May 10th 2017, was first thought to be a disaster to the PLP with a 35 to 4 defeat at polls. Two years later, the defeat has turned into a blessing. A blessing because it has allowed the PLP to regenerate, and return to its core values, that is, being the party that defends the least of these amount us. The party of the ordinary man. The party that believes in the Bahamian people.
Today begins a four-part series of reporting on the government ministers since their election to office, and MP’s where applicable.
Renward Wells, Minister of Transport and Aviation. Leader of government business in the House of Assembly, Wells has turned out to be a major disappointment. He has brought no value to the table of ideas as a minister. As leader of government business in the house, he is clumsy. As for his general grooming ( rough dry) it leaves a lot to be desired. He would do well to have a word with our friend Kelly Burrows on proper dress code. Burrows has found it necessary to rebuke MP’s on grooming standards publicly. A recent photo taken with Wells and the Prime Minister shows him in a most unflattering groveling position, that tells us, who he is. This man is happy to hava a job. His grade is C-.
Picewell Forbes, leader of opposition business in the House of Assembly, and Member of Parliament for South Andros. As a senior member of the House of Assembly, given the opportunity of a lifetime to distinguish himself, he has given lackluster performances so far. He can do better. He also is just making the grade. His grade C-.
Minister of Education, Jeffrey Lloyd, as a radio talk show host, and a lawyer in the run-up to the 2017 general elections, Lloyd had all the answers that plague the public service, and the youth of our nation. On day one, as Minister of Education, he started off wrong with wholesale firings of minimum wage workers in the school system . He then became embroiled in a no bid school renovation contract with a controversial contractor, the result of the contract still unknown to the public. Minister Lloyd should have improved upon the template his forward-thinking predecessor, Jerome Fitzgerald left in place but instead, he wasted precious time reinventing the wheel. Two years later, the good Minister has run out of steam and seems to be out of gas. Politics has not turned out to be his cup of tea. It now appears that he is only trying to make it across the finish line, and and finish his term as Minister, and be done with politics. Politics seems to have bested him. In Grand Bahama, and other Islands, not one school hasbeing completed after two years. As Minister, he has been photographed napping on more than one occasion. As for free tertiary education, fees will be increased at UB in the Fall. Under his leadership, education has not improved. His dogmatic personality has caused his ministry to digress, Lloyd’s grade D.
Darren Henfield, Minister of Foreign Affairs. This ministry has amongst its cadre, some of the most competent and well-trained staff in the public service. It takes years to develop these skill sets as Foreign Service professionals, and as civil servants. They serve the government of the day. So, all that is required of this minister, is sound judgement on the advice he receives from these specialized technocrats. The clumsy handling of the hurricane relief to Dominica demonstrated poor judgment. This was his first failed the test. The scapegoating of Permanent Secretary, Rhoda Jackson, was unfortunate, underutilizing her talents, throwing her under the bus demonstrated weak leadership, on his part. The OAS vote onVenezuela again demonstrated poor judgment. Finally, shrinking in the face of adversity by refusing to stand up and warn Bahamians traveling to South Florida of the potential of hate crimes after the attack of Harold Williams in Pembroke Pines, Florida, is another demonstration of his lack of courage. The passport office seemed to have fallen into chaos, with no end in sight. Hendfield, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, has not been very effective. So for these reasons, he receives grade D-.
Minister of Social Services and Sports, Lanisha Rolle, she is also known as, stand when I enter the room Rolle.
Simply put, Minister Rolle should never have been appointed a minister, in any government. Her role, as Social Services Minister, was a disaster: it appears she lacks the milk of human kindness, and is no friend to the poor. Simply put, she lacks the requisite skills to be any minister of government at all. She dresses well. That being said, it would be unfair to grade her. No grade.
