The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday accused the Minnis administration of an “apparent wholesale witch hunt” while suggesting the government has victimised workers as he raised speculation that National Training Agency Director Agatha Marcelle is to be let go from her post.

However, when The Tribune contacted the National Training Agency (NTA) yesterday, this newspaper was told that Ms Marcelle’s contract has ended, but she was still carrying out her duties until she is given further direction.

Ms Marcelle could not be contacted yesterday, but an official at the NTA said she was in a board meeting when The Tribune called.

Ms Marcelle, a former South Beach MP, was appointed NTA’s director in 2013, the same year the agency was officially launched.

Mr Davis said if she is released from the NTA, it would be “egregious” as he pointed to the talent, skill and contribution Ms Marcelle has made to the public sector.

He questioned when the people’s time would begin under this new Free National Movement (FNM) led government, adding that nearly one month into its term in office, the new administration had shown it was only interested in a certain segment of Bahamians.

“It’s the people’s time” was the slogan on which the FNM campaigned and ultimately dealt a crippling defeat to the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).

“If so it will be an egregious act I perceive, because she is a talented person who has led the agency from its inception,” Mr Davis told reporters yesterday following the morning session of day two of the budget debate. “She would have institutional knowledge. She has done such a wonderful job there and it would be quite a shame that this government will rob the institution of such a talent.

“They say ‘it’s the people’s time’ and I want to know when it will be the people’s time. Their few days and weeks in office has not demonstrated to me that it is the people’s time and it is clear, particularly in reviewing this budget, that there are only a certain group of people, a certain segment of people that they seem to be interested in.”

He continued: “You cannot be talking about relieving people of their jobs. When people are working it means that there is something for them to do and why would you want to stop that person from doing what they have to do? So if you’re going to let them go and then bring someone else in it’s not a good precedent to be set.

“I could tell you we attempted to embrace everyone that we met on the job when we came in in 2012. This apparent wholesale witch hunting will have to stop at some point in time. People at the end of the day will have to speak more forcefully and ground themselves together to protest against these dastardly acts.”