EdwardsJENNIFER EDWARDS, Member of Parliament for South West St. Catherine was yesterday appointed Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson.
Ms. Edwards who won her seat in the December 1997 general election, replaces Dr. Fenton Ferguson who has been shifted to the Ministry of Transport and Works.
Even though this is her first ministerial appointment, Ms. Edwards is no stranger to leadership positions. She was Mayor of Spanish Town and chairman of the St. Catherine Parish Council between 1990 and 1997 when she campaigned and was elected as Member of Parliament on a People's National Party (PNP) ticket.
Prime Minister Patterson was forced to shift around key personnel in his Cabinet following the resignation last week Thursday of Dr. Karl Blythe as Water and Housing Minister. He resigned in the wake of the Operation PRIDE, National Housing Development Corporation (NHDC) controversy. He was accused of acting improperly, routinely interfering in the day-to-day management of PRIDE schemes and flouting basic guidelines.
The accusations were contained in the damning report of the Erwin Angus-led investigative commission which conducted a six-week probe of Operation PRIDE/NHDC. The four-member commission uncovered cost overruns of $1.3 billion on 21 of 111 PRIDE schemes. The commissioners also charged that the Minister pressured NHDC officers into making payments to contractors.
Dr. Blythe was replaced by Labour and Social Security Minister Donald Buchanan. Dean Peart, former state minister for Transport and Works took over from Buchanan at the Labour Ministry, his first full ministerial post .
Meantime Norman Grant, Chairman of the Jamaica 4H Club and President of the St. Andrew Branch of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) has been appointed Senator. He replaces Janet Madden who recently resigned from the Senate. According to Information Minister Colin Campbell, Ms Madden is "doing some overseas representation" which will keep her off the island for an extended period. He was unable to say which Government agency she is representing.
Following Cabinet approval next Monday, Mr. Patterson will announce the replacement for Michael Vascianna as chairman of the NHDC Board. The entire NHDC Board resigned last week following the release of the scathing report from the Angus Commission which criticised the way they handled their oversighht responsibilities at the agency.
