Lanisha lashes back at ousting

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net 

SEABREEZE MP Lanisha Rolle unloaded about her experience as a Cabinet minister in the House of Assembly yesterday, using her contribution to the budget debate to defend her conduct in office, to discuss the sexism she experienced and to lament the Free National Movement’s decision to deny her a nomination in the next general election.

Mrs Rolle resigned from Cabinet in February. The Cabinet Office released a statement saying certain information had been brought to the attention of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

Yesterday, Mrs Rolle said the statement caused her hurt and harm.

“In case anyone stands to assume that I was under some investigation and this is the reason for my not being nominated, I requested further clarification of the statement made by the Cabinet which incorrectly insinuated that my resignation was as the result of some investigation,” she said. “The good member for Killarney (Dr Minnis) clarified in a public statement to the press that there was no investigation concerning this member. I thank him.

“Sometimes, however, what you give to the world you cannot take back. Appreciating the hurt and harm this has caused me and I do not wish on any other, I will endeavour to guard my words here so as not to damage the character of any member here, to hurt their family, their livelihoods, their character or reputation. I have three children, I have a husband, I have a mother and I have a father like everyone else here. I say no more on that.”

Mrs Rolle insisted she did nothing improper, noting that neither the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture nor her previous ministry, the Ministry of Social Services, “kept money.”

“I gave approvals only on that which were in accordance with the Cabinet’s manual of responsibility, the government of The Bahamas’ General Orders, particularly following sections nine and ten on the rules of conflict of interest and procedures specified in the Financial Administration and Audit Act as amended in 2010,” she said.

“Ministers don’t sign cheques, ministers don’t hold cheques. No ministry I kept held money. Every financial transaction of a minister is either based on a recommendation by the permanent secretary and, in the case of statutory bodies, on the recommendation of a board.

“Financial transactions in government are subject to a strict process and no ministry I held had large budgets to do anything. It was austerity for some. Nevertheless, what was spent on necessary projects were recommended by the relevant authorities, approved by this minister when or where I was satisfied that policies were followed and authorisation was given by the ministry of Finance and payments issued through and by the Public Treasury. I rely on the good auditor general to say if any transaction under my tenure and at my approval was contrary to the rules.”

Mrs Rolle said if there were concerns about transactions in her ministry, those concerns should have been brought to her attention.

“If a challenge arose with respect to any transaction of a ministry, which is expected in the operations of any business or administration…then the minister should be the first to be apprised to address the matter. One day in this Westminster system, I’ll say it while I can. . .we will show respect for each other as we do those of a different colour and gender in some instances. Pulling down, destroying each other, has no place in a better Bahamas and, as for me, I refuse to be a part of the nonsense.

“Criticism and unwarranted suspicion are clouds over every political and leadership office,” she added. “Every one of us are held in suspicion…we ignore some though and we make a mockery of others who we feel are not worthy of being protected.”

The Tribune understands that Dr Minnis ordered a lockdown of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture after people affiliated with the National Sports Authority expressed concerns to him about operations at the NSA.

Mrs Rolle said in performing her duties, she tried to ensure that projects were completed on schedule and on budget. She said she encountered many unexplained cost overruns at Urban Renewal and the National Sports Authority.

She said: “Did persons try to bully me as a young female minister? Nobody asked me until now. Of course. Was I protected against the bullying? Maybe not. But I stood my ground even if I stood alone and today I am where I am and it is what it is.”

When news broke about Mrs Rolle’s resignation from Cabinet, people circulated images of her house on social media and cast aspersions on her character.

Addressing this yesterday, she said: “I don’t know why all the members that sit in this place that have homes, cars and are building homes and other projects, why one would go so far as sending a drone over a house under construction and under mortgage. Ministers receive a minimum remuneration of $99,000 per annum and I am sure I was the least among the many. Some received housing allowance and additional allowance but surely one can use their funds and that of their family as they see fit without being unduly, unjustifiably accused.”

Mrs Rolle said she intended to continue as MP for Seabreeze and expressed confidence that she would have won if renominated. She said her party’s decision not to renominate her has caused turbulence in her constituency.

She said after she was not ratified by March 12, she wrote to the FNM to say she will not seek renomination.

“The constant humiliation and distraction were not helpful at a time when we needed to focus on the growing instances of murder and violent crime and joblessness and homelessness and other pressing issues and COVID-19 and vaccines and masks,” she said. “I told the party in submitting this letter to go and find your best candidate that can top 3,500 votes, to work for that, over the one woman that bore the burden to represent the female gender and agenda for our country in the Cabinet and outside for nearly four years under the most extraordinary and unprecedented circumstances. I don’t stand here to say I’m perfect, but the facts speak for themselves and so much work must be worth something.”

