Could a lack of transparency and accountability in the Minnis administration be on full display with the resignation of a fourth Cabinet Minister?
Bahamians throughout the country were left in shock last week Tuesday when now former Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture Lanisha Rolle resigned from the post. She gave no reason for the abrupt resignation but speculation of impropriety on her part began spreading all over social media with a Cabinet office statement noting that “certain matters” had been brought to the Prime Minister’s attention and were being investigated. In tandem with the Cabinet statement, came the social media posts of pictures and videos showing an extravagant home purported to be Rolle’s being built in a gated community, documents declaring Rolle’s paltry financial status at the time of her election to government, and media reports that an audit of the Ministry’s coffers had begun. These gave further rise to those speculations.
It is also alleged that Rolle, who is the member of parliament for the Sea Breeze constituency, was to meet with Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis but skipped out on that meeting, and instead tendered her resignation.
Now Bahamians are aghast at what seems to be a spin effort aimed at silencing their calls for the Minnis administration’s promised accountability and transparency.
In the aftermath of her resignation and the ensuing speculation of scandal with the Ministry’s money, Auditor General Terrence Bastian confirmed that expenditure and contracts with the ministry and the sports authority are being reviewed, yet Prime Minister Minnis went on record to say that Rolle was not a part of the on-going investigation, nor is she herself being investigated. So why did she resign so abruptly? And what specifically are the “certain matters” brought to Dr. Minnis’ attention that are now being investigated? Bahamians also want to know how, in less than four years, is the former Minister who had less than $5,000 in her bank account upon coming to office able to afford such an extravagant home to the tune of a half million dollars?
