KINGSTON, Jamaica–Prime Minister Andrew Holness has dismissed allegations circulating on social media that the government through the New Social Housing Programme is issuing houses to individuals and then taking them back.

Holness, who was speaking at a handing-over ceremony in Porters Mountain in Central Westmoreland on Friday, has described the social media post as being both mischievous and malicious.

“Some of you may have seen not just a mischievous but a malicious social media post which would suggest that somehow this programme is giving the houses and then taking them back. Despicable. And you know why it is despicable? Because it was specifically crafted to target a programme that is delivering good benefits to the people of Jamaica,” Holness said.

The prime minister said these social media allegations are deliberate attempts to undermine the programme for political gain.

“They are trying to tear down this programme for political gain. But you know what the real disgusting thing is? They are playing up on the ignorance of people. Because even people who we would usually ascribe intelligence to, people who are well-read, people who are educated but can’t overcome their biases, would have seen this stupid social media post. Without checking, without verifying, without applying even a tinge of scepticism, would have accepted it because it plays into their bias, looking for something to criticise when nothing is there. And so it plays upon ignorance and that is dangerous for a democracy,” Holness said.

The prime minister further noted that he has spent quite a bit of the resources and his own time trying to resolve the problems of Operation Pride.

Operation Pride is a method of making land legally accessible to low-income groups at affordable prices through government subsidies.

“Whether it is the unfinished lots that were supposed to be sold or given to persons where the titling was not completed, or where they had actually cut up the plots and handed them over with no documentation, persons moved on the lands, lived on it, no roads, no infrastructure. This is not that programme and I will not allow those persons to use false information to undermine a good programne so that they can get the political power to come and do what they did with programmes such as Operation Pride. When they had the power, they created total destruction in the housing sector. It was an unmitigated disaster and when we go back and look at the books as to how agencies like the HAJ [Housing Agency of Jamaica Limited] was being run with scandal after scandal and a mire of corruption. An entity that under their watch, every time they reported to Parliament, it operated at a loss,” Holness said.

He further urged Jamaicans to verify information being presented to them on social media.

“I say to all well-thinking Jamaicans, I say to all our supporters, do not allow the evil people to win the battle for the minds. I say to all Jamaicans, think very carefully on what is presented to you. Don’t just take and accept without consideration what is presented in a fancy and glossy social media post. Ninety per cent of them are lies. Check before you believe,” he said.