JUNIOR Opposition Spokesman on Agriculture Devon McDaniel complained on Wednesday that Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke and his junior minister, Errol Ennis, were not performing, and called for their impeachment.

McDaniel told the House of Representatives that both ministers had failed to uphold the mission of the ministry, which is to increase and sustain the contribution of the agricultural sector to the economic growth and development of Jamaica, through optimal use of land and other natural resources.

“Based on the ministers’ performance, this mission statement is an indictment, and the minister and state minister should be impeached with immediate effect,” he said.

“It is full time that we start to demand performance of cabinet ministers, or the axe of impeachment will be around the corner.”

McDaniel said that it was clear that neither minister was needed, and suggested that “the Cabinet portion of their salaries could serve the country best if allocated to the MPs’ SESP (funds).”

But McDaniel, MP for South Trelawny who was speaking in the sectoral debate in the House of Representatives, made it clear that if he had his way, a number of other government ministers and officials would also be impeached.

He said that impeachment of high officials – elected Parliamentarians or non-elected officials – is the traditional parliamentary process for dealing with a range of offences which are neither violations of criminal or civil laws, but are serious enough to have far-reaching impact.

McDaniel said that while he did not intend to spell out the broad process of impeachment, it should include, among other things, failure to carry out a responsibility of great importance with which the individual is charged, corruption and bringing the office held by the individual into public disrepute.

And although he did not name him, he suggested that Minister of Finance and Planning Dr Omar Davies should also be impeached.

“The boaster in Meadowbrook should be impeached. He is the reason why the country is in a state of disrepair. How can one overspend the people’s limited resources to win an election and then boast about it? And to add more insult to injury, he announces his intention to lead one of the nation’s (political) parties. This a travesty of justice and should not be allowed,” McDaniel said.