Wednesday, February 26, 2025
By JADE RUSSELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
THE appointment of former Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade as permanent secretary in the Ministry of Immigration and National Insurance, despite his lack of ministerial experience, undermines the Davis administration’s claim that some retirees are being rehired due to a lack of succession planning, Free National Movement chairman Dr Duane Sands said yesterday.
He called for greater transparency about who has been appointed to such senior roles, saying Mr Greenslade’s appointment shows that political factors –– not expertise –– influence some decisions to rehire retirees.
He accused the administration of making excuses to justify rehiring retirees, arguing that qualified civil servants are being denied opportunities for advancement in favour of individuals who will serve the government’s agenda.
“These are political appointees, primarily,” he said, adding that many civil servants feel gutted, disappointed, and betrayed by continuously being overlooked.
The Davis administration has faced backlash after Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle revealed in the House of Assembly that 491 retirees had been rehired, with 480 receiving both a pension and a salary.
In a statement on Friday, she clarified 213 of the re-employed workers were from the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
She has insisted that rehiring retirees happens because ministries lack succession planning. She said people with technical and administrative experience are often rehired to preserve institutional knowledge and temporarily fill gaps until suitable replacements are found.
However, Mr Greenslade, who previously served as Commissioner of Police, was appointed Permanent Secretary without having worked in the Ministry of Immigration or the National Insurance Board.
Dr Sands said he has no personal issue with Mr Greenslade and acknowledged his “exceptional” public service.
“When I raised the question, they had just ousted a career officer from immigration under great controversial circumstances,” he said.
“To now say that there was not a fit and proper person to be found anywhere in the public service who could be PS at Immigration, that is absolutely not true.”
He suggested that former Immigration Director Clarence Russell could have been a suitable candidate for the role, adding that many up-and-coming civil servants are also qualified.
Comments
BONEFISH says...
Dr. Sands only gets part of the story, Clarence Russell was a police superintendent when he was appointed chief passport officer. He was subsequently made Director of Immigration under the Minnis administration There is complaints against him by persons in the immigration department. He never worked in that department until he was made director. Of course, the media here simply write what Dr. Sands said.
The people in the know still remember the disastrous performance of Marlon Johnson as the acting financial secretary. Let Dr. Sands tell you how much he was paid for subpar performance.
Also let Dr. Sands tell you, the honest opinion of one of his fellow cabinet minister opinion of Johnson performance as financial secretary.
Posted 26 February 2025, 8:45 a.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
When both political parties do the same foolishness, it is hard to take sides.
The PLP will only respond that when the FNM was in power, they appointed their friends, families and lovers to positions of power. Whether it was 10 under one and 100 under the other, both are compromised and lack credibility to criticize the other. Hence the stupid recycling of accusations and retorts on both sides.
That is why pot cannot call kettle black.
Posted 26 February 2025, 10:30 a.m. Suggest removal
ExposedU2C says...
This is exactly what makes Sands and Pintard so weak in the political arena. They both have a tendency to stoop to the same tit-for-tat or two-wrongs-make-a-right nonsense that has always plagued the corrupt PLP. We need politicians possessed of stature, statesmanship, and common sense. This tired old finger pointing needs to stop as it accomplishes nothing for struggling Bahamians.
Posted 26 February 2025, 10:55 a.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
**Both political T-shirt colours succession planning** should be more focused on the movements of Trump and HIS South African Elon who's done captured Exuma and **not a single RBDF Gun Boat** had left Coral Harbour. -- **Who are we to turn to** now that we can't more than 37.7% rely on the UK Navy to defend us out islanders anymore. -- Yes?
Posted 26 February 2025, 7:22 p.m. Suggest removal
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