Dear Editor:

There’s a level of depravity sweeping this country and it’s alarming to watch. Within hours of each other arsonists set fire to two of the country’s waste disposal sites.

The Minister of Local Government yesterday intimated that persons were deliberately setting fires in order to benefit from the dividends to be had from extinguishing them. But I venture to go a little further. The Riverton City Dump is being used as a tool in the fight for political mileage and power. More than ever we are aware that degenerates are using the sites as pawns in the politics of the country aimed at stimulating widespread bitterness and anger towards the current administration.

It is virtually impossible to detect those responsible for setting the dumps ablaze; the size of the dumps particularly that at Riverton make them exceptionally difficult to secure leaving it vulnerable to the depraved actions of political operatives.

Nevertheless one can guess that it is no supporter or close affiliate of the current administration. It is reasonable to conclude that operatives with a specific agenda are intent on scoring political points.

It is frightful the extent to which those in search of power are willing to go to gain relevance or score talking points. Ultimately innocent Jamaicans including young children with and without medical challenges are unceremoniously exposed to smoke inhalation and other respiratory challenges in the aftermath of the dumps going up in flames.

Yesterday smoke reached as far as the Mona community, coming directly from Riverton City. The question one must ask is, is it truly worth it? Is it worth putting lives at risk for the sake of political power for and for the purpose of undermining the government?

By now the People of Jamaica must be aware that this is a point of political attack on the government. This nevertheless will neither quell their frustration nor offer comfort as they scurry to seek cover from the ravages of smoke and debris.

It is sickening what this country has come to. But it is acknowledged that when all is going well what have those desperate to undermine the Government and strip down the gains got to do? Sabotage. That is what it all boils down.

In the face of this the Government is urged to be vigilant; to stay the course and strategise to combat the dirty underhanded games of the desperate, and to put measures in place to safeguard the citizens of this country.

All economic indicators suggest that the country is going in the right direction and this will no doubt drive fear into those determined to see the country take a nose dive as long as it serves their purpose. The government must act quickly to thwart and derail these actions to keep Jamaica firmly on track to achieve its vision of a solid future for all its citizens.

There is no other way to put it except to say that the Government is under siege and if it doesn’t act quickly all the gains will be eroded to the detriment of the Jamaican people.

Yours truly,

R Williams