By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE supposed dismissal of a high-ranking Bridge Authority executive was yesterday condemned by Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Fred Mitchell.

In a statement released yesterday afternoon, Mr Mitchell said he had received confirmation the Minnis administration dismissed the managing director of the Bridge Authority.

Mr Mitchell claimed the executive received a "direct phone call" from Works Minister Desmond Bannister yesterday morning, informing the manager of the termination forthwith and without explanation.

When contacted by The Tribune for comment on the claim, Mr Bannister refused to comment.

Last week, The Tribune reported Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis ordered a probe into the contract of an unnamed executive at the agency.

It is understood that days before the May 10 general election, the former Christie administration added an addendum to the executive's contractual agreement outlining no fixed termination date and specifying there was to be no less than three years' notice in the event of termination.

The contract is reportedly worth nearly $100,000.

Dr Minnis, while speaking to The Tribune on the revelation, said he was "deeply disturbed and annoyed" by the practice and hinted the government was seeking to cancel the contract, charging that anyone who feels the Minnis administration is wrong can "take us to court.

"If any government is allowed to get away with something like this, where is the fairness in democracy? How is it acceptable to essentially contract someone to work for the government for life? It's like they tried to contract people for life," Dr Minnis said last week.

However, in a critique of the move not yet confirmed by the government, Mr Mitchell said: "This makes at least 2,503 people that are known to have been dismissed by the FNM administration from the public sector since they came to power."

The former Fox Hill MP added: "The number is almost certainly more but we know that the government has admitted to firing 2,500 up to November last year since they came to power.

"Since that admission was made by the FNM government, two have been fired in Eleuthera and now this one this morning.

"Another professional has been shabbily and summarily treated by the people's time government. The law will have to take its course. The government may cost taxpayers lots of money as a result of these actions."

Mr Mitchell said the act adds to the "stories of deceits, lies and obfuscations" of the Minnis administration.

"The PLP condemns this dismissal. We extend our sympathy to the former manager. We stand with you," Mr Mitchell's statement concluded.

Last Friday, the Department of Statistics revealed jobs in the government sector decreased by 2,555 people from 40,990 to 38,435, or by some 6.3 percent. This is according to a labour force survey conducted between October 30, 2017 and November 6, 2017.

The data also showed the country's unemployment number slightly increased from 9.9 percent to 10.1 percent during the period in question.