By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday that Prime Minister Perry Christie should have fired National Insurance Board Charmian Gregory Moss “months” ago, instead of waiting until his “back was against the wall.”

Dr Minnis said while he agrees that Mr Moss should be terminated, he is not pleased the Prime Minister waited this long to do so.

“Mr Moss needed to go. It’s about time, but why did it take such a long time for it to happen? Why should he have to be forced to do what is right when everything was staring you in your face a long time ago,” he said.

“He should have done this months ago and Mr Moss was destroying the National Insurance Board and he waits until Mr Moss said something about him to fire him. It was a long time coming. The Free National Movement has been clear and consistent in its position that for multiple reasons Mr Moss should be relieved of his duties as Chairman. Our view is that he has abused his office. Every statement issued by the FNM has been aimed at holding Chairman Moss accountable for the unacceptable manner in which he and his board have governed the affairs of NIB.”

Dr Minnis also said, however, that he sympathizes with Mr Moss and if what he is saying about the Prime Minister is correct, Mr Christie “needs to go” as well.

“The question now is should Mr Christie go? If Greg Moss still has the card and the Prime Minister said he didn’t, then the Prime Minister is speaking untruths. You cannot have the nation’s leader telling the untruths, he needs to go as well. If Mr Christie was misinformed then fine. He needs to fire whoever misinformed him,” he said.

In a statement, Mr Moss said that remarks previously made by Mr Christie concerning an NIB-issued credit card were not true. In earlier interviews, Mr Christie said Mr Moss no longer had an NIB credit card, however Mr Moss confirmed that he did have a corporate platinum visa card that was given to him by former NIB Director Algernon Cargill.

Mr Moss, however,` said he only used the card for “offical NIB business.”