So Major General (Ret’d) Antony Anderson has received the nod to head the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA). Over 100 people applied for the job and he was one of the narrowed seven who were finally examined. He emerged at the top of the heap, but there is still anxiety among some people that Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s fingers were on the scale of the appointment and that caused him to emerge as the preferred candidate.

The prime minister seems to have had a close working relationship with Major General Anderson and the chemistry between both men is very strong. Major General Anderson was appointed by the prime minister as the first national security advisor (NSA) and later he was selected to be commissioner of police by the Police Service Commission. Before he took up these positions he served as the chief of staff of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). When he retired as commissioner of police, he was appointed as the Jamaican ambassador to the United States.

However much he is perceived as the prime minister’s “blue-eyed boy”, it is clear that Major General Anderson has had a distinguished public service. I believe that the ambassador should be judged and assessed on his own merits. The post of chief of the JDF is a very important one, but is not one that carries the public scrutiny that other public offices do. The position of army chief is largely consumed with internal matters of governance, and the holder of that office is typically only seen in public if the national security of the country is threatened and he/she have to be out there defending the nation.

The public profile of the chief is largely enhanced when the army is called upon to work with the police in crime suppression and containment, as has happened on several occasions in Jamaica. If there is a natural, catastrophic event like a hurricane or an earthquake, the army’s role is seen, but even then, it tends to be very muted.

His role as NSA to the prime minister follows the same trajectory of being low-key. One can imagine that he and the prime minister have had several interactions over the years, building trust and confidence as they addressed the country’s security portfolio. But it is as head of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) that his bona fides as a public servant have been clearly and undeniably established. Even his worst detractors will agree that he left the force better than he found it.

His work in improving the intelligence-gathering capability of the force cannot be denied, neither can the important improvement in the morale of the force. The reduction in the rate of murders the country is experiencing is significantly a result of the leadership that he exercised as commissioner. He was not in the job long enough for any true assessment of his work as ambassador to the US, but one suspects that he would have carried the same energy and wisdom to this task.

Now he is head of NaRRA, and this role will test his worth, grit, and mettle as a person. As far as I know, in the many years that Major General Anderson has served the people of Jamaica, there has not been any scandals or egregious behaviour that should disqualify him from serving as the head of NaRRA. The prime minister obviously believes that having worked with him over the years, he is someone with whom he can work. This is not a bad thing in itself if complacency does not set in. It is not enough for a prime minister to look favourably upon you as you undertake the arduous tasks ahead. Ultimately, the evidence will be in the fruit borne, and there are lots of trees to be planted, nurtured, and secured if we are to get the results we desire.

Dr Raulston Nembhard is a priest, social commentator, and author of the books Finding Peace in the Midst of Life’s Storms; Your Self-esteem Guide to a Better Life; and Beyond Petulance: Republican Politics and the Future of America. He also hosts a podcast — Mango Tree Dialogues — on his YouTube channel. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or stead6655@aol.com.

Raulston Nembhard