Don’t blame NWA, advocate for projects – Everald Warmington
Published:Saturday | February 19, 2022 | 12:06 AMCecelia Campbell-Livingston/Gleaner Writer
ON A road tour of North Central Clarendon on Wednesday, minister with responsibility for works, Everald Warmington, had a lot to say to his naysayers as he called them to task for criticising the National Works Agency (NWA).
Warmington, who was touring with Member of Parliament (MP) Robert Nesta Morgan with a view to rehabilitate roads in the communities of Kraal River, Ennis Hill, Bellas Gate to Bois Content (Phase 2), Summerfield to Blackwoods, among other areas, had high praises for the young MP who he described as “almost aggressive” in advocacy.
In criticising unnamed MPs, Warmington was scathing. “Some at times accuse the NWA of being political, the staff that this government found at NWA are the same staff that they had, so the question I want to ask them is how comes they are now political? So I find it very offensive, I am offended by it,” he said.
Warmington, in addressing the accusation that NWA officers in the field are political and that constituencies are being neglected, said he finds it laughable since the NWA was never elected to represent any constituency. Therefore, he said the agency cannot be accused of neglecting any particular area due to partisan politics.
NEGLECT
“If the constituency is neglected, it is neglected by the elected representative who is the member of parliament on both sides of the fence, who have not been advocates for their constituencies. If you don’t advocate or represent the constituency and ask for projects, you can’t blame the NWA, you can’t talk about neglect,” he chided.
Commenting on roadworks that need to be carried out nationally, he said it would need a budget of $20 billion. However, he said sometimes the budget is $2 billion to $5 billion, with the officers in the field needing additional funds to “go out there”.
It is for this reason, he points out, that MPs are asked to identify the projects in their area that urgently need to be looked at. Singling out ‘a particular’ MP he had issues with, Warmington said he has been asking the MP for the past three years to identify projects and he has not done so.
“Most of the projects he has identified are parish council roads and we can’t do parish council roads, so I don’t want no nobody talk about NWA neglecting constituency. You were elected to represent it, so don’t leave it on NWA,” he said.
While on the tour of North Central Clarendon, however, it was all praises for Morgan as Warmington said he was impressed with him and declared him “a very good MP”as he pointed to his youthful exuberance and strong desire to represent his constituency (Clarendon North Central).
Speaking specifically to the work of the NWA, Warmington expressed pride in his team saying the only area of improvement he can identify is the procurement process which he said can be reduced.
“I am proud of them (NWA) and those who are calling them political, they are offline, its wrong, it’s wrong. Have a problem talk to me, if them don’t advocate you can come, so don’t blame NWA, they have not neglected a single area of this country, it is MP who supposed to represent the people and advocate for them,” he noted.