PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell. (File photo)
PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Chairman Fred Mitchell has called on Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to “come clean” about the resignation of former Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Lanisha Rolle.
“When the government released its statement on Tuesday, February 23, confirming the resignation of Lanisha Rolle, the government also confirmed an investigation into the operations at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture,” Mr Mitchell said in a statement issued on Friday.
“The prime minister is reported in the media today confirming that Mrs Rolle is not being investigated. This revelation by the prime minister begs the question of why the youth minister resigned her ministerial post in the first place.
“If Lanisha Rolle is not under any investigation as the prime minister asserts, then why did the minister resign and why did Prime Minister Minnis accept her resignation from the Cabinet?”
Earlier this week, the PLP called on Dr Minnis to “provide a full and frank explanation on the reasoning behind and the circumstances” surrounding Mrs Rolle’s resignation.
“To date, he has not done so and has not levelled with the Bahamian people on this serious matter.
“The PLP again calls on the prime minister to come clean to the Bahamian people on this serious matter,” Mr Mitchell said.
On Thursday, Dr Minnis said Mrs Rolle is not being directly investigated after an internal audit he is said to have requested uncovered findings that led to the resignation of the Seabreeze MP.
Asked if Mrs Rolle was directly a part of that investigation, Dr Minnis said: “No she is not.”
A letter to Governor General C A Smith with Mrs Rolle’s signature was leaked on Tuesday, announcing her resignation from her ministerial post.
A statement released from the Cabinet Office confirmed the resignation later that day, noting that “certain matters have been brought to” Dr Minnis’ attention and are currently under investigation. Yesterday, Dr Minnis did not reveal what those matters were.
However, The Tribune understands that when ministry officials and the board of the National Sports Authority became concerned that established processes and procedures were allegedly not being followed at their agencies, they took their concerns to Dr Minnis on Saturday, February 13.
Dr Minnis is said to have then immediately requested a “lockdown” of the ministry, ordering that no cheques or contracts be issued.
The following day, Sunday, February 14, he asked Financial Secretary Marlon Johnson to launch an audit into the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and to report its findings within at most four days, this newspaper understands.
Dr Minnis received the report from the ministry’s internal audit department on Thursday, February 18. The Office of the Auditor General is now auditing the National Sports Authority.
Mrs Rolle is the fourth minister to resign this term, joining Brent Symonette, Dr Duane Sands and Peter Turnquest. She was also previously the only woman in Dr Minnis’ Cabinet.
Iram Lewis, previously the minister of state for disaster preparedness, has been appointed the new minister of youth, sports and culture.
Comments
TalRussell 3 years, 1 month ago
Talk has it that at the request of the office of Mr. Minnis OMM aka the office of the prime minister OPM, that the AG, had a chat with the minister about her role, if any, which sparked what is now a takeover of the ministry by the OMM?
John 3 years, 1 month ago
The fact that the top brass of the police force and evel all the way up to the rank of the minister of national security has came to the public and defended every police shooting in this country (maybe with the exception of one) tends to indicate that police have been given the green light to shoot (and to kill) certain suspects. If this is, indeed, the Case then this is a serious problem. It is certainly a miscarriage of justice and every single person in this country should be in fear for their lives. The fear of being shot deaf in a hail of bullets at a road block, check point or. Traffic stop.
John 3 years, 1 month ago
Can the PLP shake off the ghost of their last administration al least in time to convince the Bahamian people to vote for them in the next election? As the political season blossoms and theMay date draws near,there is many a narrative about whoeillwin the next election. Whois most qualified. Bahamians agree that the country is in bad shape, financially and with quite a bit of people not working since March of 2020, things have really been tough and many anticipate more tough times ahead. Despite this, most will end their narrative with something like, ‘yes things may be bad, But we can’t make the mistake and put the PLP back in power right now.’
BahamasForBahamians 3 years, 1 month ago
Try as you may but it is the FNM failures being addressed in this topic..
licks2 3 years, 1 month ago
That's it exactly!! Would you "make a deal" with Mr. Davis or put him in charge of "your" personal money??? Those are the questions "swing voters" are having about what party to vote for!!! I have already "had that deep" conversation with myself about the party for government. . .who I will vote for next election!! I have decided that I will not be voting a leader. . .I will be voting against who must not be PM in this nation after the next election!! The choices are Davis or Minnis!! Ministers and departments going off the rail for so long with what seem to be no "clear" leadership to correct them or open and rampant corruption and protective of their corruption by leadership!!
moncurcool 3 years, 1 month ago
Direct question, direct answer.
