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— Silence from Minister Duggins, Confusion at the Top, and a Paralysed Agricultural Sector Deepen the Crisis

The Ministry of Agriculture in St. Kitts has plunged into what insiders describe as the worst governance meltdown in its modern history, as operational collapse, leadership confusion, and administrative paralysis grip the nation’s food and livestock ecosystem.

What began as whispers of a sudden leadership shift has now snowballed into a full-blown governance crisis. For over a week, the Feed and General Supply Office at La Guerite — the backbone of livestock support — has been CLOSED, leaving farmers stranded, animals unfed, and the entire agricultural supply chain grinding to a halt.

Meanwhile, the Ministry’s administrative offices have transformed into a virtual ghost town, as staff stayed home en masse last week in an apparent wave of “go-slow,” sick-outs, or simply raw uncertainty. Sources describe the ministry as “leaderless, directionless, and in total freefall.”

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THE PS CRISIS THAT IGNITED THE CHAOS

The disorder erupted after Randall Thompson, a former senior public officer, reportedly made the rounds throughout the Ministry last week introducing himself as the new Acting Permanent Secretary (PS) — replacing PS Miguel Fleming, who at the time was overseas on official agricultural business.

Thompson’s self-introduction sent shockwaves through the ministry, triggering confusion, internal panic, and a cascade of unanswered questions:

• Was Fleming removed?
• Was Thompson legally appointed?
• Did Cabinet approve such a change?
• Under whose authority was he parading as PS?

Yet the most stunning and destabilizing part of this crisis is this:

**There has been absolutely NO WORD from Minister Samal Duggins.

No statement.
No memo.
No directive.
No clarification.**

No communication has been issued from Government Headquarters indicating any change at the PS level. And PS Miguel Fleming himself has issued no confirmation — leaving civil servants suspended in a fog of uncertainty.

The result?
Administrative paralysis.
Staff staying home.
Departments shuttered.
Operations frozen.

A senior agricultural officer summed up the chaos bluntly:

“Everything in the Ministry of Agriculture is currently at a standstill. No communication, no directives, no leadership. Nobody knows who is in charge. Offices closed. Staff not showing up. This has NEVER happened in the history of agriculture.”

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THE FEED SUPPLY CRISIS — A NATIONAL EMERGENCY IN THE MAKING

While bureaucratic confusion rages at the top, the real blow is being felt on the ground.

The Feed & General Supplies Office — responsible for animal feed, farm inputs, and critical supplies — has been closed for the past week, leaving:

• farmers without livestock feed,
• poultry producers scrambling for emergency alternatives,
• agricultural production severely threatened.

This single closure places national food security at immediate risk, especially as farmers were already struggling under rising costs and inconsistent supply chains.

Stakeholders describe the situation as “absolute chaos” and “a disaster in slow motion.”

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STAKEHOLDERS POINT DIRECTLY AT THE MINISTER

Across the agricultural community — from livestock farmers to administrative staff — the finger-pointing is unmistakable:

They blame Minister Samal Duggins.

Accusations include:

• Gross incompetence
• Chaotic leadership
• Unprofessional mismanagement
• Silence when clarity is urgently needed
• Failure to stabilize or communicate during crisis

This is not the first time the Minister has been accused of contributing to instability within the sector. But observers say this moment marks the lowest point yet, with many insiders describing the Ministry’s present state as “rock bottom.”

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A BREAKDOWN NEVER BEFORE SEEN IN ST. KITTS-NEVIS GOVERNANCE

Veteran public officers confirm that nothing remotely close to this has occurred in recent decades — not in Agriculture, not anywhere else in the civil service.

This level of operational shutdown, leadership confusion, and unchecked administrative collapse is unprecedented.

The Ministry of Agriculture — a vital pillar of national development — is now:

• leaderless,
• directionless,
• non-functional,
• and hemorrhaging public confidence.

Meanwhile, Minister Duggins remains silent as the crisis deepens.

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THE BIG QUESTION

With farmers in distress, workers bewildered, offices closed, and national food support mechanisms halted, the country is now asking:

**Where is the Minister of Agriculture?

And why has he allowed the Ministry to descend into absolute anarchy?**

Until answers come — if they come at all — St. Kitts risks facing a full-scale agricultural shutdown, made worse not by natural disaster or global crisis, but by pure, unfiltered mismanagement.