She told a story of a constituent who approached her two years ago and told her she was not given the support previous male MPs in that constituency had received.

“This was my maiden voyage and the help and support…I thought I would receive was not forthcoming, but I pressed on with the team and today I am proud of our accomplishments,” she said.

She called for an increase in salaries for parliamentarians.

“I sat as a senator and attending every event as a dignitary, drafting and preparing and bringing remarks, attending Parliament for days on end, etc. at a salary of $250 per week is a salary structure that requires urgent review,” she said. “Senators work hard too. As a senator, citizens also look for assistance similar to their requests for members of Parliament and it is no reasonable answer to say one knows the salary before they take the job. As a human resource specialist, it is standard practice that the salary be commensurate with the job and vice versa and national office should be held in more respectable regard in my view.”

Mrs Rolle also said the government should have increased the allocations to MPs given the challenge posed by COVID-19.

“To my mind, adjustments should have been made to operations in capital budgets to strengthen the direct assistance to constituents by members of Parliament,” she said. “The reality is most if not all members of Parliament had to spend of their own resources, whether directly or indirectly, to meet the great demand of the people during these most challenging and unprecedented times. If they were given the resources the MPs could’ve provided, to my mind, for the government a more personal touch that the people could feel and appreciate. “As it stands now, notwithstanding the government’s multiple assistance programme, including food assistance…the people’s cry is either that (the) COVID-19 relief programme is inadequate, not reaching the masses or the provision is simply not enough compared to their degree of hardship.”

Comments

Clamshell says...

If The Tribune is truly concerned with “sexism”, it should halt the practice of referring to females by their first name in their headlines, especially when they’re of the MP level.

Referring to her as “Lanisha” in the headline is the heighth of sexism; after all, they don’t refer to Dr. Minnis as “Hubert” in their headlines. Grow up, Tribune. This isn’t high school.

Posted 9 June 2021, 9:21 a.m. Suggest removal

thephoenix562 says...

Thank you.

Posted 9 June 2021, 10:52 a.m. Suggest removal

themessenger says...

I must have missed something in the reading of it. Other than the opening sentence, I can’t find a single instance where the reporter has referred to her as anything other than Mrs Rolle.
Storm in a tea cup!

Posted 10 June 2021, 6:17 a.m. Suggest removal

Clamshell says...

Read the headline: “Lanisha Lashes Back at Ouster” ... the issue is the headlines.

Posted 10 June 2021, 6:33 a.m. Suggest removal

pt_90 says...

With all do respect this is nonsense.

Dionisio: Health Visa Purchases Rise
http://www.tribune242.com/news/2021/jun…

Obie Back To Fight Election
http://www.tribune242.com/news/2021/may…

Branville And Gibson In Dispute Over ‘Debt’
http://www.tribune242.com/news/2021/feb…

Are they all women?

Posted 9 June 2021, 12:19 p.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

We've really never been sure how Obie should be addressed. lol

Posted 9 June 2021, 2:25 p.m. Suggest removal

DWW says...

unconscious bias

Posted 9 June 2021, 1:53 p.m. Suggest removal

pt_90 says...

I sent articles of men being called their first names and can find more.

..Perry will be on time..
tribune242.com/news/2016/dec/30/comics-…

Fnm:'Copycat Fred Is Late Again' -
tribune242.com/news/2009/feb/23/fnmcopy…

I can show you women being called their last names.

This last was a quote but parties name-calling with the MPs first name shows how commonplace it is in society. The Tribune is just reflecting that. Call it disrespectful or inappropriate but not sexist or unconscious bias.

Its something done in The Bahamas to MPs of any genders at times. The PM of the UK is commonly referred to as Boris in the press and he welcomes it. Macron on the other hand does not want to be called Emmanuel.

Posted 9 June 2021, 2:22 p.m. Suggest removal

Sickened says...

I can't wait to see the back of this egotistical trouble maker.

Posted 9 June 2021, 9:31 a.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

I say the same thing about Minnis and all of the trouble and misery he has caused the Bahamian people since May 2017.

Posted 9 June 2021, 10:27 a.m. Suggest removal

bahamianson says...

