COUNCILLOR: HE’S NOT MY UNCLE

There are fresh calls for the Holness administration’s welfare housing initiative to be wholly managed by state agencies to preserve the programme’s integrity.

Political representatives do not ratify the beneficiaries but play a role in recommending gravely disadvantaged or desperately poor constituents for consideration.

The concern has emerged after Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor for the Dalvey division in St Thomas Eastern, Michael McLeod, dismissed claims that an uncle of his was a beneficiary of a free home gifted under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) and has called the nepotism claims an unfounded attack on his integrity.

“When dem a talk ‘bout uncle, mi can carry mi birth certificate and show you,” McLeod told The Gleaner Sunday while insisting that he was not a relative.

McLeod said he was made aware of the plight of down-on-luck Duckenfield resident Keith James, 70, through his cousin, who had donated the land for the unit to be built on.

“It’s not me own the land. It’s a cousin of mine who owns the land and paying the tax and gave [the beneficiary] the permission and the letter to use the place, not me. I never do that,” said McLeod, adding that his cousin is not related to the beneficiary.

Besides James, two others from St Thomas Eastern received keys to houses from Prime Minister Andrew Holness last Wednesday.

The others were Nimroy Henry of Harbour Head in Port Morant and Dawn Cargill of Curtis Bottom, also in Port Morant.

McLeod said his only role in the process was informing St Thomas Eastern Member of Parliament Dr Michelle Charles of the beneficiary’s need for proper housing.

“Is an older man who don’t have a house and weh him did live, a bend him haffi bend down go inna it, and I take the picture and send it to the MP … Several house I take the picture and send it in … and the MP send it to Economic Growth and Job Creation,” the councillor said, referencing the ministry that oversees the welfare housing programme.

“They look at it and choose the house. I don’t have a part to do with it.”

But while noting that the NSHP is funded by taxpayer dollars and not the coffers of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party, People’s National Party (PNP) chairman for St Thomas Eastern, Rose-Marie Shaw, said the emerging allegations underline the need for transparency in the programme.

“I am not saying that the gentleman is not deserving of it, but it does not look good to see it’s been given ... when you have numerous persons, … when you have fire victims … . I’ve been getting calls left, right, and centre about persons that were burnt out, you have persons who are impaired, … more needy persons,” Shaw said.

Shaw suggested that the programme be operated by state agencies established for social development. That, she said, would insulate the welfare initiative from questions of corruption.

“If it is going to be transparent, you have various organisations ... . I’m not saying that you must take away the power from the member of parliament, but it must be transparent,” she said.

Meanwhile, Robert Morgan, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Information, said a thorough vetting process – inclusive of site visits and needs assessments – is done by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation for persons who benefit from the programme.

Morgan emphasised that the member of parliament does not choose beneficiaries.

“Simply because somebody may be a distant relative of a politician does not mean that they do not qualify for a benefit. We cannot disenfranchise people because of their political affiliation or relations,” Morgan said in a Radio Jamaica interview Sunday.

Holness defended the integrity of the NSHP in August, declaring that the selection process was void of nepotism and corruption. He said that the beneficiaries have been living in substandard conditions.

“There is obviously the residual mistrust of government programmes, the suspicion that there is nepotism and favouritism involved in a social programme,” said Holness.

“We know that that is how Jamaicans think and, therefore, we went through great lengths to ensure that the people who are benefiting are genuinely in need. That nobody is saying that the beneficiaries only got it because of who they know.”

The prime minister said that an oversight committee has been put in place, led by the principal financial officer, to ensure that the project meets the requirements of the Financial Administration and Audit Act, the Housing Act, procurement guidelines, and rules.

The NSHP was established in 2018. At least 106 houses have been delivered through the programme.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com