BET

Talk Show Host and Prince Immanuel Ben Yehuda of the African Hebrew

Israelites of Jerusalem, aggressively drummed up major support in the USA

against the proposed development at Clifton amongst leading Black and White

US leaders and businessmen. They gave effect to taking the fight to the door

step of the Bechtel Family and Chaffin/Light Associates.

It was only after all of this, and persistent internal lobby by those of us who had

that inner track, that Mr. Christie, on the beach of Clifton, vowed that when the

PLP was returned to the seat of Government in then approaching 2002 general

elections, any building approvals, permits issued by the Government will be

revoked and all construction immediately terminated.

So, how can he reasonably expect us to accept that the grandsons and

granddaughters of these African slaves who had endured significant trials and

tribulations over generations of subjugation by the evils brought to these shoreswith the landfall of Columbus, had to be led by Mr. Bacon to protect and

preserve Clifton? Whether Mr. Christie realizes it or not, by distinguishing and

isolating his praise solely to Mr. Bacon, this is in effect what he has done. Of

course, the condemnation for this cannot be placed at Mr. Bacon door step, but it


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would appear that this posture of Mr. Christie might have emboldened Mr. Bacon

to point that he feels he can claim that he led the Save Clifton struggle.

Environmentalist like Ms. Sam Ducombe and her Re-Earth organization, Rev. Dr.

C. B. Moss an inner city religious leader and social activist, the late COBLecturer Dr. Thaddeus McDonald, the late celebrated Bahamian Playwright and

Author Ms. Telcine Turner-Rolle, internationally renowned religious leader and

preacher Bishop Neil C. Ellis, entertainer Freddie Munnings Junior, Ambassador

Hon. Witman McKinney and his brethren of the Ethiopian African Black

International Congress of The Bahamas, social activists Rodney Moncur and Celi

Moss, and many others were supporting and facing down an FNM Government

that was stubborn and vehement that the Chaffin/Light development deal will go

through.

The Bahamian leaders of the struggle to Save Clifton had raised the attention of

the world. Major international newspapers and Cable TV were reporting on the

dispute.

Our grassroots movement found yet another gear, when, following a ruling of

Chief Justice Dame Joan Sawyer that the land belongs to Nancy Oakes (daughter

of famed Sir Harry Oakes)as the Government had not yet paid for its acquisition

of it, in May 2000, Mr. Ingraham, continuing to be incensed over the national

protest of the people, like Pilot, he chose to wash his hands and to go to

Parliament and have the land transferred back to the Oakes Family. This would

have put it back in the hands of private ownership for the Chaffin/Light deal to

go through, with the FNM Government feigning non culpability.

The Struggle to Save Clifton by then was so national and fundamental in scope

that 13 members of the 40 seat House of Assembly were absent when the

Resolution was passed to return the land to the Oakess.

Legal scholars forming a part of our movement, bounced into action. Exhaustive

studies of the Acquisition of Lands Act was done and it was submitted that

having acquired the land for the purposes under the Act for public usage and the

publics interest, the Government could not return it to its original private

owners, even though at that time, the Government, neither the Pindling

Government or Mr. Ingrahams, had paid the Oakes family for the acquisition.


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When International environmental personality, Mr. Robert Kennedy Junior, son of

the slain US Attorney General Robert Kennedy and nephew of the slain US

President John F. Kennedy came to Nassau in 2001 and said he was moved totears in recognizing the significant importance of Clifton and what doom the

Chaffin/Light development would bring; the Bahamian people, had by then,

solidly entrenched themselves with a line in the sand that the Chaffin/Light

Associates deal would continue to be met with strong resistance that would lead

to it never happening.

The FNM was so hardened in its disrespect of the will of the Bahamian people

that a letter on FNM stationery was sent to the Department of Immigration

asking that Mr. Kennedys visa in The Bahamas be withdrawn.

The Chaffin/Light group used its money and influence to get good press in many

sections of the media and the honourable protest of the Bahamian people was

termed by the Chaffin/Light group as the tyrannical conduct of a minority.

After the PLP was elected the Government in May 2002, the Clifton HeritageClifton HeritageClifton HeritageClifton Heritage

AuthorityAuthorityAuthorityAuthority legislation was tabled in Parliament by Attorney General The Hon.

Alfred Sears. There was no mention by Mr. Christie of a role having been

played by Mr. Bacon.

For Mr. Christie and Mr. Bacon to suddenly now appear on the world stage

endorsing a claim that Mr. Bacon led the Clifton struggle is disingenuous at best

if we are to truthfully adhere to the total meaning of the word led and what it

conjures up to the world.

Great landmark movements around the world, and especially the historic one to

Save Clifton, would have had the financial and moral support of many local and

international persons. We have to be careful in our value system that we dont

confuse financial contributions with a peculiar dispensation that it must follow

that all of the other non-monied bodies present and stirred to action, are just

mere followers because the person with the money is the leader.


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The struggle to save Clifton surely needed more than just funding. But funding

was essential. The struggle to save Clifton required more than any other

consideration - the indomitable will of the people to own up to their legacy and

history, and take a stand that the attraction of jobs for maids and busboys,

gardeners and chauffeurs was a monumental insult to the blood, sweat and tearsof our ancestors and our national identity.

Public pressure eventually forced the Government to release the

Farnsworth/Wilkie Report.

In their conclusion the professors declared that: NO PROPERTY IN THE

BAHAMAS COULD CONTAIN AS MANY EQUALLY SIGNIFICANT PREHISTORIC

AND HISTORIC CULTURAL RESOURCES AS ARE LOCATED AT THE CLIFTON

PROPERTY.

We as a people ought to look to the struggle to Save Clifton as a defining

moment in our history as an Independent Nation. We, the People checkmated a

Government and put it in its rightful place as servants of the people. Our

movement led by Bahamians, personified the adage by the people which was

such a vital achievement for a young nation such as ours.

As a people, we have grown even larger and more sure-footed in the instance of

the key platform for the movement toward nationhood and the realization of

good governance; ...equal political participation.... Yes, even the publicly

unknown Bahamian can make a difference by his commitment and loyalty to what

is righteous and beneficial to us as a nation.

Historical revisionism and inaccurate assumptions and ambiguous claims are

always geared to or result in robbing all of us, whomever, from whatever was

done and achieved. Indeed, today, I submit that the true glory of enjoying Clifton

as a national preserve created by Statute, will be best enjoyed if we appreciate

that we saved Clifton because it was a compelling patriotic duty. Not vain glory.

I am sure Bahamians everywhere are most grateful for the role everyone played

and do not want the spirit of so great a movement to be marred in the

controversy of personality and demagoguery.


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After all, we would all have hoped that after the struggle to save Clifton, Uncle

Tom would be consigned to the annals of literature.

Documents

Clifton Commentary ( Kms-4)