Published 13 July 2017
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News.
Chairman of a financial institution resigns; a reflection of Team Unity political interference
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JULY 13TH 2017 – Prominent persons appointed to positions by the Team Unity Government of Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris in government ministries, departments and state-owned corporations are quietly resigning due to frustration and political interference.
Without naming the individual, SKNLP chairman, Hon. Marcella Liburd disclosed Wednesday that the latest resignation is the chairman of a financial institution in which the government has majority shareholding.
“The incompetence and arrogance continue to affect every department and ministry of government as well as institutions in this country. More and more persons are fed up with the interference and have become so frustrated that they are leaving,” said Liburd Wednesday.
“The resignation of this chairman will now see a (Timothy Harris) family member assuming the chairmanship position,” said Liburd, who added that something has be fundamentally wrong when all of these persons who supported the Team Unity coalition and who were appointed by the prime minister and his cabinet ministers are tendering their resignations.
“They have reached the stage where they have become so frustrated, so disappointed and so fed up that they are resigning,” she told listeners to Wednesday’s Issues programme on Freedom 106.6 FM.
Since taking office in mid-February 2015, there has been several resignations.
First to go was Prime Minister Harris’ first press secretary, Mr. Clecton Phillip, who resigned one year of taking office and whose resignation was first publicly denied by the Prime Minister and later said to be the non-renewal of a one year contract that started when he was in the PLP excutive.
Speaker Franklin Brand, elected in May 14th 2015 resigned on Apirl 28th 2016, short of completing one year in office to become eligible for a pension. Prime Minister Harris and the Attorney General Byron had previously denied Brand’s resignation.
Chairperson of the St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board, Ms. Martiza Bowry, resigned in the face of political pressure to release the full sum of EC$41 million of Social Security funds for NHC housing project which was not finalised at the time.
There have been two resignations from the state-owned ZIZ Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) by chairman, Mr. Douglas Wattley, then Chairman of Prime Minister Harris’ Peoples Labour Parry (PLP) and the deputy chairperson and acting chairperson, Mrs. Avenice Thompson.
Two Chief Financial Officers have been dismissed and another resigned from the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA). The last CFO, Ian Ferguson resigned recently after a few months on the job.
Other resignations were Water Engineer Dr. Saheley, Fitz Boncamper from the Planning Board, a judge of the High Court and persons from several other departments.
“Something has to be fundamentally wrong when so many people have become so frustrated and fed up that they resign. Their resignations are a reflection of the mood of the people of the country who are saying they have had enough of this incompetent government,” said Ms. Liburd.
