NWC boss in hot water

A scathing Integrity Commission (IC) report on National Water Commission (NWC) President Mark Barnett is expected to be tabled in the House of Representatives today, giving more backing to the Holness administration, which is reportedly fast losing confidence in his leadership of the state agency.

“As it relates to the egregious conduct of Mark Barnett, the DI recommends that the NWC apply such sanction as it deems appropriate and necessary to restore public confidence in its leadership and to demonstrate that such conduct cannot and will not be tolerated in public office,” read one of the director of investigation’s recommendations seen by The Gleaner. The recommendation was made to the NWC board chairman.

Contacted last night, Barnett said he was unable to field Gleaner questions.

“You call me at a bad time,” he said, twice.

The report was submitted to Parliament last week.

Multiple senior government officials, who would only speak off the record, told The Gleaner that the Holness administration has concerns regarding Barnett’s engagement with staff and other governance-related issues which they refused to disclose.

Chairman of the NWC’s board, Michael Shaw, said the agency is aware that the IC, Jamaica’s main anti-corruption state agency, launched an investigation into matters relating to an apartment complex built by a company in which Barnett is a director.

Shaw said Barnett did not disclose his connection with the development and that the board amended his contract to require declarations of conflicts of interest. He said the change was “to prevent what had happened without notifying the board because the contract never said that”.

“Based on what was presented to us, we acted accordingly and appropriately,” he added, noting that the board was not aware of the IC’s final ruling on the matter.

In August, the five trade unions representing NWC employees wrote to Shaw demanding an “urgent” change in leadership after accusing Barnett, who was appointed president in August 2015, and Vice-President Andrea Edwards Gyles of “gross disrespect” to employees. The unions represent more than 2,000 of the NWC’s roughly 2,300 employees.

Shaw told The Gleaner last night that the board examined the issue and did not get enough information to act on.

“I asked for specifics because they (unions) were very strong on it ... and they are saying it’s primarily based on the feedback they get from the staff,” he said.

Shaw, however, said the board “had no issue with Mark’s performance” and that “the records show that the company has performed very well under his leadership”.

The NWC has turned from being a loss-making entity into a profitable one, recording a $3-billion profit for the 2022-2023 financial year.

“Trust me, y’know, if we heard anything egregious, I’m the first person to act,” Shaw said on what the board would do should there be any adverse recommendations from the IC.

In November 2021, Television Jamaica aired a story in which residents raised questions about the development at 11 Charlemont Drive in St Andrew, Barnett’s role at the NWC and the installation of a sewer system, among other things.

According to the report, the National Environment and Planning Agency’s permit for the development indicated that the sewage treatment and disposal was to be via a connection to the NWC’s sewer main serving the area. However, at the time of approval by the NWC, the infrastructure was not yet in place.

“There has to be a conflict in you being able to ask your employees who report to you, whether directly or indirectly, to monitor somebody who you contracted,” said Anthony Davis, the president of the Charlemont Drive Citizens Association.

Barnett declined to comment for the news report, and in October 2021, when The Gleaner raised the concerns with him, he said: “I have no comments to your queries.”

The NWC said the sewer main was approved in 2020 and installed by October 2021. It said the installation was done by a developer with pipes and concrete manholes provided by the NWC.

jovan.johnson@gleanerjm.com