Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis will temporarily serve as Minister of Health, Cabinet Office announced yesterday in a terse press statement.
The revelation of who will succeed Dr Duane Sands as health minister came much later in the day than expected. It was not until late in the evening following a lengthy cabinet session that the Cabinet Office released two sentences on the matter.
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After announcing his acceptance of Dr Sands’ resignation letter on Monday, Dr Minnis said he would “make a further statement on this matter (on Tuesday), including on who will serve as Minister of Health.”
However, outside of the announcement about the new health minister, there was no other comment about the controversy that led to Dr Sands’ ouster from Cabinet.
Dr Minnis served as health minister in the last Ingraham administration from 2007 to 2012.
Dr Sands laid low yesterday and did not answer The Tribune’s calls. However, on his Facebook page he posted a five-minute video featuring film and photographs from his time as health minister.
Pointedly, the video began with footage of him during a radio interview in which he said: “In each of those events, you learn a little bit more and a little bit more and a little bit more but that doesn’t mean that you know everything…As long as when you go to bed at night you can say you know I have honestly done the best that I could do to acknowledge the things that you did wrong and attempt to correct them, you can’t do no better than that and you got to be willing to let the chips fall where they may.”
Sources close to him told The Tribune he is determined not to let the COVID-19 flight fiasco signal the end to his political career and is expected to focus on the Elizabeth constituency.
The Elizabeth MP offered his resignation to Dr Minnis for his actions related to six permanent residents who landed in the country last week with COVID-19 testing supplies and were allowed to quarantine at home before they produced a negative COVID-19 test result.
Former Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe connected Dr Sands with donors who supplied 2,500 test swabs that cost $11,250, prompting an effort by the health minister to get the swabs here.
Dr Sands got approval from Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar for a N-578GC aircraft to deliver the supplies to the country.
He then contacted Immigration Director Clarence Russell who arranged his requests for the passengers.
The controversial episode is not the first time people have been allowed to disembark in the country since Dr Minnis implemented a lockdown several weeks ago, though officials have resisted telling this newspaper exactly how many have been granted entry since the lockdown began.
Mr D’Aguilar told Dr Sands officials had been insisting that people coming to the country provide a negative COVID-19 test to gain entry. The Freetown MP deferred to the health minister to make the call and Dr Sands allowed the passengers entry without testing them. During his national address on Sunday, Dr Minnis suggested this was at least part of the breach––the residents were allowed entry without being tested.
Comments
ISpeakFacts 4 years, 6 months ago
LMAO just when you thought it couldnt get any worse, Sands was already a failure when it came to his job as the Minister of Health. DORIAN IS A PRIME EXAMPLE, LOOK AT THE STATE OF ABACO AND GRAND BAHAMA FOR THE PAST 8 MONTHS, now we're stuck with the very greedy and nasty Hubert Minnis, who is also a failure at his job as the PM of the Bahamas. Not looking good for the bahamas at all, we've already been blacklisted by the EU, now we're one month away from a hurricane season more active than previous years PLUS we are also dealing with the deadly virus known as Covid-19. One thing for sure, with Minnis as the Minister of Health we dont have to worry about our covid-19 cases growing rapidly, he will for sure do everything in his power to keep testing to a minimum so he can skewer the covid-19 data just like he and his cronies did with the victims of Hurricane Dorian!!!
Also wondering if Minnis will keep the 70+ bodies in the trailer behind the Marsh Harbor clinic locked up for another 9+ months so he can 1-up Sands
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 6 months ago
Frightening
joeblow 4 years, 6 months ago
Minnis' inability to clearly articulate will make him appear more incompetent when he is compared to Sands. In truth nothing will change but the optics of the situation!
While this is an opportunity for Minnis to really take command of the situation and solidify his position as leader in the eyes of the masses, I doubt he has what it takes to pull it off. Lets see what happens!
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 6 months ago
Sands now has two full years to work feverishly behind the scenes to gather and galvanize as much support as possible before challenging Minnis's leadership of the FNM and the country in the next general election. Most Bahamians have already come to the conclusion that just about anyone would be a much better PM than Minnis.
Already the rumblings have begun among many FNM MPs, including certain cabinet members, that anyone of them could next be 'thrown under the bus' by Minnis given the way they perceive him to have 'mistreated' Sands. No doubt these rumblings are being instigated by the PLP's political elite. Truth be told though, Minnis is insecure in his own skin and has never really trusted those whom he perceives to be highly educated, more intelligent and better connected within our community than he is, especially those who are comfortable and welcomed within the inner circle of the very wealthy in our country. Symonette was the first one to be thrown overboard. D'Aguilar well fits the bill of those most likely to be jettisoned next by Minnis and therefore has very good reason to be concerned.
Very few will quibble with the fact that Minnis seems most comfortable surrounded by loyal lackeys who are beholden to him for their station in life and are otherwise incapable of standing on their own two feet in Bahamian society.
ConchFretter 4 years, 6 months ago
Well_Mudda, after the "Dissident Seven", Minnis ain't trusting nobody. Will be interesting to see what direction Sands takes in the near future.
birdiestrachan 4 years, 6 months ago
Doctor Sands is so much smarter than the PM Wicked? but smarter. I often wonder that some of what roc wit doc comes up with, was there no one in his cabinet to tell him better?
MRS Butler Turner and the former members of the house knew that something was missing with doc.
The Bahamian people who voted for doc have exactly what they deserve.
DDK 4 years, 6 months ago
All of the above postings are pretty spot on. I fear the ride is only going to get rougher and tougher... ..
TalRussell 4 years, 6 months ago
Comrade Chief Justice Brian, are you paying attention to established sentencing guidelines?
The punishment for complicity in fake signatory is ranked right there high up in the colony's penal code.
The streets Homeless' found to be out wandering about in search of finding food to eat have received the equal to a death penalty sentence by our courts. Nod once for yeah, Twice for no?
John 4 years, 6 months ago
For the sake of the security of the people of this country even as to what may appea to be too much power in the hands of one man, Minnis should not take on the role of Health Minister, but seek to appoint a new minister as soon as the sun rises.
TalRussell 4 years, 6 months ago
Wash 'em, dry 'em, 'iron 'em's comrade crown minister tourism and aviation Dionisio James, best be in category 5 hurricane preparedness mode cause he has to know 'em's the equally as weak target as the crown colleague ejected out onto the downstairs of Churchill Square. Nod once for yeah, Twice for no?
John 4 years, 6 months ago
Minnis should not compromise the Health and Safety of this nation by becoming the all powerful, all controlling.. even if not by his intention. Put a competent person to be in charge of Ministry of Health and to be answerable to a higher authority and to the people of The Bahamas.
ISpeakFacts 4 years, 6 months ago
WE all know the very corrupt, greedy, and nasty Hubert Minnis wants nothing more than to be known as the all powerful and all controlling Supreme Ruler of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas
GET REAL!!!
Godson 4 years, 6 months ago
Ar last, a Prime 'MINISTER' with a 'MINISTRY'.
How can you be the PRIME of a thing if you are not one of the PARTICIPATORS in the thing?
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