A storm is brewing in St James Southern as former Member of Parliament (MP) Homer Davis rejects accusations from current MP Nekeisha Burchell that he’s refusing to relinquish the post, insisting that, as caretaker for the constituency, he has a vested interest in its affairs and cannot be stopped from ensuring the commitments he made during his tenure are fulfilled.

In a video posted on social media, Burchell charged that the former MP is undermining her mandate by inserting himself into constituency affairs. She alleged that Davis, in a video on his own social media platform, aligned himself with a government roadwork project in Nigga Ground, Anchovy, while declaring plans to complete six others.

Burchell further insinuated that Davis has been directing contractors and communities on government-funded initiatives, and alleged that he has already overcommitted the constituency’s $20-million allocation for the current fiscal year, with most of the funds already spent.

The first-time MP said that an audit will be conducted to ensure legitimacy and value for money.

However, in an interview with the Jamaica Observer on Sunday, Davis denied all claims. He is contending that he does not act in the spirit of authority, but rather as a concerned citizen with a vested interest in the work taking place in the constituency.

“I’m just fulfilling my responsibility as a legitimate Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) caretaker for the constituency of St James Southern, and I’m free to move about anywhere, just like how she was free to move about anywhere [when she was a caretaker]. I can’t stop her, and she can’t stop me either. She cannot stop me from visiting an area where work is being done. She can’t!” said an upset Davis.

“I think I have a right to protect my own integrity, meaning that if I said something is going to be done there, it is important that I witness it being done so nobody can say that I did say that road was going to be fixed and no road is fixed, and the next thing you hear say the…[money] siphon off…” he told the Observer.

Davis served as Member of Parliament for St James Southern from September 2020, when he won as a first-time candidate in the general election. His reign ended earlier this month when Burchell — a candidate from the People’s National Party (PNP) — defeated him in the September 2025 General Election.

The final count from the Electoral Office of Jamaica indicates that Burchell polled 6,483 votes to wrest the constituency from Davis, who received 6,284 votes. Burchell was officially sworn in as the Member of Parliament for St James Southern on September 18.

Davis said he has accepted defeat and is fully aware that he no longer holds the position of Member of Parliament. However, he pointed out that nine Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) Programme projects were approved during his tenure, seven of which are now under construction. He stressed that his visits to the sites are solely to observe the fulfilment of commitments he’d made, adding that in his video. He made it clear that while he is no longer the MP, he wants residents to see that the promises he made during his time in office were not election gimmicks.

He noted that road projects such as those in Richmond Hill took two years before they were approved during his tenure.

“These are representations that I have made, and they have been approved, and work has commenced in all these areas, so must I not speak about them? She’s not going to rain on the parade that I have prepared out here. I am not saying she can’t go there and move up and down and stuff like that, but don’t make it look like it’s your project or those were your initiatives; they are not,” Davis fired back.

“When you develop your initiative, I don’t have a problem with you on that, so why is it an issue? I have set a lot of things in motion in that constituency. As I said, we have a number of roads being worked on at this moment, we have a major water supply system being worked on at this moment. What must I do? Say, ‘I have nothing to do with this again.’ I am the constituency caretaker,” he stated, puzzled by the pushback from the newcomer.

The former MP also denied claims that he overcommitted the $20 million given from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for the current fiscal year.

“You cannot overcommit funds, you just cannot. Even if you overcommit the funds, the funds cannot be spent. You can only spend what you are allowed to spend. You can only commit what you are allowed to spend, so if you are allowed to spend a million dollars on housing, for example, it comes to you in four quarters. You don’t get the $1 million one time, you get $250,000 this quarter, $250,000 this quarter, the next quarter you get $250,000,” explained Davis.

He said he would have rightfully spent the money allotted to him for the quarters that he represented the people of St James Southern.

However, in response to questions about the matter posed by the
Observer, Burchell held her ground, standing firm on her claim that, since being elected, there have been repeated instances in which the former MP has acted as though he still holds authority in St James Southern.

The newly minted MP pointed to Davis’s social media accounts, which still list him as MP for the constituency, and said his conduct goes deeper.

“In the days after the election, I received calls from residents in Shaw Castle, Jubilee, Catadupa, Kensington, and other communities asking about new projects that had begun on or around the election [date], and some even after September 3. While I welcome any development, my office had no knowledge of who was arranging them, under what budgets, or with what oversight. I had to contact agencies and contractors directly just to track basic details,” said Burchell in a written response.

She stated that on one occasion she had to visit a worksite after she received reports that supporters of the former MP were allegedly telling residents they had been “sent by the Member of Parliament” to be employed. She alleged that Davis was still using community liaisons to communicate with contractors, and her team had to step in to restore governance and ensure opportunities were shared equitably.

Burchell also doubled down on her claim that Davis overcommitted funds from the CDF. She told the Observer that she has documents that state that, with only half of the fiscal year gone, more than 100 per cent of the $20-million annual allocation for St James Southern has already been committed by the former MP.

“The constituency is technically in the red. About three-quarters of the budget has already been disbursed, leaving little to no flexibility for the remainder of the year. He can feign surprise all he wants, but he cannot argue with the figures. They show clearly that he committed more than the yearly allocation, leaving the constituency financially overextended,” Burchell alleged in responses to the
Observer.

She said the audit will commence on Thursday to determine whether the people received full value for the resources already spent.

“When a new Member of Parliament is elected, responsibility changes hands. The elected Member of Parliament becomes the Government’s representative and is held accountable for the management and execution of projects. I cannot relegate that responsibility to my predecessor,” insisted Burchell.

“Every Member of Parliament leaves behind projects in progress; that is the normal course of governance, but there is a line between observation and interference. When a former Member of Parliament issues instructions, uses community liaisons, or publicly calls himself the MP, that is no longer observation, that’s obstruction and delusion,” she charged.

The new MP said Davis is welcome to observe projects and await the regular reports that her office will provide to all constituents through newsletters, community meetings, and monthly updates.

“On September 3 the people made their decision clear: They no longer required his oversight. I will not squabble with him as he processes the outcome of the election, that is between him and his God. The people’s work must now be managed by the new steward they elected, and I wish to proceed unimpeded,” said Burchell.

A screengrab of Homer Davis’ Instagram account, captured on September 28 at about 2:30 pm, shows the former Member of Parliament listed as the representative for St James Southern and Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister.

DAVIS…she’s not going to rain on the parade that I have prepared(Photo: Philp Lemonte)