SEAFORTH, St Thomas — Junior Green, the man nominated by the People’s National Party (PNP) to contest the Seaforth Division in the February 26 local government election, is hoping he will be able to end the Jamaica Labour Party’s long hold on the division.

Green will face a formidable opponent in Sherese Stephens, the daughter late former councillor Joan Spencer who held the division for more than two decades.

Spencer, who was first elected in 1998, served as mayor of Morant Bay between 2003 and 2007. She passed in June last year.

According to Green, he is driven by an unwavering determination to catalyse long-overdue progress within the division. He said he had been approached, over the years, to run in the local government election but he always turned down the opportunity. However, he believes that now is the opportune moment.

“I have always had an interest in representing people and supporting the less fortunate,” Green told the
Jamaica Observer.

“I saw a unique opportunity due to the vacancy left by the opposing party, so I decided to take this on,” he explained.

Green was born and raised in Seaforth and he is eager to see it become all that he envisions it can be.

“Over the last 25 to 30 years we have remained stagnant. We have not progressed, and we consider that to be a waste of time,” said the man who shared that he has had a passion for politics since his teenage years.

In high school his peers described him as the most likely to become a politician. Home schooled up to primary level, he went to university in Kingston, after which he returned to Seaforth to join the workforce.

“I have never worked outside of the parish,” he shared.

His first job was at Courts as a sales representative. Later, he went to Jamaica National, where he honed his skills as a bank teller. Driven by aspirations for career growth, he moved on to Scotia Jamaica Microfinance Company, where he held the position of micro finance manager for eight years. He is now the financial manager for the same unit, which was subsequently acquired by Lasco Financial Services.

Green told the
Observer that, over the years he has observed several pain points within his community and neighbouring Whitehall.

“In Whitehall, there is only one basic school, which is located at a church. This is an issue that my team and I would like to tackle. The existing ones in Seaforth need support,” he emphasised.

He views education as highly important, especially at the early childhood level.

Female empowerment is another issue he said he intends to tackle. As such, he intends to implement and roll out a campaign. In his view, women often engage in sexual activity out of a need to survive, leading to unwanted pregnancies which perpetuate a cycle of poverty within the community.

“If we can empower women of childbearing age, 16 and onwards, and enrol them in skills training programmes and secure proper employment opportunities, they can become more self-reliant and less dependent on these men, thereby breaking the cycle,” he said passionately.

Crime is also a major issue on his agenda.

“Even before becoming involved in politics, I recognised that crime is a major issue in Jamaica. We must address it, starting at the community level,” Green said.

He has other plans.

“We also want to rebuild the post office in Seaforth. My team has already identified the land for the new post office’s construction. We are eager to engage with the relevant agencies to kick-start this project. Additionally, the Whitehall post office needs rehabilitation. These are major projects that we aim to undertake,” he said.

The Seaforth Sports Club is also on his agenda as he has an interest in sports and community development.

“We have initiated the refurbishment of the Whitehall playing field in Golden Valley. Our plan includes proper field maintenance and the construction of perimeter fencing. Additionally, we have already purchased lights for that space,” Green outlined.

Another concern, he said, is a lack of adequate political representation in the community.

“As part of our proposed plan, community engagement is paramount. Once in office, we will establish a system for hosting town hall meetings every three months, totalling four per year. These meetings will provide an avenue for community members to voice their concerns,” Green promised.

“This platform will allow residents to provide feedback on the issues they are facing and suggest possible solutions,” he added.

In addition to all the other areas outlined, aiding youth skill development through HEART NSTA/Trust is a priority for him.

His overarching vision, he said, is the upliftment of the community.