Published 15 February 2018
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
by: Media Source
Call for Freedom of Information and other laws to curb widespread nepotism in TUG
Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 15, 2018 – Citing nepotism as one of the underlying principles of the Timothy Harris-led Team Unity Government, the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) caretaker for St. Christopher 8, Dr. Terrance Drew, has called for the passage of Freedom of Information legislation and anti-nepotism laws as well as the appointment of commissioners in accordance with the already passed Integrity in Public Life Act.
Dr. Drew told listeners to Wednesday’s “Issues” programme on Freedom 106.5 FM, he opposes the policies of the three-party coalition and accused Prime Minister Harris of refusing to answer serious questions of nepotism that exists within his three-year-old administration.
Drew, a Cuban-trained medical practitioner and a U.S.-trained internist said if those laws were functioning, Prime Minister Harris would be made to account to these watchdog institutions and deter the rampant nepotism that is evident and continues to grow.
“Dr. Harris and his family control the major financial institutions in this country. I have already started to calculate that I think already this country has lost over EC$50 million to nepotism,” said Dr. Drew, pointing out that the Budget of the Office of the Prime Minister is close to EC$40 to EC$50 million annually with no oversight of the funds.
He pointed out that the Hurricane Relief Fund, introduced after the recent passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria as an option under the Citizenship by Investment Programme, is under the direct control of the Office of the Prime Minister.
“How many passports have been sold? How much money has been collected and how much money has been deposited in this fund? No one knows. The only person who has full access and control of the funds without any oversight is the prime minister,” said Dr. Drew.
The Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis of which one of Prime Minister Harris’ brothers who was General Manager at the change of government in February 2015, has been named CEO of the financial institution that manages hundreds of millions of dollars and since then all the assistant managers have been given pink slips.
“Another Harris family member is chairman of the Board of Directors of the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank of which the government is the majority shareholder and appoints all the directors,” Dr. Drew pointed out.
He mentioned as troubling, the short-lived tenure of Barbadian Victor Boyce, who resigned as Chief Credit Risk Officer at the National Bank three months into a three-year contract, the resignation of Howard McEachrane as chairman of the bank and the forced retirement of senior officers over the past few months.
“A sister of the prime minster is now Head of Payroll in the Human Resource Department in the Office of the Prime Minister,” said Dr. Drew, who expressed concern over the “possibility of collusion between Harris family members to decide how to handle the billions of dollars at their disposal.”
Dr. Drew blasted the government for allowing the nephew of the prime minister to install an MRI machine at the Biomedical Center, known as the Monkey Farm, which is jointly used by patients and primates.
Prime Minister Harris in a recent press release boasted about the number of patients who used the facility in 2017 at a minimum cost of EC$1500 per person.
“Over one million was spent by patients for services rendered in 2017 alone. The money could have bought a brand new machine for the J N France General Hospital,” said Dr. Drew.
Commenting of the disclosure by a caller to a radio station that the MRI machine at the Biomedical Center was donated, Dr. Drew indicated that as a physician he has one option to send patients for an MRI although patients can chose where they want to go.
“Many patients who would prefer to go overseas are forced to go to the Biomedical Center (Monkey Farm) because National Insurance tells patients that the insurance company would not reimburse them for airline tickets,” said Dr. Drew, pointing out that the two officials of the insurance company and the biomedical center are relatives of the Harris family.
Family members of the prime minister have been given financing and duty-free and tax-free concessions to start several businesses in rental of tents, tables and chairs, cars, ice machines, landscaping, construction, trucking and heavy equipment operations.
Harris family companies were recently awarded contracts to demolish the Tabernacle Health Clinic, construct the new Medical Clinic in Tabernacle, renovate the Mary Charles Hospital in Molineux, construct the National Heroes Park, resurface the Tabernacle Playing Field, cleared the land for the new prison, replaced a section of the roof at the Primary School in Tabernacle and placed protective boulders at Black Rocks in Belle Vue.
Dr. Drew said while family members of the Harris clan are benefiting from state resources, prime minister Harris has stopped several social development initiatives such as the REACH programme for CFBC students, the one-to-one laptop programme for primary and high schools, the GRASP programme for university graduates who want to own their own home and upgrade professional services and the reduction of holiday pay for auxiliary workers at the hospitals and the Cardin Home persons who clean Springfield Cemetery under the STEP programme.
Dr. Drew also questioned the silence of the four members of the Peoples Action Movement (PAM) in the three-party coalition in which Harris is the only Peoples Labour Party (PLP) member. The Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) has two seats.
“Somebody in the coalition should have stood up and say this cannot happen in a modern St. Kitts and Nevis. There can never be justice in this country unless nepotism is stamped out. On this issue alone where a prime minister and his family control and have access to billions of dollars,” said Dr. Drew who added, that people are afraid to speak up and speak out.
“They are afraid of political retribution and victimisation and are afraid they would lose their jobs,” he said.
Photo: Dr. Terrance Drew
