A few short weeks after former General Manager of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation Geoffrey Stuart was fired in a controversial round of terminations, the Bahama Journal has learnt that BAIC has a new interim general manager.
Luther Smith, senior executive to the prime minister and former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has signed at least one letter as GM.
A source close to the government told the Journal today that Mr. Smith’s position is not permanent and that the Prime Minister has put him in place to “clean shop” at the corporation while a permanent general manager is chosen.
Trade and Industry Minister Leslie Miller confirmed Mr. Smith’s position this afternoon.
“He is just seeing to it that the functions necessary are being carried out,” Minister Miller said. “He is setting the right course.”
The Minister said that a permanent general manager will be chosen by the end of the month. He said, “We have a number of applicants.”
Mr. Smith was not in office this morning to comment on his new appointment.
Under the former government, he was relieved of his duties as permanent secretary.
The former BAIC GM, Mr. Stuart, was among seven employees of the corporation who were either fired or whose positions were made redundant.
But six of those employees have since been reinstated.
At the time, the former general manager said, “I resigned because a certain amount of pressure was brought to me. I was receiving certain communications that my presence was not appreciated.”
The firings had thrust Holy Cross MP Sidney Stubbs into the spotlight. Mr. Stubbs has since been confirmed as Chairman of the Corporation, although Prime Minister Christie has not made the announcement.
Mr. Christie said week before last that he would make the announcement when Minister Miller returned from a meeting in Brussels . But that announcement has not been made.
Minister Miller said that the announcement should be made by next week and was only further delayed because Godfrey Eneas, the new Deputy Chairman, is out of town.
The government had originally intended for Caleb Outten, the PLP’s defeated candidate for the Eight Mile Rock Constituency, to be the deputy chairman.
“We picked a new one,” Minister Miller said. “We can’t have two. We just wanted to have a dynamic board.”
Minister Miller has said that BAIC is debt-ridden and its staff needed to be “realigned.” The corporation is almost tantamount to Bahamasair, he said.
“It has been losing money over the years,” he said. “It is not self sufficient or self sustaining.”
According to the Minister, the Corporation has an overdraft of $500,000 and an annual budget of about $1.6 million, with $1.2 million going to salaries.
Other members of the BAIC board expected to be announced by the Prime Minister are Paula Gibson, of AG Electric Company; Ricardo Treco, General Manager of Master Technician; Donna Smith, a realtor; Roosevelt Godet Sr., of Godet’s Jewelry; and Simon Rhodeen, a landscaper.
By Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
