Former Minister of Agriculture and Marine resources, V. Alfred Gray has accused members of the Free National Movement (FNM) of speaking with a duplicitous tongue by allowing Transport and Local Government Minister Frankie Campbell to have possession of two passports.
After the recent disclosure he made on Darold Miller Live Show earlier this year, Mr. Campbell proudly informed Mr. Miller that he has two passports.
Since Mr. Campbell said that his mother came to the Bahamas from Haiti illegally, Mr. Gray claims that under the Haitian Constitution any child born to a Haitian national anywhere, is a Haitian.
Amidst comments circulating on this matter, Mr. Campbell affirmed that he has never pledged allegiance to any country other than the Bahamas, which he stated in The House of Assembly this week. He held up in his hands for parliamentarians two Bahamian passports; a red diplomatic passport and a regular blue passport.
However, Mr. Gray was not content with Mr. Campbell’s statement. On Love97’s Issues of the Day yesterday, Mr. Gray explained his stance and the hypocrisy of the present FNM administration, suggesting that Mr. Campbell is also a Haitian.
He said,“the same FNM government marched, kicked up a breeze, pranced up and down when they thought that Ryan Pinder had two passports.
“They demanded that he relinquish one, in order to run and become a Cabinet Minister; they demanded that.”
Mr. Gray continued, “When Ryan Pinder was about to run, they (FNM) raised eternal hell that he was an American and the American Embassy had to make a statement to say that he had to renounce his American citizenship in order to work in the government in The Bahamas.”
Mr. Gray challenges the FNM to say that they indeed did not object to Mr. Pinder running, because he obtained American citizenship, as well as, being in possession of a Bahamian Passport.
“If it’s good for the goose, it’s got to be good for the gander” Mr. Gray emphatically said on Issues of the Day.
Mr. Gray feels that allowing one Cabinet Minister to be in possession of two passports but not allowing another Cabinet Minister from the former PLP administration to have two, the message that is being sent to Bahamian Citizens is convoluted.
He said, “what messages are we sending to the Bahamian People. It’s good for some, but it’s not good for others. All I’m saying is don’t be hypocritical.
“Why do we have double standards, causing our people to be confused and maybe in the end of the day, talk foolishness?”
Mr. Campbell has not broken any Bahamian laws and is openly proud of his Haitian heritage.
