Neita relies on her record to be re-elected
Published:Monday | August 17, 2020 | 12:17 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
Three-time People’s National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament Natalie Neita is relying on the intelligence and the connection she has with the people of St Catherine North Central to secure her win in the upcoming general election.
“I’ve always been a genuine girl, I work hard and I level with the people. They know me well, I am highly visible and I am involved in all they do ... I’m going to rely upon their intelligence and my connection with them to encourage them to come out to the polls, and I believe they will,” she told The Gleaner, as she paused her house-to-house visits to celebrate the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) high achievers in the constituency.
For Neita, her main support comes from the Sligoville division, and she revealed that her workers are more organised than they were in 2016 with canvassing, in preparation for the September 3 polls.
“My aim is to ensure that the electors be reminded of the work we have done during the term and successive terms,” she said.
Education and training and development has been her forte over the last 13 years she has held the seat.
WORKED CLOSELY
“I’ve also worked very closely with my schools to bring up scores each year, so I’m seeing greater levels of performance in the various schools. When I started out, there might have been 15 or so students who were involved in tertiary-level training. I now have more than 130 students that I assist to go to college,” Neita shared.
Neita opened six training centres in the constituency, with the latest one being in Knollis, offering courses in allied health.
“Many of them have joined the cadre of young persons who are trained as community health aides in this COVID exercise.”
As a child who grew up in a rural community, she made a vow to remove all pit latrines from primary schools, and this she has done through the Constituency Development Fund and partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund.
“The people of Rencombe, who for all of their lives have been walking across a river to get to their homes, I was able to give them a bridge,” she said, adding that it was accomplished through “relentless advocacy”.
She said work has been done on the roads but admitted there are many more to be fixed.
Neita’s main challenge throughout the constituency is providing a sustainable supply of water.
“Jamaica does have enough water, and I think if the PNP forms the next administration, I have made it very clear that it has to be the focus of any government going forward – that communities must be able to have showers and must be able to be in a position to take baths and not have to go outside go catch it in a bath pan, and must be able to turn on their pipes and drink water – have potable water.”