The Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister has downplayed claims that the removal of Rosa Greenway as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education was connected to the recent teachers’ strike.

“It takes place all the time, by the way,” said Lionel Hurst, referring to the routine reassignment of permanent secretaries across ministries. Greenway’s transfer came less than 24 hours after the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers ended a week-long strike over outstanding payments.

Hurst insisted the timing was coincidental and noted that both the current and previous administrations have regularly rotated senior civil servants. “The skills required in one ministry may differ from those in another,” he said, describing the movement as beneficial and part of a broader strategy to build institutional flexibility.

He added that permanent secretaries are among the brightest minds in government and are well equipped to adapt quickly to new roles.