Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis is set to announce the appointment of Senator Kwasi Thompson as Minister of State for Finance after Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar turned down Minnis’ offer to become Minister of Finance.
According to OPM insiders, D’Aguilar, who owns Super Wash and is a former Chamber of Commerce President, did not want the headache of becoming Finance Minister during the current economic crisis.
Minnis was also rejected by Chairman of the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation Patrick Ward, whom he offered to swear in as a Senator and Minister of State for Finance.
After striking out twice, Minnis convinced Thompson to become Minister of State. Minnis will bring on veteran banker Nathaniel Beneby as a consultant to coach Thompson and bring him up to speed on the nation’s finances.
The debacle has made Minnis a laughing stock among his peers who are left to question whether he is incapable of finding qualified people to help steer the country through these tough economic times.
Minnis has lost both his Minister of Health and his Minister of Finance during the Covid-19 pandemic, a time when trusted and proven leadership is needed more than ever.
However, those two keys roles are being filled by an electrical engineer and a rookie politician who have both been rewarded for staying loyal to Minnis when he was labeled a failed leader by the majority of his parliamentary team and ousted as Opposition Leader.