Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Fred Mitchell renewed the party’s call for the dismissal of the entire board at Bahamas Power and Light (BPL).

“They are colossal failures. If they do not go, then the minister and ultimately the prime minister must share the shame and the blame for their failures,” Mitchell said yesterday.

He pointed out that PLP Leader Philip Davis delivered the same message to Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis on Monday.

“People are so fed up with this government and the lights going off, that they are being pushed to the brink of social disorder and massive civic protests. The PLP will support these lawful protests if there is no action taken to solve this crisis,” Mitchell said.

“We warn the FNM that this time their clever PR tricks won’t work. Try as they may, this story has nothing to do with the PLP. This is about those who have the superintendence of BPL today: the FNM. 

“Had they followed the plans left in place by the PLP we would not be experiencing these challenges. You don’t have to take our word for it as this assertion is buttressed by the statement from the Chamber of Commerce today.

“Beyond that, if the FNM government had even followed the plan of the Osbourne led BPL board, the problems now being experienced may not now be as excruciating.”

He said, instead, the Free National Movement continues to blame the PLP and try to spin clever stories about who is at fault in this matter. 

“This is not about Leslie Miller or Philip Brave Davis. This is about the abject failures of the Donavan Moxey led board, the poor service by Whitney Heastie, and the hopeless, hapless political leadership of Desmond Bannister and Hubert Minnis,” Mitchell said.

“The Bahamian people see the stewardship of BPL by that FNM crew as an utter failure. They came to office promising to save The Bahamas, but cannot keep the lights on. We are 50 miles away from the richest, most powerful nation in the world and we cannot keep the lights on for 400,000 people. It is a shame and disgrace.

“No matter how the FNM, their surrogates and media friends try to excuse the FNM on the abject failure and mismanagement of BPL by using the worn out and tired line that it’s the PLP’s fault, the BPL crisis is not about the PLP or Leslie Miller, but about the prime minister who messed up badly and BPL is near collapse, creating the current crisis.”

According to the PLP chairman, the current Minnis administration’s contrived plan is to blame for this current energy crisis and the prime minister and his government must be held accountable for his poor decisions.

“Deflections and political bluster will not absolve the FNM of culpability, responsibility and accountability for this latest fabricated and redundant energy crisis,” Mitchell said.