The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

OMAR Archer claimed yesterday he has been offered a high ranking job at the Bahamas Agricultural & Industrial Corporation.

His comment follows rampant social media chatter and some criticism in recent days.

He said he expects to be made either director of security or director of facilities, though he has not officially ascended to either position. He declined to say if he has a letter assuring him of such an appointment. His claim was nonetheless corroborated to The Tribune by people familiar with the matter.

This newspaper was unable to discuss the issue with BAIC Chairman Michael Foulkes, however, despite multiple WhatsApp messages and repeated attempts to reach him by phone up to press time yesterday. In one response around noon, he said he was in an executive team meeting.

“Persons are saying I am a convicted criminal,” Mr Archer told The Tribune. “Yes I got a conviction prior to the election on threats of harm. The conviction is now before the appeals court. We’re waiting on a date. I am confident that I will be relieved of this burden.”

Mr Archer said he feels qualified for whichever position he gets and dismissed speculation that such an appointment would be payback for his support of the Free National Movement (FNM) during last year’s election.

“I’m literally in the process of making preparations to pursue an LLB,” he said. “Qualifications are not a matter of question for me. Persons hate to see individuals excel to certain levels and are jealous of your success. I find even some persons I assisted and campaigned for are using means through other people on social media to discredit me. I believe that individuals are indeed entitled to their own opinions. What they are not entitled to are their own facts. The fact is I have made my worthy contribution to nation building and this country and to Bahamian people in general and time has come that I reap the benefits.”

Mr Archer said he learned about vacancies at BAIC and forwarded his resume to the human resources department.

“It was reviewed and I am where I am today,” he said. “People think it is because of political means. I will be the first to say no it is not. I am not just deserving of it, I am qualified for it.”

Under the Minnis administration, numerous people have been fired from BAIC so it was not public knowledge the corporation is trying to fill vacancies.

It is not clear whether either the director of facilities or director of security positions was advertised to other potentially qualified applicants.

Once a member of now defunct third party Bahamas Democratic Movement, Mr Archer has also been a supporter of the Progressive Liberal Party in the past.

A self-styled activist, Mr Archer backed Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and the Free National Movement during last year’s election cycle. Among other things, he is known for making controversial allegations through social media.

He was convicted last year of threatening to harm a senior police officer through a post to his social media page nearly three years ago. An appeal of that matter is pending at the Court of Appeal.

In the face of questions relating to intentional libel allegations in 2015, he jumped out of a second storey window at the South Street Court Complex and broke his legs in the fall. He was at the court for an unrelated matter at the time.

Last year he was also convicted and sentenced to 21 days in prison by a Supreme Court judge for contemptuous remarks he had previously made about former Labour Minister Shane Gibson. His sentence, however, was suspended for 21 days on the condition he donate $15,000 to the Cancer Society of the Bahamas and another $6,000 to the Bahamas Red Cross.