When elected to public office, all officials must be transparent and act solely in the interests of the people, says former Chief Justice of Barbados Sir David Simmons.
He told this to Members of Parliament, Government ministers and other holders of public positions during the Rotary Club of Barbados South’s 32nd annual Anniversary Charter Night And Vocational Service Awards on Wednesday night.
Sir David, in giving the feature, listed seven qualities which he said were vital to those seeking public office: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
“Ministers should be as open as possible in Parliament and to the people concerning actions and decisions which they made . . . . If you are a minister, you have to give up any directorship which you have. If you are a board chairman and the chairmanship of that board is likely to put you in an awkward position with a company, you have to get rid of the interest,” the former Attorney General said.
Sir David also warned public figures about their public and private associations, which he said could be misinterpreted, while insisting that those on statutory boards also needed to abide by certain rules and regulations.
He recalled that in the 1980s he resigned as chairman of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) after he and the minister in charge could not agree on whether to separate the accounting of the station’s television and radio arms.
Value for money
“Board members have a duty to ensure that public funds are safeguarded and that the entity at all times conducts its operations in such a way that the entity gets value for money,” he said.
He said though he lost his seat in the general elections which followed, that was not important.
“What was important was that the board was being asked to take a decision well knowing that the consequence of that decision was certain financial ruin for CBC,” he said.
The vocational service awards were also attended by Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson, who is a patron of the club.
The honorees included Jenny Tryhane, founder of the United Caribbean Trust; Dr Adrian Lorde, president of the Barbados Sports Medicine Association; and Rudy Gibbons, former executive director of the Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity. (TG)
