Nearly four months after she resigned as Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Seabreeze Member of Parliament Lanisha Rolle is breaking her silence and claims she was bullied during her time as a female cabinet minister but her government did not protect her.
“Did persons try to bully me as a young female minister? Nobody asked me until now. Of course. Was I protected against the bullying? Maybe not but I stood my ground even if I stood alone and today I am where I am and it is what it is,” Rolle said during her contribution to the budget debate in the House of Assembly on Tuesday afternoon.
Following her resignation, Rolle neither Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis would speak on the circumstances surrounding her departure. However, there was speculation that the Auditor General delivered a scathing audit of her ministry.
Minnis added fuel to the fire when Cabinet Office announced that certain matters had been brought to his attention that warranted an investigation.
“I rely on the good Auditor General to say if any transaction under my tenure and at my approval was contrary to the rules,” Rolle said.
“One side of the story is good until the other is heard, that is if you wanna hear it.”
Rolle also slammed the Free National Movement (FNM) for cutting her loose and giving the Seabreeze nomination to Colina employee Maxine Seymour even after Rolle had already begun erecting re-election billboards in her constituency.
“My every intention was to continue to serve the people of Seabreeze,” according to Rolle.
“We could have and should have done some things differently. We should have allowed the constituents to say whether I should have returned.”
In a surprising turn of events, the FNM MP also praised Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) leader Philip Brave Davis who she said has her respect.
“To the MP for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador, I say publicly, I appreciate the strength in politics you have demonstrated notwithstanding the trials in politics you have endured. No matter what they called you, you kept on serving and not one day I heard you accuse another colleague of anything that would damage their political career. I’ve never heard it. I guess who feels it knows it.”
“For this degree of political maturity, acumen and decorum, you have earned my respect but experience has been my greatest teacher.”
House Speaker Halson Moultrie praised Rolle for her contribution.
“It’s a matter of respect,” he said.
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