KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister with responsibility for works Everald Warmington has accused Opposition parliamentarian Lisa Hanna of being dishonest in claiming that her constituency is being politically victimised in the allocation of funds for road repairs.

In a social media post on Monday, Hanna claimed that Government and the State-owned National Works Agency (NWA) are distributing resources on the basis of politics.

“We just don’t get adequate support from the NWA,” said Hanna. “Yes, we are aware that other government MPs in several other areas have been allocated the funds to do a whole lot of road works, but I’ve come to realise there is politics and then there is a ‘specific politics’, it seems, as to how these road works on the desk of the powers that be get approval. The inequity is clearly obvious…”

She pointed out that the NWA has allocated $5.8 million to repair roads in her constituency, which she said is the largest in the country and has perhaps some of the worst roads.

“I’m sure we can agree this can barely create a driveway for a small plaza, so yes, I am disheartened. The people deserve and are entitled to adequate roads from their government,” Hanna said.

She also accused the NWA of not responding to her written requests for help.

“March 8, 2021 was my last written communication to the NWA. It almost makes no sense to write them as I’ve not received a formal response to date,” Hanna explained.

As a result of the stance being taken by the NWA and Government, she said, her constituents are accusing her of poor performance.

However, Warmington adamantly rejected her assertions. He told OBSERVER ONLINE that Hanna is the first Opposition parliamentarian to suggest that political victimisation happens under his watch since he became works minister.

“I would say that she is somewhat disingenuous. She labelling the NWA as being political is being quite irresponsible. I am the political directorate there [at the NWA], and I have never dealt with any constituency in a political way… Nobody on her side has ever accused me of acting in a political way or of being biased regarding allocation,” Warmington retorted.

“Ms Hanna spoke of getting $5.8 million for patching her constituency; this is quarterly patching. The sum of $20 million was allocated to St Ann [which has four constituencies]… So how could she term this as being political? It couldn’t be! I have nothing to do with allocation [of funds] for patching.”

He added that, since being appointed minister, he has repaired a roadway in Hanna’s constituency although she did not request it.

“The section of Golden Grove [road] that was done, she never asked for it. The citizens wrote to me and led a delegation to me, and we had it done. That was the first project that I did when I became minister, and it wasn’t through the Member of Parliament,” Warmington noted.

He also scoffed at Hanna’s claim that the NWA has not been responding to her letters requesting assistance. “Ms Hanna said she wrote to the NWA; she hasn’t sent any letter to the head office. She is talking about sending letters to parish people,” Warmington added.

Horace Mills