AN attempt by National Housing Trust Chairman Easton Douglas to clarify the cost of the controversial Outameni lands has been met with criticisms by Jamaica Observer online readers. In a story published yesterday, Douglas stated that the NHT paid $12 million per acre for the 9.12 acres of land, instead of the $18 million per acre that was widely reported. However, readers said whatever the cost, taxpayers money should not have been used in that manner. Here are some edited comments:

chikV2Ebola

Why pay that much for these buildings if the intention was to demolish them for other projects?

Please do the honourable thing and resign, sir!

Alex F

Alright, its $12 million. Now what? Can we get back our monies? Quite frankly, I don’t see the big difference as its still in the millions and still a land which the NHT could’ve done without. Such a precedence was set with the purchase of the Emancipation Park lands for $1 jmd. If the NHT wanted to buy somewhere they should’ve taken the Forum Hotel in Portmore from UDC; they could’ve taken the Jamintel building downtown Kingston, fix it up and resell it; Caymanas park and lord have mercy… why they didn’t just buy Vale Royal (since Sister P don’t live there, she claims) or buy Gordon House and turn it into a real profit-making museum. After all, they’re plenty of dinosaurs in there to showcase.

err gag

Mr Douglas, Sir, are you here trying to justify using people’s hard earned cash to purchase this white elephant? At this stage, no one cares if you got it for quattie. It’s the deception, wastage and the whole principle of the purchase which matters. What do you and the (ply)board now discus in your meetings?

Judith

You are still missing the point. What everyone is saying, NHT money is for building houses for those who contribute to it. It is not PNP money to spend as they see it without consulting or informing the rightful owners. What you did might be bad or might be good but you cannot just use people money like that.

nicky

$12m, $18m, $10m whatever, it doesn’t matter. Oonu had no right to buy it. Some people have to be forking out some crazy amounts to pay rent, and would rather band their bellies and pay a mortgage with it. At least it would be their house in the end. NHT not providing enough houses for people, and when they do, ordinary people cannot afford it. One of the latest schemes they put up was in Hellshire $10m for a 2 bedroom house. What kind of low-income arrangement is that?

guest

If with this the board is not fired, then it must be a plot against their leader.

Yadda

So what’s the difference? What turns on that? These old men are truly past their prime and are mentally diminished. Why don’t they just ride off in the sunset? KMT!

guest

IF what the NHT chairman is now revealing is true, the NHT boss and PM and leader of the PNP is in all three categories — a “Lame Duck” Leader being given a “basket to carry water” in Parliament.

Pebbles

So, let me get this straight: most of what we have paid the bulk of the money for, considering we are not intending to operate it as a theme park, will be put on the garbage heap? Not only have they done this but they have been continually using NHT money to invest in other properties. I want a forensic audit carried out by an independent firm from overseas to get to the bottom of what has been happening with the NHT. The trustees, board members, are meant to have the welfare of the beneficiaries, the contributors, as their priority not Outameni and bailing out this defunct entity.

chuck emanuel 1st original

$12 M vs $18M — that’s not the issue. The issues are (a) the contradictions surrounding the deal, (b) the web of deception, (c) the secrecy, and (d) NHT is an agency established to provide housing for its contributors — not for their contributions to enter Nicodemus tourist deal. Real or imaginary profit? You can feed that to your fellow comrades but the rest of us are too smart to buy into it!

revjoanporteous

Easton Douglas must send the media a copy of the valuation report.

edsely harding/rufusheap

So what’s the difference between $12 million and $18 million? Apples and oranges? Both are equally acidic and give the opposition more fodder to spread mayhem and panic among the mindless who refuses to use their brains to sieve through their propaganda.

Antonio Johnson

Yea, it’s worth all that money but which businessman is going to buy a loss-making entity. Something just doesn’t make sense about this purchase and it seems they don’t know why they even bought it.

Jayjayja

Everyday the story keeps changing. The prime minister should fire the board and then she should resign. What a bunch of imbeciles! Frankly, I am ashamed to be a Jamaican.

Crucial

Oh, so NHT has been using my money for investment that I can’t call home? Madam PM, a beg u give contributors the option of refund and opting out. Let me leave and continue fending for myself in peace

observer

I thought it was a rule that when government agencies are buying real estate they should use Land Valuation Dept (renamed) as one of the valuators and two other independent valuators for this size purchase. If it’s not, then it would make sense to do so.

mwhip

As much as I love to see money, this does not make sense to me. It just does not add up and it just shows how desperate they are at trying to come up with substantive and plausible explanation, they are stuttering and each person is giving a different account.

Logic to JA

We don’t care what the difference in price was. The people’s money, borrow and spend too easy in Jamaica by leaders.

mccormacklindel

Mr Douglas, if you have an ounce of decency and self-respect; please just resign.

kingking2

What’s the difference? It’s Jamaica and nothing will be done about it. PNP rules. Put it on the people’s tab.

nicky

Wow, that’s a relief! It is $12m and not $18m, I feel so much better…not!