Now since Prime Minister, the Hon. Philip Davis has completed the shuffle of his Cabinet; a lot of us are left like the coyote in the Roadrunner cartoon , after being passed at a high rate of speed, wondering – WHAT WAS THAT?

RESHUFFLE – PM announces Cabinet changes” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article;

“Prime Minister Philip Davis yesterday announced changes to his Cabinet two weeks ahead of his administration observing its second anniversary as government.

The changes include two promotions of ministers of state to substantive ministers.

Jomo Campbell has been moved as Minister of State in the Ministry of Legal Affairs and is now Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources. 

Pia Glover-Rolle, who was Minister of State for the Public Service, is now Minister of Labour and the Public Service.

Clay Sweeting, who was Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government, is now Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs. 

Alfred Sears, who served as Minister of Works, is now Minister of Immigration and National Insurance.

Keith Bell, formerly Minister of Labour and Immigration, is the new Minister of Housing and Urban Renewal.

JoBeth Coleby-Davis, who was Minister of Transport and Housing, is now Minister of Energy and Transport.

Zane Lightbourne, who served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, is now Minister of State in the Ministry for the Environment.

And Basil McIntosh, formerly Minister of State in the Ministry for the Environment, has been appointed Minister of State for Aviation

“In making these decisions, my priority was to strengthen policy execution, and to balance continuity and experience with renewal and fresh perspectives,” said Davis, who delivered a nationally-televised address at 5:30 p.m.

“Cabinet is a team, and as on any team, individual strengths and talents add up to make the team stronger.”

In announcing the changes, Davis had high praises for each minister.

Speaking of Bell, who in recent weeks has been mired in controversy as minister of immigration, Davis said he had “very substantial accomplishments”.

“In less than two years as Minister of Labour and Immigration, Minister Bell recruited a record number of immigration officers and oversaw a record number of repatriations,” the prime minister said.

“Because of his leadership, we have a new temporary detention facility in Inagua, which can hold 800 persons, reducing the time and cost of repatriating those who cross into our waters illegally.

“Also because of his leadership, thousands have been deported for immigration violations, and 600 migrants were taken into custody in Abaco this year alone.

“He has worked with the Royal Bahamas Police Force to target human smugglers, as well as those who break our laws by employing or housing undocumented migrants.

“During his tenure as Minister of Labour, the minimum wage was increased, and Labour on the Blocks job fairs across the country resulted in more than 3,000 job placements for Bahamians.

“I know he will bring his trademark energy and determination to his new role as Minister of Housing and Urban Renewal. Building affordable homes and building stronger communities is a priority for us, and doing it in a big way requires strength and focus.

“Keith Bell was part of the team that originally launched Urban Renewal. His experience and commitment to that mission will help to drive the program to even greater success.”

Speaking of Sears, who faced some challenges as minister of works and as minister responsible for Bahamas Power and Light, the prime minister said he oversaw the initiation of infrastructural improvements, as well as “the very significant repairs” which were required to make schools across the country ready for in-person classes after two years of closure.

Applauding Campbell’s efforts in the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Davis said he worked to bring important changes to the Department of Public Prosecutions and to the operations of the judiciary, 

“His leadership was an important factor in improving conviction rates,” the prime minister said.

“He has contributed wise counsel on a range of complex legal and policy issues. He has shown he can do the hardest and most important thing in government, which is to take a plan on paper and make it real.”

Explaining why he also made Glover-Rolle a substantive minister, the prime minister said she has been “another bright star in this new generation”.

He outlined her list of accomplishments, including her leadership of the first public service-wide promotional exercise in over nine years.

“She has significantly reduced a decades-long backlog of promotions, and resolved hundreds of pending matters related to back pay, gratuities, and other matters,” said Davis, adding that he expects Glover-Rolle to serve with distinction in her new role.

The prime minister also said that Sweeting “achieved much in these two short years”.

“From expanding education and training, to creating the Golden Yolk Programme, reopening packing houses, and investing in vertical farming, cultivation centres, and climate-smart technology, he has moved the industry forward for the country,” Davis said.

As the new Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs, he said Sweeting will oversee the “significant” number of infrastructural projects and upgrades that are underway.

“Pulling Works and Family Island Affairs together makes sense in our government because of the scope of our ambitions for our Family Islands,” Davis said.

“With two new airports already opened, and 14 more to go, and major roadwork’s across multiple islands, we are looking at transformative change.

The prime minister praised Coleby-Davis, saying she “revitalized a housing department that had not built even a single house in years”.

“She wasted no time turning things around, as the proud new homeowners in the Pinecrest and Renaissance developments can confirm,” he said.

As Minister of Energy and Transport, he said she will “do the critical work of bringing together and coordinating experts and teams from throughout our government to tackle our energy transition”.

“As many of you know, she has a background in providing legal counsel in the industry, and understands how to navigate complex negotiations with energy executives and companies,” Davis said

“Minister Coleby-Davis, whose dissertation for her Master’s degree focused on overcoming barriers to renewable energy deployment in The Bahamas, is going to be a formidable advocate for our country as we transition to clean energy.”

She is now the minister responsible for Bahamas Power and Light, the state-owned utility which continues to be significantly challenged.

In his address, the prime minister noted, “Light bills are inflicting a lot of pain across the board, and it’s no exaggeration to say that our country’s never-ending problems with electricity are holding us back.

“This is not an area where small changes will be enough. We need to reform and transform our energy sector.”

Davis also said while other ministers will remain in their substantive posts, there are some changes in portfolios.

He said a full list of responsibilities will be published later.

The prime minister also said as his administration moves forward with the next phase of implementing “Our Blueprint for Change”, some permanent secretaries and civil servants will be in new positions, to reflect efficiencies and expertise. “

It is a fact that if you should shuffle a deck of jokers and pick a card to fill positions; it will only be jokers and basically this is what the prime minister has done.  I feel that it is unfair for me to call all of them “jokers’; so rather they were normal cards in a deck of jokers and became “victims of causality”, sometime you just have to watch with whom you make your bed.

With the end result of the shuffle,” my first question would be, what was the purpose of this shuffle in the first place?

As Fred Mitchell, Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) would put it to put together a good team that is able to the task and I guess that would fall in line with my reason to do it at all and that’s to move certain people from positions of weakness to positions of potential strength but as you look at the spitting up of portfolios like them one once held by Minister Alfred Sears; the Ministry of Work and Utilities, now to the Minister of Works and Family Affairs, now headed by the former Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Clay Sweeting; one is left to wonder exactly what is going on.

Then there is the Hon. Myles LaRoda , formerly the Minister of State in the Prime Minister with responsibilities for National Insurance and ZNS, being stripped of ALL of his engagements; while the likes o Basil McIntosh (WHO?) , is simply shuffled from one position of junior minister to another position of junior minister. This with most people not even knowing if he was still a member of parliament, due=e to his inactivity.

Then we have Keith Bell, whom any reasonable and rational government would have lost on the back bench simp0ly being moved from handing out citizenships, I mean from Immigration to Housing and Urban Development.  I guess he cannot do much mo9re damage here but knowing Keith Bell; he will find a way.

Maybe building shanty towns.

Then there is the Prime Minister of Abaco…..

The PLP fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END