Sexism? Get a life. Go to America with that crap. Oh, it is the FNM , so BLM, the FNM is a racist party even though the PLP has caucasians in their party. FNM is xenophobic also and a bigot. What other adjectives do you want to use? Get over yourself and move on. Actually, just because they did not pick you, just take your ball and go home.

Posted 9 June 2021, 9:35 a.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

Minnis is as sexist as they come, as are many others in his cabinet. But it seems Lanisha Rolle was willing to endure the sexism directed her way so long as she was allowed to remain on the gravy train. I can just hear Minnis leading the chorus for some of his more sexist ministers that "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned".

Posted 9 June 2021, 10:41 a.m. Suggest removal

stislez says...

Smh, most women always play the victim and blame men for their downfalls.

Posted 9 June 2021, 10:58 a.m. Suggest removal

BahamasForBahamians says...

Good riddance Lanisha..

You were the worst they come

Posted 9 June 2021, 11:21 a.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

Damn. The FNM is falling apart. I wonder if the FNM sees the problem yet. This woman was a pitbull for minnis, and now look. If anyone in that party has to go its minnis. Damn.

Ah well, she was horrible, no loss there...

Bye Felicia...

Posted 9 June 2021, 12:03 p.m. Suggest removal

ohdrap4 says...

She printed a medal with her face in it.
When archeologists find it 500 years from now, they will say she was the first Bahamian empress.

Posted 9 June 2021, 12:08 p.m. Suggest removal

Clamshell says...

LMAO!

Posted 9 June 2021, 12:21 p.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

Disagree. Those archeologists 500 years from now will first find the huge bronze statues of Minnis as the almighty First Supreme Ruler of The Bahamas. These statues will be donated by the Communist Chinese Party to the Bahamian people and erected throughout The Bahamas once Minnis 'sells' what remains of The Bahamas to the ruthlessly evil Communist Chinese regime led by Xi Jinping. The statues will no doubt be twice the size of the ones that Saddam Hussein erected of himself throughout Iraq's major cities.

Posted 9 June 2021, 2:05 p.m. Suggest removal

DWW says...

Hubris may help here.

Posted 9 June 2021, 1:54 p.m. Suggest removal

Clamshell says...

Good luck. Most of the crew here probably think “Hubris” is the PM from North Andros.

Posted 9 June 2021, 2:20 p.m. Suggest removal

jackbnimble says...

To say she should be given props for representing women as the sole female in cabinet is nonsense. To the contrary, Mrs Rolle missed a golden opportunity to make an impact. Janet Bostwick was kind enough to blaze the trail but she missed the mark. Her tenure was instead marred by controversy and scandal. There is nothing about it to be proud of. The people dislike her intensely and are happy to see her gone.

Every rope gat an end. She WILL NOT be missed!

Posted 9 June 2021, 2:27 p.m. Suggest removal

BONEFISH says...

She should never have received a nomination much less be appointed a cabinet minister. Her performance was horrible, vindictive and arrogant. Her nomination was the result of an arrangement between Dr. Minnis and Carl Bethel.

A next one of Dr.Minnis's many poor decisions and mistakes. He does not listen to sound advice.

Posted 9 June 2021, 5:28 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

**Not politically smart to be lockin' in on** rungin' the general election bell when **the Institute for Trust** survey released on Tuesday puts support for the Premiership Mr. Minnis at just 3 percentage points ahead of Comrade Sister Lanisha, and tied with the performance of House Speaker Dewitt Halson, **the lowest approval rating** of any of the realm's **57** years premierships, yes?

Posted 9 June 2021, 5:51 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

Y’all must realize by now who is running this country. Minnis is just a puppet being manipulated by mass. And massa still don’t like the slaves on the plantation. Why are so many Bahamians dying of cancer, especially over the last two years? Where is Marvin Smith? Who shot up tge car with eight Bahamians and killed six? What about the house ion the Eastern Road? Who is really fueling the violence between Bahamians? Is Corona really a mystery virus that they don’t know where it came from and can’t they really not control it? What is really in these vaccines ( over 12 brands ‘created’ in a matter of months but still can’t find a cure for cancer and AIDS) and why are they trying to force you to take it? Why is the mad scientist, Fauci telling Americans and this side of the world that the more deadly and dangerous Delta virus is headed this way and, ‘you have to take the vaccine.’ We shall all not sleep…

Posted 10 June 2021, 6:07 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

Whatever happened to the Zika and Chikungunya viruses? Remember how they destroyed the Olympics in Brazil with the fear of the latter one? Then it just disappeared. Just after the Olympics.

Posted 10 June 2021, 6:36 a.m. Suggest removal

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