Former Accompong colonel Meredie Rowe holding a placard in protest of Colonel Peddie's leadership on Thursday in Accompong, St Elizabeth. (Photo:Patrick Foster)

THE demonstration called by former Accompong colonel Meredie Rowe to protest the leadership of Colonel Sydney Peddie failed to galvanise protesters, but there was a palpable air of discontent sparked by new quarrels over bequeathed lands.

Peddie has already triumphed in one lawsuit that challenged his right to sell some of the Maroon lands in the hilly St Elizabeth village, but another suit is under consideration over a $100,000 land transaction initiated by the chief.

On Thursday, a shop in the village square provided the only support for the placards calling for transparency.

Rowe, a policeman, was adamant that there were far too many discrepancies under the present leadership of Colonel Peddie, claiming that there was no proper accounting of funds earned from the annual celebrations and intake from tourist visits.

Every year, on January 6, the Maroons commemorate their signing of a peace treaty with the British, which freed them from enslavement.

"Over $3.5 million is collected per year from tourist visits and other sources," said Rowe. "Where is it?" he demanded.
Rowe who was trounced by Peddie seven years ago when he contested the Maroon leadership, is making yet another bid to have Peddie removed from office.

"Elections have no bearing on this. I want to protect my maroon heritage," he said.

Colonel Peddie, who is now in his second term as Colonel, was away on business yesterday and unavailable for comment.

A young Accompong resident, Sheldon Wallace, agreed with Rowe saying Peddie is obstructionist and not good for the community.

"We want to start a youth club and he is against it. You can count the number of young people on one hand that him talk to," said Wallace.

Rowe charges that Peddie is the only colonel in Maroon history that is the defendant in two court cases brought by residents.

One of the suits involved a parcel of Maroon land owned by Mervin Robertson, which was sold with Peddie's approval.
"Maroon land should never be sold," said Rowe said.
But, council member Melville Currie told the Observer that lands in Accompong have actually been sold in the past without any fanfare.

"Elizabeth Campbell, who returned from England some time ago bought land and built a house here," he said, adding that she is Maroon and was born in Accompong.

"What the law says is that lands must not be sold to anyone who is not a Maroon, otherwise it should only be leased," said Currie. "The person who bought the land was born and always live here."

Currie said all deals are required to be ratified by council and that was done in this case.

The Robertson land sale was upheld as legal in the Black River Resident Magistrate's Court earlier this year with Rowe promising to file an appeal.

Said Currie: "As far as we are concerned the issue of the sale is finished and an appeal by Rowe makes no sense since he was not involved in the sale."

As for accountability for Accompong's funds, Currie said while the council has not met in five months, there is evidence of how the funds were spent.

"In dry season we pay for water to be trucked; people die in the community, we bury them; people are sick we take them to doctor," said the council member.

Meantime, Currie has also brought a suit for malicious destruction of property against Campbell, to be heard in January. Currie contends that earlier this year, Campbell, in the aftermath of the January 2005 celebrations, destroyed the pay sheet for workers in the annual festival.

Said Campbell in her defence: "The method of payment was not right. It was like a war was going on. I was only protecting the money."

- fosterp@jamaicaobserver.com

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