Holness puts up $300,000 to remove political graffiti, assist family
A day after taking flak for snubbing Political Ombudsman Herro Blair, Andrew Holness, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) member of parliament for West Central St Andrew, called a press conference, publicly apologised to Blair and announced that he would be donating $300,000 to community efforts.
Holness told journalists that half of this money would be used to remove political graffiti from walls in communities where he felt “welcomed”, while the other half would be given to a family from the area.
“I am announcing here that I will be taking the step of putting down $150,000 to repaint every single wall where I am welcomed. And I do that as a qualifier, because there might be areas where people may take offence to me removing the graffiti. So any area that I am welcomed, I will remove the graffiti. I will repaint those walls in neutral colours – in colours that will uplift and beautify the area,” he said.
Holness told journalists that if after he puts up the $150,000 to have the graffiti removed, the walls are again defaced, his only other option would be to report the matter to the political ombudsman.
Holness, who on Wednesday refused to shake hands with the political ombudsman or join him and the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Patrick Roberts on a symbolic peace walk through the troubled community, later told journalists that he had “great respect” and “reverence” for Blair.
“If my action offended him, I apologise unreservedly,” Holness said.
Commenting on the socio-economic condition of the constituency he represents, Holness said poverty was a major problem.
To this end, he said he was donating $150,000 to a family to effect repairs to the house they occupy, as well as install bathroom facilities. Holness said the repairs had already started. The member of parliament noted that the desire to assist this particular family was driven by the fact that there were a number of youngsters in that unit, and he did not want them to emulate their older siblings’ anti-social behaviour.
In recent times political violence has risen in sections of the constituency, which is known to be politically volatile. In fact, over the years, political violence has led to the deaths of scores of people.
Efforts by the Peace Management Initiative (PMI) and the Office of the Political Ombudsman have assisted in forging a fragile peace pact in the last year.
However, violence has again erupted as campaigning heats up for general elections expected in the next six months.
