Members of the Free National Movement (FNM) on Wednesday claimed that the lights were cut off to all public schools in Grand Bahama after the government allegedly did not pay the bills.

According to a press statement issued by FNM Member of Parliament for Central Grand Bahama and Shadow Minister of Public Works Neko Grant the government-run school on that island are now all in darkness.

“Despite all their slick and fancy talk about a streamlined process and consolidation of balances to improve efficiency in the 2014/2015 national budget, this administration still can’t do something as simple as pay the light bills so that the electricity stays on in the Grand Bahama schools,” he said.

“The people of Grand Bahama deserve more and they deserve better.”

Mr. Grant also lashed out at Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Perry Christie over the matter.

“The Christie government has consistently proven themselves to be incapable of doing basic administrative functions. It is no wonder that large scale projects they brag about cannot get off the ground in any meaningful way,” he said.

A Free National Movement parliamentary team in Grand Bahama reported to the party that power was disconnected at all government schools.

The team said that the disconnection is to be blamed on non-payment and called the fiasco “an absolute disgrace.”
Journal reporters were able to speak with National Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Bradley Roberts who said up to that time he had not heard anything of the incident.

“I just spoke with someone from Grand Bahama and they did not say anything to me,” he said.

Numerous calls were also made to Member of Parliament for West Grand Bahama and Bimini Obie Wilchcombe, Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald, the Director of Education Lionel Sands, the Bahamas Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson, including several schools in Grand Bahama and the Grand Bahama Power Company; none of whom were available to make comment.