The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport  Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT – Despite the recent controversy and editorial commentary, Prime Minister Perry Christie is standing by his appointment of Michelle Reckley to head the Urban Renewal programme on Grand Bahama.

Mr Christie spoke to reporters on Wednesday following the official launch of the Urban Renewal 2.0 at the Hilton Outten Convention Centre.

He says he is satisfied they made the right selection in Ms Reckley, whom he feels will be able to understand the issues affecting people in their communities.

Ms Reckley has been appointed deputy director of the programme. She replaces former Urban Renewal boss Tirzah Carey, whose contract was not renewed in June.  Ms Carey has extensive experience and qualification in Social Work.

There has been criticism that Ms Reckley’s appointment was a political one, and questions were raised about her qualifications for such a position.

When asked his comment about this, Mr Christie said: “Michelle Reckley, like any number of persons I know, has been able to develop an uncanny ability to understand the issues (that affect people). Yes, she has been political, and so were Algernon Allen and Cynthia Pratt.”

“In every section there is a police officer who may not have been to college who is responsible for delivering the services of Urban Renewal. Are they qualified?

“Qualification comes in this regard, people who have the ability to understand the issues that affect the people in their communities; to be able to investigate those issues and report those issues, and Michelle Reckley is really qualified to do that.

“In this programme you are supposed to be focusing on people whose interest must be served, and we are satisfied she is capable and prepared to do just that.

“At the end of the day, she reports to Algernon Allen and Cynthia Pratt who report to the minister responsible. All of them will be accountable for the execution of the programme.

“I don’t have the slightest doubt in my mind that we made the right selection of someone who is a go-getter and a doer, rather than a talker, and who will get results.”

Prime Minister Christie stressed that it is important that the Bahamian people judge the PLP by its performance.

“My final point is that the people must judge us by what is done and by what is not done. Do not bring the conjecture; I have seen the talk about it, judge by our performance,” he said.

During the launch of the new Urban Renewal 2.0, it was noted that the urban renewal centres were not performing up to standard on Grand Bahama.

Mr Christie said he does not know the former Urban Renewal boss Tirzah Carey.

“I do not know her, and she has not been a part of any decision on our part in terms of her as an individual.

“We judge UR on what they did not do. And, clearly, she may be able to explain to us that it was not done because that was not the vision of the government of the day.

“But we wanted results and we knew for us to get results we have to have people who are prepared to implement our vision.

“I admonished the Commissioner of Police, I told him ‘you have your views about policing but we are responsible for policy, and policy tells us this is how we want to implement the programme and you go out and do the programme for us and if it fails then we are responsible’.”