The Mistreatment Of Rhoda Jackson

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Darren Henfield dismissed as nonsense the claim in the media that Rhoda Jackson who up until two weeks or so ago was the Acting Permanent Secretary had been moved from the job because she fussed out the Haitian envoy. The envoy made some comments about the Bahamian government’s decisions to move the shanty towns. That this story did the rounds is not surprising given the way the whole business of moving Miss Jackson to her new job as Acting P S at the Ministry of Sports was handled.  Mr. Henfield then washed his hands and said that it was the Prime Minister who moves P S’s around.  That is all fine and good but it is inconceivable that the PS of such professional standing or any PS for that matter would be moved from her job without the concurrence, nay even the active participation of the Minister.  So that doesn’t wash.  When Ms Jackson left the office there were tears in some quarters and others rejoiced.  We say this.  This lady is the consummate professional.  She is a stickler for order and sticking the rules.  So whatever it was that causes her to be in Elba at the Ministry of Sports, it must have been something serious.  No matter what spin they put on it, it was not something that they perceived to be good.  We did not think she should have left the job in Geneva to come home to Nassau to deal with the deficient bureaucracy in Foreign Affairs, particularly the offices dealing with personnel and finances.  It just didn’t make sense and was an accident waiting to happen.   But of course it may have been an offer that could not have been refused.  Here she was given the opportunity of a life time to take the head post in a profession in which she had worked from the bottom.  Having now accepted it, the Government, the Minister, and the Prime Minister have embarrassed his woman in public and there is nothing they can say that will resolve that impression.  There was no good reason that they can disclose as to why they did it. This good Gospel Hall woman has been unnecessarily embarrassed, all because someone fell down on their job and we bet it was not her.  If she had to be moved, there is way you do things.  But these folks are so insensitive to people’s feelings and so full of self-righteousness that you cannot tell them anything.  They have 35 and the PLP has four remember.  That makes them geniuses.  Anyway, the Gospel Hall people are praying for this government.  We can tell you that for sure.   Ms. Jackson is now going to manage, the madness of a Minister.  Lanisha Rolle, fired from her job at Social Services because of her incompetence and now full of hubris is going to muck up the works at Sports Youth and Culture.   Lanisha Rolle is walking disaster.  If they thought that Ms. Jackson didn’t manage well at Foreign Affairs where she knew everything in and out, God help her at sports with that Minister there.   If Ms Jackson doesn’t stand when the Minister enters the room, she will be in trouble.  We pray that all will be well with Ms. Jackson.