Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis.
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
LEADERS of the opposition political parties accused Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday of being “afraid” to make the tough decisions, calling his decision to reassign Keith Bell instead of firing him “cowardice”.
“If Keith Bell was in my Cabinet, Keith Bell would’ve been a backbencher but the Prime Minister is scared to make decisions,” said former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.
“Once you accept the job of Prime Minister, you must also accept the responsibility that goes with it meaning that you must make difficult decisions, decisions that are in the best interest of the country and not yourself.”’
Meanwhile, the Coalition of Independents leader Lincoln Bain said he was disappointed the Prime Minister didn’t take more “decisive action” against Mr Bell.
Their comments came a day after Mr Davis announced changes to his Cabinet, including seven new ministerial appointments and portfolio adjustments.
Mr Bell, who has faced controversy for overseeing a citizenship swearing-in ceremony at a funeral among other actions, was among those moved to new ministries. He will become the new Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal, while Alfred Sears will take over the Ministry of Immigration and National Insurance.
“To take Keith Bell after all of what has been out there against him, to remove him from immigration and put him to another place that is contract intensive. That’s very concerning to a lot of Bahamians,” Mr Bain added.
“To put him in charge of housing whether its a serious area of trust and also with urban renewal where there’s a situation of a lot of contracts that are issued for urban renewal. Quite frankly, I don’t think a lot of people trust him to be in such a area.”
“It seems like a furtherance of his agenda to one do a lot of things that he did in immigration and two, is he going to be getting housing for these people who he did favours for in the last years.”
Other notable changes include the re-assignment of Clay Sweeting, who will now become the Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs and Jomo Campbell who will take over the role of Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources.
Pia Glover-Rolle, the Minister of State for Public Service, has been promoted to Minister of Labour and Public Service, while Transport and Housing Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis will serve as Minister of Energy and Transport.
Dr Minnis criticised the new appointments yesterday, saying it “will do nothing to help improve the lives of Bahamians.”
“We’ve simply moved around a group of failed ministers and the prime minister still has no plan to reduce crime. He still has no answer to the sky high electricity prices and he has no solution to all those Bahamians who would’ve lost as a result of the prime minister’s fault with BPL,” he said.
FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands echoed similar comments, likening the shuffle to “putting lipstick on a pig.”
“The two most disappointing moves have to be Coleby-Davis and Bell. Coleby-Davis is well known as legal counsel to an oil drilling scam. She has been at the centre of controversy and scandals at housing and transport. BPL is a disaster so perhaps Prime Minister Davis’ plan is to make it even worse,” Dr Sands.
“Certainly Bahamians have no reason to believe that she having created chaos everywhere else will bring relief to BPL.”
He said “only time will tell” if the ministers were set up for failure.
The government also issued a statement yesterday to say that the changes in Cabinet will take effect once ministers receive their official letters of appointment, and that a revised portfolio list will be made available by the Cabinet Office.
Comments
JackArawak 1 year, 3 months ago
same old story - zero accountability
birdiestrachan 1 year, 3 months ago
Those folks want Mr Davis job so never mind them, just empty barrels making noise, them FNM fellows never did anything to up Lift the average Bahamian , they made sure the rich became richer, even when they took away plastic bags they increased the merchants profits , that is a small example ,, but the liars continue to lie
Porcupine 1 year, 3 months ago
Wow. Still people who can't see that the utter corruption that exists in one party, certainly exists in the other. Pick one. The results are the same. We lack moral courageousness and integrity in our leaders.
themessenger 1 year, 3 months ago
The cumulative effect of the majority of the population being dumbed down for the last 50 years and they don't come much dumber than Birdie, and as the old saying goes when ya dumb, ya dangerous! Our leaders wouldn't know what morality and integrity were even if they bit them on the ass.
DWW 1 year, 3 months ago
I see Abaco got sent to the back bench entirely. what's that thing about leopard and spots?
TalRussell 1 year, 3 months ago
Comrades, remember when what it took to 'identify' as a Bahamalander, ---- Came 'nat'rally.' --- Yes?
SP 1 year, 3 months ago
What everyone seems to conveniently forgot, is that Bell repeatedly said he had Cabinet approval for all he was doing.
Bell knows where all the skeletons are buried, so Davis hands are tied.
They all profited from Bells unilaterally approval actions, mum's the word!
SP 1 year, 3 months ago
They also know without any doubt, that historically they will not be reelected.
So they purposely did all the dirt in the first half of their administration.
This par for the course with the PLP and FNM!
birdiestrachan 1 year, 3 months ago
Birdiestrachan knows that the world is not perfect this also goes for human beings,having said that the PLP is pretty close to perfect so cuss me up one said and down the other that is just the way it is and nothing can change that fact, they are doing a great job what do you all want Mr Bell s blood?. . You cannot have it,,
FreeportFreddy 1 year, 3 months ago
Crazy OLD FOOL
Porcupine 1 year, 3 months ago
Birdie, You really do lower the mental acuity of this country. Anyone who reads what you post is worse off than before they read it. This doesn't bode well for The Bahamas. You don't seem to care that you argue as a child would. Can you not for once place principles above party? The PLP is a disaster. A horrible disaster.
realfreethinker 1 year, 3 months ago
Close to "perfect"? birdie you done gone and lose your damn mind
JokeyJack 1 year, 3 months ago
The capital of the Bahamas is Port au Prince. BUT then, that's what the people voted for. Bell can build even more free housing for Brave's people now.
Sickened 1 year, 3 months ago
This is the worst cabinet ever! Brave is being led around by his short and curly's. He's only doing what he is being allowed to do. Another tiny little black puppet. I guess Birdie got more pull than we think - that's why he's so happy with this administration. Birdie the puppet master.
realfreethinker 1 year, 3 months ago
Sickened you might be on to something here hmmmm
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