Jerome Fitzgerald
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
IN a since deleted tweet, the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit said yesterday that former Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald is the new senior policy advisor and head of the PMDU.
When asked about Mr Fitzgerald’s appointment and the deleted tweet, officials in the Office of the Prime Minister said nothing has been finalised.
Sources, however, told The Tribune that Mr Fitzgerald himself has informed people of his new role and has been occupying the office of the previous senior policy advisor, Joshua Sears.
A top position for him in the Davis administration would not come out of the blue as he played a leading role coordinating the Progressive Liberal Party’s “war room” activities during the general election cycle.
Critics, nonetheless, are certain to pounce on the appointment because of the controversy that ensnared his career near the end of the last Christie administration.
At the time, Mr Fitzgerald confirmed that he sought contracts from Baha Mar for his family’s business after The Tribune exclusively revealed that he requested brokerage, trucking and limousine contracts worth millions. Critics claim that he breached the Manual of Cabinet and Ministry Procedure, which states that a minister must not “solicit or accept any benefits advantage or promise of future advantage whether for himself, his immediate family or any business concern or trust with which he is associated from persons who are in, or seek to be in, any contractual or special relationship with the government.”
Shortly before the 2017 general election, The Tribune published emails showing that Mr Fitzgerald advocated on behalf of Bahamas Cargo & Logistics, a company he said was formed by his father years ago.
Alleged PLP corruption was a prominent theme of the Free National Movement’s 2017 general election campaign and the Minnis-led party seized on the revelations about Mr Fitzgerald while making its pitch to Bahamians. The FNM won that election by a landslide and Mr Fitzgerald lost his re-election bid to the Marathon constituency.
In February 2019, Mr Fitzgerald announced an end to his political career, telling PLP members at a meeting for aspiring candidates in Marathon that he would not seek a nomination. He said his political career had been “active and exciting, rewarding and painful, dynamic and challenging, but most of all…gratifying.”
Comments
SP 3 years, 2 months ago
While they'er bringing back well known pirates they might as well bring Shane Gibson, and of course no pirate ship is complete without a crooked nosed witch so we expect Alison Maynard Gibson to fly in shortly as well.
"PLP ALL THE WAY BACK TO CORRUPTION"
tribanon 3 years, 2 months ago
I guess we should have all done much more to encourage voters to vote for an independent candidate in the last national general election.
Dawes 3 years, 2 months ago
Ha ha. Oh well back very quick to being back to normal. Guess they have realized we will have the IMF in no matter what so why not make it quicker.
stillwaters 3 years, 2 months ago
Nooooooooo.......please, Lord, no.....not him.
moncurcool 3 years, 2 months ago
For all who expected something NEW, welcome to your NEW DAY with the SAME OLE CRAP!
DonAnthony 3 years, 2 months ago
Bringing back every shady, crooked parasite to abuse taxpayers purse they can find. This will not end well! PM Davis says the right things but his actions show the PLP is inherently corrupt.
Emilio26 3 years, 2 months ago
It's like the bahamian people are going around in circles with the PLP and FNM.
tribanon 3 years, 2 months ago
Because of people like you. LOL
bahamianson 3 years, 2 months ago
Wow, this is certainly news. How unfortunate for us. I guess this one is not family, not lover, so it has to be a loyal friend.
birdiestrachan 3 years, 2 months ago
Mr Fitzgereald will do well. He is a wise and caring man. The Bahamas is in need of such men.
TalRussell 3 years, 2 months ago
Here are some things you might need to asks so as not get yourselves all up knickers and everything like that?
Which group and everything like that ever since the English came to set up We Colony back in 1629 and everything like that and now 393 years later approaching we 46th year of Independence and everything like that — Has more dawafed per each 1000 of The Colony's Popoulaces and everything like that. Has it been the Lawyers, Doctors, Accountants, or the Political Appoints, and everything like that, — Yes?
thomas 3 years, 2 months ago
As we continue on...
jackbnimble 3 years, 2 months ago
and so it starts.... is anyone shocked?
Topdude 3 years, 2 months ago
When we advised you that that electing the PLP was going to be Deja vu all over again you did not listen or care or heed my word. No it is carte blanche to pilfer and rob the public purse again. Oh what a tangled web we weave once we practice to deceive? Well, c’est la vie.
Hubert Minnis we miss you so much. Please find a way to return to the Prime Minister post to stop this crisis from exploding. Not yet a month and we have a crisis of unmanageable and ungovernable proportions emerging.
It is tipped that Nygard is to be given political asylum. Need I say more. And Shane Gibson is to be Ambassador to CARICOM. Need I say more.
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 2 months ago
Please. Oban would have had their first oil spill on September 17th. Political asylum? Are you crazy? The Bahamas cant give anybody political asylum, you see how fast they run to Europe and then sit in the drafty hallway for hours to get us off a "grey" list? If asylum is anybody's cocamamie idea but yours, they'll be quickly disabused of it.
regrolli 3 years, 2 months ago
Fox guarding the chicken coop.
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