Mixed reaction to Warmington’s road-fix proposal

WESTERN BUREAU:

WHILE SOME community leaders have welcomed the empowerment that could come by way of Everald Warmington’s proposal for community stakeholders to liaise directly with him about issues involving roads under the purview of the National Works Agency, at least one stakeholder is not buying into it.

In a surprise departure from established protocol, Warmington, who is the minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, recently told residents in Westmoreland that, rather that complaining through their members of parliament(MP), they should communicate with him directly.

“I am not in agreement with this sentiment by the minister. We elect our members of parliament to be our representatives, to stand up and talk for us and get things done in our constituencies. Therefore, going straight to Minister Warmington would be taking away from the MPs the responsibility for what they were elected to do,” said Bishop Oniel Russell, president of the Cooke Street Citizens’ Association in Westmorland.

In making the recommendation to residents, he said that once they organise petitions, it could redound to their benefit because, according to him, some members of parliament are not forceful enough with their representation.

“Let me say it again, that [it’s] not only members of parliament [who] can make representation to me. Any community can get a petition and write to this minister that you need help here and there, because there are some members of parliament who are not that diligent and aggressive,” said Warmington.

“The community can write to me, send me a petition saying I want road X, Y or Z fixed. As long as it is a National Works Agency (NWA) road, this minister is going to respond. You don’t need the MP to do it, this is my job, my duty to be a part of this caring Government for the people of Jamaica,” the de facto works minister explained.

However, Russell, pastor of the Ark of the Covenant Holy Trinity Church, which has its headquarters in Savanna-la-Mar, said his MP, George Wright, is doing an excellent job in making representation for roads to be repaired. He, however, complained that the NWA is too slow on getting roads rehabilitated.

“Even though it falls under the portfolio of Minister Warmington, I will not agree with us sending a petition to him, for him to fix our roads,” the clergyman insisted. “We cannot depend on the minister, who will be getting thousands of petitions for roads, because they will sit on his desk and get no attention.”

Russell wants those MPs who are tardy to start making proper representation because, otherwise, they would be guilty of misrepresentation.

While noting that Heroy Clarke, the MP for St James Central, is very proactive in getting the roads in his constituency fixed, Donna Wedderburn, acting president of the Salt Spring Community Development Council (CDC), said she welcomes the opportunity to make petitions to Warmington on behalf of her community.

“My MP is doing what he needs to do, I can’t complain. But there are people elsewhere who really have issues, their roads are terrible, so if this is the way that they can get their roads done, we just have to step over their heads,” said Wedderburn. “People need roads, so if they can do that and it is credible, I think they can go through that route.”

“If he (Warmington) has the capability to do it when it (the petition) is sent directly, I am all for it,” said Wedderburn. “However, we don’t want it to be a case where communities take this route, and he becomes overwhelmed and can’t manage.” she cautioned.

Dalton Spence, chairman of the Norwood CDC, where Dr Horace Chang is the MP, said he welcomes the opportunity to get roads upgraded by way of a petition.

“If he wants something directly from the people, I don’t think it is a bad idea,” said Spence, who believes the petitions should be done only through collaboration, and by organised and recognised community groups.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com