Letter of the Day | Shame to give Seaga 'jacket'

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I note that the St Ann Municipal Corporation, which has a Jamaica Labour Party majority, has held a vote on the naming of the North-South Highway, the Edward Seaga Highway. I also note that there has been no similar vote in the

St Catherine Municipal Corporation, where the People's National Party has a majority.

The naming of roads is the prerogative of the local authorities. It now seems that the Government intends to go ahead with the travesty of creating an impression that there is a connection between the highway and former Prime Minister Edward Seaga.

We may be a docile and gullible people, but history will show that Mr Seaga had nothing to do with this highway and the parliamentary Hansard will, indeed, show his philosophical opposition to the concept of a national highway system as envisioned by former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and continued by Portia Simpson Miller with the North-South corridor, followed by the East-West corridor.

The Government is now inviting people to attend the official naming ceremony on June 12 at the Moneague Toll Plaza. Jamaica watches keenly to see if Prime Minister Andrew Holness intends to complete this tragic venture that promises to leave perhaps the deepest indelible scar on our political landscape, cementing political tribalism forever.

Mark my word, it will be a permanent symbol of Jamaica's tribal politics.

I hope that even at the eleventh hour, the powers that be might come to their senses and do the right thing. There are several other monuments that better reflect Mr Seaga's contribution. In Jamaican parlance, to give Mr Seaga the North-South Highway is to give him a 'jacket'.

COLIN CAMPBELL

Former Minister of Information