Roland Bhola is a Grenadian politician and current Cabinet Minister.

Early life and education

Roland Bhola was born in Grenada on 5 September 1967 to Rebecca Phillip and Raymond Bhola. He received his early education at the La. Poterie Pre-Primary School and the Tivoli R.C Primary School. He later attended the Mt. Rose Seventh Day Adventist Secondary Comprehensive School where he excelled in both athletic and academic disciplines.

In his teenage years, Roland was very involved in community development activities in St. Andrew North East. He belonged to such organizations as the St. Vincent De Paul Society, the Catholic Youth Organization as well as serving as acolyte at the Tivoli R.C Church and member of the Parish Council. All of theses organizations planned and executed community-based activities such as tending to the elderly and distributing food baskets to the disadvantaged. Roland was also a key member of groups, such as the La.Poterie Sports Club and the Cultural and civic Groups of Youths, which organized and promoted sporting and cultural activities within the community.

In 1988, he received a Caricom Government Scholarship, which allowed him to journey to St. Ann’s Jamaica where he attended the Eltan Training Center and successfully complete a course in Agriculture Marketing and Management. He later Received a Canadian Government Scholarship in 1993, and he attended the Canadian Customs College at Regaue, Canada where he graduated at the top of his class after studying such disciplines as Tax and duties Collection, Trafficking, Customer Relations and Services, and Drug Trafficking and Eradication.

Career

In 2003, Roland Bhola political career began when he was appointed as a member of Grenada's Upper House.  As a Senator, he became Junior Minister in the Ministry of Communications, Works, and Energy.  Shortly after his appointment to the Senate, he sought the candidacy for Saint Andrew North East and was elected as parliamentary representative.  He later became a Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance with specific responsibility for Revenue Administration.

In 2003, he sought re-election and was successful which earned him ministerial advancement as Minister of Sports, Community Development, and Co-Operatives.

Roland ably represents the people of his constituency of St Andrew's North East.  He also ascribes to the fact that he represents all of St Andrew's, St Patrick, and St David's, since none of these areas have representation on the opposition side in Parliament at this time.

As a growing and effective member of the NNP team, Roland has persistently displayed a level of political professionalism that has shown his political achievements, energies, and unwavering commitment to his constituents.  Roland is recognized and appreciated for the work and delivery of innovative initiatives that he has brought to his constituents.

In 2013, following the NNP's victor at the polls, Bhola was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries & Environment in the Keith Mitchell Administration.

In the 1 July 2016 Cabinet reshuffle, Bhola was appointed Minister of Youth, Sports, and Religious Affairs.

In the Cabinet resuffle of 1 September 2017, Prime Minister Mitchell announced that Bhola was moving out of representative politics and transitioning to lead the work of the New National Party. He would therefore no longer be in the Ministry of Sport.