So finally the long awaited reports of contractor general
Dirk Harrison are finally out and both have been laid before parliament for
consideration, the report into the Spaulding Market scandal has concluded in no uncertain terms that
Richard Azan, a government MP and Junior Minister acted in a most inappropriate
and corrupt manner and even went as far as to recommend to the Director of
Public Prosecutions that he be prosecuted for the offence, the report from the Office of
the Contractor General (OCG) has described Azan as being involved a deep web of
conspiracy. And if that were not already bad enough a second report from the
OCG with regards to the bids for the right to construct a major power plant found that the Minister of Energy
Philip Paulwell also acted in an inappropriate manner in order to allow an unauthorized
bidder into the process well after the bidding time was over, the report from
the OCG goes on to give details of meetings between the minister and said
bidder giving them an unfair advantage in the entire process instead of
following the rules that were originally set forth when the bid was first being
announced.
Given the damning nature of these reports and the public
outrage that ensued, one would have assumed that the government would at least
be attempting some serious damage control in order to soothe tempers but instead
the response of the administration has been anything but. Speaking at the weekly Jamaica House press briefing
Information Minister Senator Sandrea Falconer got herself into hot water with a
couple journalist after refusing to say much on the issue, it later turned into
an ugly spat and ended with the microphones of several journalist being cut so
as to prevent them from badgering the minister who came with a prepared script
which said very little on the matter and was not prepared to tolerate any
questions on the matter regardless of it’s national significance.
And if that was not bad enough, one should hear the response
of Mr Paulwell who declared that he rejected the findings of the contractor general,
the arrogant minister went on to call
the report as rubbish asserting that the
CG did not know what he was talking about in the first place claiming that he
(Paulwell) will be proceeding as planned, in other words a report from
Parliament’s oversight agency means very little to the minister because it did
not fall in line with what he thinks it should be, this is nothing if not the
most blatant act of disrespect to the
intelligence to the people of Jamaica.
Similar sentiments were also echoed by Mr. Azan who claims
that he had no regrets whatsoever about his part in the whole Spaulding Market
fiasco claiming that those who now occupy the market are benefiting from what
he did and that was politically corrupt then so be it. To be frank one can be
tempted to sympathise with Azan given that his intention at the outset may have
been noble, but that does not change the fact that he failed to follow
procurement rules, he overstepped his boundaries as a junior minister and on
top of all that he was actually collecting rent from the venders in the market
which by right should have gone to the Clarendon Parish Council, if that is not
the heights of corruption then I don’t know what is.
This sort of arrogance has resonated with the People’s National
Party ever since they first took back the reigns of power in 2012, they had
often campaigned on the ground that the Labour Party was too arrogant and
distant from the people, but in truth the response from these two individuals
coupled with the lacked from response from everybody else in the government
goes to show that the PNP is guilty of the very thing the accuse the JLP of, who could forget
the infamous statement of one PNP counselor back in April boldly congratulating Mr. Azan for his corrupt deeds and declaring that the Clarendon
Parish council will be theirs indefinitely, that was beyond arrogant, delusions
of grandeur would be a more appropriate term to define such utterances
The actions of both gentlemen has led to calls from all
sectors of the society from them to resign or for the Prime Minister to relieve
them of their post, the government is yet to respond to this. One can only hope
that they will do the honourable thing and resign as is expected in such a
system where accountability is key to wiping out corruption for good .
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