Minnis says National Security Minister should have been fired for sexual consent comments
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday lashed the Davis administration for it poor management of crime and excessive travel since coming into office.
Minnis was contributing to debate in Parliament on the compendium of criminal justice bills and also called for the resignation of Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe.
He insisted that the government is overseeing a spectacular failure to keep Bahamians safe and does not have a plan for the crime fight and has been inactive on the issue.
As he lashed the government on the high crime rate and record murders in March, Minnis pointed to the government’s constant traveling and insisted the administration seemed to have been caught off guard by the increase in crime.
“While the Prime Minister was all over the place travelling with large delegations on very expensive trips in the early months of his term, things fell apart in our crime response,” Minnis said.
“The man Bahamians entrusted with power to lead them and keep them safe has thus far failed in his most fundamental duty to our people.”
He noted that while reports of crime were ”getting out of control”, the prime minister was “often out of the country”.
“Perhaps he could not grasp or see what was happening on the ground because he was often in midair…”
Minnis said while the “New Day Government is very, very good at spending taxpayer money taking all kinds of people on trips all over the world”, it is “poor at is having a plan to make the lives of Bahamians better”.
“When it comes to crime management, in the first seven months of their term, they have earned an F grade,” he said.
“Sadly, it does not surprise Bahamians that the governing side has no clear and comprehensive crime policy.”
You’re Fired
The former prime minister also hit out at the minister of national security for the management of crime and for recent comments regarding the sentencing of a 40-year-old man for unlawful sexual intercourse of a 14-year-old girl.
Minnis said Munroe seems to be acting more like a criminal defense lawyer, than a national security minister, “saying whatever he wants whenever he wants, instead of acting with greater collective responsibility”.
“The comments by the Member for Freetown were unbecoming of a member of the Cabinet, and even more unbecoming of the Minister of National Security,” Minnis continued.
“They caused great offense. The prime minister should have fired the Member of Freetown from his Cabinet.”
Minnis blasted Davis’ defense of Munroe, particularly that Davis said he didn’t believe the situation warranted a resignation.
He accused the prime minister of “protecting a minister who wants to go easier on criminals”.
“The Prime Minister must do better than this,” Minnis said.
“The Minister of National Security has lost the confidence of the Bahamian people. He needs to go. The prime minister needs to find a new national security minister to lead the crime fight.”
Minnis noted that Munroe’s initial appointment to the position was question given his
“Given his outlandish comments and how he has comported himself, the Prime Minister made the wrong judgment on his choice of Minister of National Security,” he added.
“The minister’s conduct reflects fully now on the Prime Minister who recommended the appointment, and who continues to support the Member for Freetown in this critical position.”
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