Published 30 October 2017
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
A high profile resignation from the St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board is being reported
Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 30th 2017 – A high-profile resignation in another government-controlled institution is being reported.
Word leaked Monday that one of the most senior officers at the St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board has resigned one year ahead of official retirement.
If confirmed it would be the latest prominent position that is vacated since the Team Unity Government of Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris took office in mid-February 2015.
Senior officers in government ministries, departments and state-owned corporations have been quietly resigning due to what well-placed sources say are due to political interference.
Less than one year into the new government, Clecton Phillip, Press Secretary to Prime Minister Harris, parted ways with his boss although Dr. Harris had publicly denied the pending resignation.
Speaker of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly, Mr. Franklin Brand, elected on May 14th 2015, resigned on April 28th 2016, short of completing one year in office to become eligible for a pension. Both Prime Minister Harris and the Attorney General Byron had previously denied Brand’s resignation.
Mr. Brand resigned amidst months long reports that the Government side had been urging him to stifle the democratic rights of the opposition parliamentarians and throw them out of the lawmaking body.
Mr. Vernon Harris, chairman of the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank Trust Company resigned effective April 30th 2016.
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 to the National Housing Corporation (NHC) for NHC housing projects months before construction started.
There have been two resignations from the state-owned ZIZ Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC). Board chairman, Mr. Douglas Wattley, at the time chairman of Prime Minister Harris’ Peoples Labour Party (PLP) and the deputy chairperson and later acting chairperson, Mrs. Avenice Thompson, resigned.
The Chief Financial Officer at the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA) resigned. His successor resigned after a few months on the job. Other senior officers were either dismissed or resigned.
Water engineer Dr. Halla Sahely, Fitz Boncamper from the Planning Board, the Resident Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and persons from several other ministries, departments and boards have also resigned.
On 31st August, Howard McEachrane who held the post as chairman of the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank from April 15th 2015, resigned with effect from August 31st 2017. As predicted by SKNLP chairperson, Hon., Marcella Liburd, the Prime Minister’s nephew, Alexis Jeffers was appointed Chairman on September 1st 2017.
“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.
