The Director of Communications and Public Affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Robert Nesta Morgan, has been appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
Morgan was sworn in as a Senator and Parliamentary Secretary in the OPM during a ceremony at Kings House on Thursday afternoon, by Governor General, Sir Patrick Allen.
He is expected to also take the oath of office when the Senate meets on Friday.
This means the Government will again have its full slate of 13 senators, following the resignation in March, of former Education Minister, Ruel Reid, as both minister and senator.
Morgan has no legislative experience but has served in the OPM since the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) returned to Government after the February 2016 General Elections.
He has controversially expressed an interest in the North Central Clarendon seat in Parliament, much to the displeasure of the sitting Member of Parliament for the constituency, House Speaker Pearnel Charles Sr.
Reid’s resignation, which paved the way for Morgan to be appointed to the upper chamber of Parliament, came less than two days after the parliamentary Opposition urged the Auditor General to immediately investigate allegations of breaches and misuse of public funds at the Ministry of Education, the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) and the HEART Trust-NTA.
Several investigations are presently underway with respect to the developments that led to Reid’s downfall.