What is Mitchell running on about? A Cabinet Minister can resign for personal reasons. What is there to come clean about.
I am sick of people playing politics with everything. Pray tell me why would Bahamians want to put this man and his party back in power. Has anything changed with him?
tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago
And of course you, as a die-hard blind Minnis/FNM supporter, could not care less why she was forced to resign. And obviously you agree with Minnis when he says that's none of the people's business. LOL
Tarzan 3 years, 1 month ago
And Fred has such a record of honesty and personal integrity that any charge he makes must be taken seriously.....excuse me I'm getting sick.
tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago
You too have missed my point on the transparency issue. As for Tutti Frutti Freddy Boy, my position on him is well known to most who frequent The Tribune's website.
Cobalt 3 years, 1 month ago
While we may not know the intricate details surrounding her resignation, it is believed that Mrs Rolle breached established protocols. It is also believed that there has been financial discrepancies within her ministry. Once the audit is complete, the PM should give a detailed account to the people regarding any monetary indiscretions. But let’s be clear, Fred Mitchell and his PLP are the last group of bandits fit to demand transparency in the wake of any type of scandal. His scandal ridden group of incompetent misfits didn’t come clean about any debased practices when they were in office.
tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago
And one never excuses the other. Minnis repeatedly promised before May 2017 that his FNM administration would be the most transparent one ever. It has proven to be anything but that. Way too many things have been swept under the rug with zero accountability to the Bahamian people. Minnis has bent over backwards to ensure umpteen instances of outright incompetence on his part and the part of his administration never see the light of day. Bluntly put, he has demonstrated over and over again his preference for governing under the cover of darkness rather than open sunshine.
Truth be told, this Minnis-led FNM administration is little different from the last Christie-led administration. The fact that Dumbo Minnis can even make someone as despicable as Yellow Belly Davis look good should be a most frightening wake up call for all of us. The corrupt political elite of the PLP and FNM alike, and their cronies, have brought our country to its knees and voters really need put an end to this two-party tag-team nonsense that has been going on for decades. They can do so by voting for an independent candidate running in their constituency.
moncurcool 3 years, 1 month ago
If you take the time to read you would see there is nothing in there on die hard Minnis. But since you are so init Minnis you are so blinded that in any comment that doesn't speak against Minnis you believe people are die hard.
Stop making an assumption on her resignation. Where are the facts that she was forced to resign? Could she have resigned in protest of something? Sensible people wait for facts and don't jump to speculation.
Every Cabinet Ministers has a right to resign. When is there something sinister in a resignation?
tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago
Where's all of that transparency we were promised is the only real question here ????!!!!!!
licks2 3 years, 1 month ago
I don't get ya point!! She was forced to resigned? Ha you know that? Must I be a die-hard PLP to understand your logic?? Don't you think we should "listen" to facts and keep our "personal" prejudices to we-sef?
Now , I am inclined to "follow" your "lil' suspicions there. . .but some facts says otherwise. . .like her daddy said. . .the partly don't want her to run no more. . . she flipped and started to do "crap" and get mad. . .like mr speaker did!! These people can't take too much rejection ya know!! Say they are resigning to the public. . .after the party done told them in private "pssst. . .ween wan you no moo". Its the public rejection these people who "get high" on being recognized as something. . .after years of being considered to be "nothing" in their own eyes!!
KapunkleUp 3 years, 1 month ago
Herein resides the problem - both parties have absolutely no integrity left to stand on. Calling each other out over scandals now is like two con men arguing about who is more honorable.
sheeprunner12 3 years, 1 month ago
Fweddy sat in Christie's hapless, corrupt and do-nothing Cabinet from 2012-2017 ......... He has NO credibility to ask Minnis to explain any FNM Cabinet matters ........... The FNM needed to expose him as well
Comparing the PLP and the FNM on these matters is like comparing a gorilla and an orangutan
Cobalt 3 years, 1 month ago
Agreed 100%
tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago
Not so at all. The litany of things the Minnis-led administration has swept under the rug is fresh in the minds of many voters and will feature almost as heavily against the FNM as Minnis's gross mishandling of both the Dorian and Communist China Virus crises. The corrupt political elite of the FNM and the PLP, and their favoured cronies, are all cut from the same cloth.
licks2 3 years, 1 month ago
Litany of things? I lost here dude! Say wha? Please show us what are these scandals you talking about. . .raise up that "rug" for we to see!!
