KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Karl Samuda, has been assigned to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, following the resignation of Ruel Reid from the Cabinet and Senate.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness made the disclosure during the sitting of the House of Representatives this evening.

He said the Government is serious about addressing matters related to governance, allegations of corruption, and maladministration, noting that issues have been raised in the public domain, which resulted in him meeting with Reid this morning.

“After that conversation, it appeared to me that given the sensitivity of the ministry… that the best thing to do would be for the Minister to tender his resignation,” he said.

According to a release from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Reid’s resignation will ensure that any investigation into matters of concern will not be in any way impeded by his presence or oversight of the ministry.

“Our job now as an Administration is to ensure that there is no impediment and that there is no obstruction and that there is transparency. I believe that the action taken would strengthen the system of our democracy, so that there is transparency,” Holness stressed.

He explained that part of the role of the OPM is to ensure that every ministry is properly run.

“My office will undertake a review of the Ministry of Education. We don’t expect to be doing that review for more than a month or two. It is a large ministry and we will be doing a full review,” the prime minster said.

“How I view my job is from the point of view of ensuring that the principles of good governance are institutionalised in every ministry. So once I see there is a problem that signals a governance issue, a breakdown in supervision and oversight by a minister, then I have to intervene and ensure that those problems are not systemic or deep-rooted, and if they are, to correct them.”

Meanwhile, the prime minister said a new Senator should be appointed by Sunday, when he returns from an overseas trip where he will meet with US President Donald Trump.