The authority of Ingraham or the power of Minnis…

Dear Editor,

Marco City MP Michael Pintard was re-elected as leader of the Free National Movement (FNM) in a landslide.

My question is, how did he defeat the previous leader and prime minister by such a large margin?

In the recent Free National Movement (FNM) congress and leadership election, we saw the difference between power and authority.

Mr. Michael Pintard has been selected as the leader of the FNM for the next elections in 2021 and he is being challenged by former Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis. Many Bahamian voters are whispering: “Where is he going? He needs to ‘go sit down’!” It’s what our grandmother would say to us when we act silly in front of her.

In stark contrast to Mr. Minnis, another former FNM leader, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Hubert Alexander Ingraham, was also in attendance. He was reportedly greeted with cheers and applause when he arrived at the convention center on Saturday morning, and the hall was filled with excitement. The FNM and most Bahamians knew that whoever Mr. Ingraham supported was “the best person for the job” and that person would win or prevail.

Dr. Minnis must have forgotten the support Mr. Ingraham gave him during the 2017 campaign that led to his becoming leader of the Free National Movement and Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. I was shocked when Dr. Minnis, as Prime Minister, refused Mr. Ingraham’s help during the devastating Hurricane Dorian and the subsequent chaos of death and clean-up support.

I think the then Prime Minister did want to signal to the Bahamian public that the “Ingraham era” was over. But the statement was made to the complete detriment of Dr. Minnis.

A wise writer said, “Those who listen but do not act are like people who look in a mirror and after two minutes walk away. They do not know who they are or what they look like.” (James 1:23)

This FNM conference made FNMs realize the meaning of power* and authority** (the two are not the same).

* Power is seen as something that can be acquired and, in leadership terms, it usually refers to an individual’s knowledge and expertise.

** Power, on the other hand, is considered to be conferred by an organization and is associated with a position rather than an individual.

Many in the FNM are unaware of the authority that Hubert Alexander Ingraham holds. Ingraham has the legal and formal right to issue orders and make decisions. He served three terms as Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. So when a reporter asked the former Prime Minister about Dr. Minnis’ ERA, I understood what Ingraham meant.

I believe Mr. Ingraham had been waiting for the question about Minnis’ era for some time, because he quickly responded with a sarcastic, “Does he have an era?”

sign,

Singapore