The Mark Golding-led People’s National Party (PNP) is in need of a whole lot of group therapy. Only the most absent-minded and gullible partisans, unable to see the reality of principles for hire, continue to hang on to the PNP’s empty sloganeering of accountability, transparency, and integrity. The PNP is anything but an exemplar of moral rectitude.

Golding wants Jamaicans to believe that the PNP is a moral superstar. Well-thinking Jamaicans see right through Golding’s long cloak of deception.

The PNP president and his party evidently do not understand that this is not the 1970s, the 80s, or even the early 90s when only a few privileged Jamaicans controlled the media, and therefore largely controlled what many Jamaicans thought and how often. That time has ended.

Folks see the PNP’s ‘6 for 9’ trickery. Well-thinking Jamaicans understand the PNP’s doublespeak. A majority can spot its ‘do what I say, not as I do’ tactic and practice.

Right-thinking Jamaicans have figured out the deep-seated connections between those who masquerade as civil society and the PNP.

Well-thinking Jamaicans can’t believe what the PNP says, because they see what they do. Folks are not fools.

WHEATLEY WOES

By now many Jamaicans know that, “The Integrity Commission has recommended that Member of Parliament for St Catherine South Central Dr Andrew Wheatley be charged with illicit enrichment after investigators concluded that he possessed approximately $164 million in assets disproportionate to his lawful earnings and failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the discrepancy.

“The recommendation is contained in an investigation report tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, [June 17, 2026] which examined Wheatley’s statutory declarations between 2010 and 2022 and his financial affairs over a 10-year period.

“According to the report, investigators found that Wheatley acquired or owned assets between 2013 and 2022 that could not be reconciled with his known lawful sources of income. The report concluded that the unexplained disparity amounted to approximately $164 million.”

Leader of Opposition Mark Golding (centre) addressing a press conference on Thursday at the Office of the Leader of Opposition in St Andrew. With him are Senator Cleveland Tomlinson and Julian Robinson, Opposition spokesperson on finance. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

These and other details were revealed by this newspaper on June 17, 2026.

The PNP is on the hunt for a scandal to throw at the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), so this was political blood in the waters.

Right quick the PNP called a press conference and demanded the “immediate resignation” of Dr Andrew Wheatley from the Cabinet of Jamaica.

In a statement Wednesday evening, Golding noted that, based on that report, the director of corruption prosecution determined that Dr Wheatley is to be charged with four criminal charges, including illicit enrichment, knowingly making false statements in statutory declarations, and failing to provide information to the director of information and complaints as required by law.

“ ‘A minister who has been recommended for prosecution on four criminal charges, including the serious offence of illicit enrichment, cannot be allowed to remain in the Cabinet of Jamaica. Prime Minister Holness must act immediately. The integrity of our public institutions and the trust of the Jamaican people demand nothing less,’ said the Opposition leader.” (Jamaica Observer, June 18, 2026)

Does Golding have the political authority to call for Dr Wheatley’s resignation? Absolutely!

More importantly, though, does Golding have the moral authority to call for Dr Wheatley’s resignation? Absolutely not!

Well-thinking Jamaicans will not be bamboozled by Golding’s bombast. Folks will not be fooled by Golding’s ‘follow my words, not my footsteps’ tactic. A discerning majority will not buy into Golding’s ‘take my advice, but ignore my example’ platform. And a critical mass of Jamaicans is very frightened by Golding’s political conduct of ‘observe the precept, not the practice.’ These are harbingers.

Celebrated American poet Dr Maya Angelou advised that, whether in business, private relationships, and/or the public arena, it is important that, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

I totally agree with Dr Angelou.

Golding may be familiar with this scripture: “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7: 5, KJV)

If Golding does not read the Bible he may be familiar with the talented Black Uhuru as Golding says he is a ‘roots man’ (culturally savvy).

Black Uhuru had a song called Plastic Smile. The 1977 hit has these potent lines: “Don’t show I yuh teeth, plastic smile cyaan work.”

Leaders like Golding, who castigate others for alleged wrongdoing in the public arena in one breath, but then is caught in his own snare, is guilty of blatant hypocrisy.

NO MORAL AUTHORITY!

Ponder this: ‘Mikael Phillips referred for prosecution by Integrity Commission’.

The Jamaica Observer item of October 15, 2024 said among other things: “The Integrity Commission (IC) has recommended that Member of Parliament (MP) for Manchester North Western Mikael Phillips be charged with breaching the Integrity Commission Act (ICA) for failing to submit his statutory declaration within the period stipulated by law.

“It was revealed in a IC report which was tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon.

“Specifically, the Opposition MP is to be charged with the offence of failure, without reasonable cause, to submit statutory declaration for the period ending December 31, 2022, contrary to section 43(l) (a) of the ICA.

“He faces a fine of up to $500,000 and/or six months’ imprisonment if found guilty in a parish court. The court may also make an order mandating him to comply with the requirement in respect of which the offence was committed.”

Mr Phillips did not resign from the shadow Cabinet and Golding did not relieve him of his portfolio responsibilities.

Consider this: ‘PNP’s Dwayne Vaz facing corruption charge’.

The Jamaica Observer item of April 23, 2024 said this and more: “People’s National Party candidate for Westmoreland Central Dwayne Vaz is to be charged for breaching the country’s Integrity Commission (IC) Act. Observer Online has confirmed that the IC’s director of corruption prosecution has recommended that Vaz be prosecuted. The recommendation that Vaz be charged for breaching the country’s anti-corruption laws is in connection with his 2019 statutory declarations.”