Communist China Virus crises? Please go truthful of just leave well enough alone! This is not the time for these political lil antics!
sheeprunner12 3 years, 1 month ago
Tribanon ....... please tell us what the PLP would have done so differently IF they were in power 2017-2021.
Come on ........... don't be shy
tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago
Nothing would have been any different and that's precisely my point. Whether it's a PLP administration or an FNM administration makes absolutely no difference. Both look after their own political elite and favoured cronies, treat foreigners better than they do Bahamians, and frankly don't give a damn about the interests of the vast majority of Bahamians nor the financial well being of the Bahamas. The track record of the corrupt elitist leadership of both the FNM and PLP parties is all too clear when it comes to the worst possible candidates being put forward for elected office. Voters need to put an end to this alternating corrupt two-party nonsense once and for all by voting for an independent candidate running in their constituency.
licks2 3 years, 1 month ago
Ya see fella how ya "beating up ya gum" to get ya man in the house. . .just like them PLP and FNM do!! For example, you talking about them "elites". . .like them independents are not one of them elites!!
ALL INDEPENDENTS ARE EITHER REJECTS FROM PLP OR FNM. . .OR OF FOLKS WHO ARE ELITES. . .ARE HUNGRY FOR POWER. . .BUT THE PLP OR FNM WOULD NOT HAVE THEM!!
JUST NAME ME ONE INDEPENDENT POLITICIAN WE EVER HAD IN THIS COUNTRY WHO WAS NOT BACK ANF FORTH IN THE PLP OR FNM?
MAYBE THAT QUESTION IS TOO HARD. . .JUST NAME ONE ONE POLITICIAN IN ANY PARTY IN THIS COUNTRY WHO HAS NEVER BEEN PLP, FNM OR AN ELITE!!!
So you see that you "may sound to talk sense when you rant in one long line so". . .but to check you treatise thought by thought. . .logically you are "flapping" all over the place!! You need to calm down. . .think before you rant on so much. . .
TalRussell 3 years, 1 month ago
Comrade Mr. Minnis's response to the resignation of the Queen's Floral Crown Minister has become this redshirts administration's normalcy aka arrogance. Firstly, the redshirts need to call the party's delegates together in convention session to tend some serious leadership in disarray housekeeping matters, before rushin' off be risking the party's reelection hopes.
Two majesty's, that deserve stomachin' each other's arrogance.Yes?
proudloudandfnm 3 years, 1 month ago
Lol. Fred can't be serious...
tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago
Very few have taken Freddy Boy seriously about anything for the past 2+ decades.
SP 3 years, 1 month ago
"We believe in Bahamians" & "Bahamians first"... "Come Clean" on that!
sheeprunner12 3 years, 1 month ago
Truth be told, this Minnis-led FNM administration is little different from the last Christie-led administration. The fact that Dumbo Minnis can even make someone as despicable as Yellow Belly Davis look good should be a most frightening wake up call for all of us. The corrupt political elite of the PLP and FNM alike, and their cronies, have brought our country to its knees and voters really need put an end to this two-party tag-team nonsense that has been going on for decades. They can do so by voting for an independent candidate running in their constituency.
That is Tribanon's position ............. he wants Lincoln Bain to be PM (Lord help us)
tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago
Unlike you I have faith in the awakened Bahamian voters not voting for an independent candidate who is known to be no better than the usual corrupt and/or poor quality candidates put forward by the very corrupt elitist leadership apparatus of the FNM and PLP parties.
sheeprunner12 3 years, 1 month ago
Name 20 Independent candidates who can form a Bahamian government in 2022 ........... Stop talking nonsense and face the reality in this country ......... It's either PLP or FNM in 2022.
tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago
Nice try, but that's not for me to do....at least not right now. And by the way, that tired 'ole gig of there only being a choice of two evils is up. It went the way of that tired 'ole race card the PLP and FNM alike played on us voters for decades. LMAO
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