Was Mr Vaz publicly reprimanded by the PNP led by Golding? No!

Think about this, ‘MP, driver charged with assault’.

The Star of February 26, 2026 noted that, “Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Central Dwayne Vaz has denied any wrongdoing after being arrested in connection with an incident at the New Market Oval in Savanna-la-Mar on Sunday.”

Was Vaz publicly reprimanded by the PNP led by Golding? No!

Dwayne Vaz (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE!

“Recall this, ‘No crime, no resign —Defiant MP, JACDEN boss Dennis Gordon fires back in UHWI tax probe’.

The Jamaica Observer item delivered these and related details: “Member of Parliament for St Andrew East Central Dennis Gordon has rejected calls for his resignation and scoffed at claims that he scammed the State out of millions of dollars when his company, JACDEN Limited, benefited from the University Hospital of the West Indies’ (UHWI’s) tax-exempt status.

“In his first full media interview since the matter was raised in a report from the Auditor General’s Department (AGD) in January, Gordon told the Jamaica Observer that the calls for his resignation are being done for political reasons as there was no finding of corruption or criminality by his company or himself.

“ ‘This is character assassination… It is modern-day lynching by persons with their own political agenda,’ said Gordon… ‘If the auditor general had fined me, had indicted me for anything, I would have been the first to resign, because I did not go to politics for a pay cheque, I entered politics for service,’ declared Gordon.

“According to the AGD report tabled in Parliament, the UHWI misused its tax-exempt status to import goods for four private companies, which it identified as companies 1, 2, 3, and 4, resulting in losses totalling $23.1 million.”

Consider this: ‘Gordon summoned! MP to return before ethics committee as scrutiny deepens over accuracy of statements made in closed-door meeting’.

The Jamaica Observer item of April 9, 2026 delivered these details: “Member of Parliament for St Andrew East Central Dennis Gordon will be summoned to reappear before Parliament’s Ethics Committee after members raised concerns that the House’s earlier decision to exempt him may have been based on information provided during a closed-door meeting that now appears inconsistent with details that later emerged in the public domain. The decision was made during the second meeting of the committee on Wednesday, where members agreed that Gordon should be recalled to clarify responses he gave during the initial sitting on February 4, which was held behind closed doors.”

On April 22, 2026, this was the banner headline in this newspaper: ‘Overreach… Parliament’s legislative counsel says ethics committee has no power to recall MP Dennis Gordon’.

The story said this among other things: “Parliament’s Ethics Committee found itself navigating ‘uncharted territory’ on Tuesday as members squabbled over its authority to recall Member of Parliament for St Andrew East Central Dennis Gordon.”

Think on this: “Based on the facts made available to me I have seen nothing to suggest that JACDEN has broken any law. Furthermore, Mr Gordon has, as is appropriate, recused himself from the Public Accounts Committee hearings considering this matter. Nevertheless, this situation with JACDEN has emerged in the public domain within the context of the many serious findings of maladministration at UHWI in the auditor general’s report.”

Consider this, too: “ ‘In coming to this decision, I wish to reiterate that I am not aware of anything which suggests Mr Gordon or JACDEN has breached any law. Furthermore, JACDEN’s dialysis machines are now providing life-saving services to Jamaica’s renal patients at a lower cost than otherwise available in the marketplace.

“ ‘Nevertheless, it is the nature of public life that we must take a stance demonstrating adherence to rigorous standards of accountability, especially given that Jamaica is suffering from an environment where such standards are sadly lacking.’ ”

This wishy-washy and spineless reaction from Golding came days after sustained national pressure.

This is the same Golding who is now demanding the “immediate removal” of Dr Wheatley from the Cabinet.

This is the same Golding who has seemingly assumed the role of judge, jury, and executioner in the matter involving Dr Andrew Wheatley.

In my The Agenda column of April 26, 2026, I said among other things: “Golding’s press release of April 5, 2026 provides further confirmation that he is running scared. He chose the path of least resistance. He decided not to poke Santa Claus for fear it would jeopardise his chance of receiving gifts at Christmas.”

Check this, ‘Unbothered Isat Buchanan takes high road amid critics’ broadside.’

The news item noted that, “Despite strong criticisms being levelled against him amid his political ambitions, due to his two drug-related convictions, Isat Buchanan — the People’s National Party’s (PNP’s) standard-bearer for Portland Eastern — says he is leaving everything up to God and time, and describes his detractors as his ‘fans’.” (Jamaica Observer, October 6, 2024)

I previously said in this space that I believed our political history will remember Golding as a comma or exclamation mark, not content. I stand by that reasoning.

At the mentioned PNP presser, Golding called for civil society to put pressure on the Holness Administration to have Dr Andrew Wheatley “immediately removed” from the Cabinet. It did not escape my notice that its response came like clockwork. Was this Ivan Pavlov’s famous experiment in classical conditioning being played out in the political arena?

Is the reaction part and particle of this dictum? “We believe that it is best for the PNP to form the Government; therefore, anything that will lead or cause us to be in power is best for the PNP and best for the country.” Anything, excludes nothing.

Anyway, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness said on Nationwide News Network (NNN) last Monday said that he would have discussions in Cabinet with Dr Wheatley on the matters mentioned. The country awaits the outcome of those discussions.

Dr Andrew Wheatley should not resign. That is my position as a discerning citizen. Natural justice applies to him too.

Garfield Higgins is an educator and journalist. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or higgins160@yahoo.com