KINGSTON, Jamaica, November 22, 2017: In its typical style of heightening its own hypocrisy and partisan bias, Generation 2000 (G2K) has called on South East St. Ann’s Member of Parliament, Lisa Hanna to “step aside” to allow for a thorough and transparent investigation in relation to allegations contained in a report released by the Office of the Contractor General (OCG).
However, according to our assessment and interpretation of the situation, there is no need for Ms. Hanna to reply to G2K’s woof because she has already stated that she has done nothing wrong and would cooperate fully with the authorities in seeing that the matter is appropriately dealt with and resolved; and that the public understands completely the processes that were formulated to carry out the activities.
We find it extremely astounding and ludicrous that the G2K, the affiliated young professional arm of the governing Labour Party, who has ignored the OCG report on the $800Mn de-bushing programme undertaken prior to the local government elections, would be calling for Ms. Hanna to “step aside” before urging the Prime Minister and implicated ministers to respond to the allegations against them in the OCG’s report.
It has been months since the contractor general made his report public on the scandalous $800m de-bushing programme, in which he described how five Cabinet Ministers devised a “corruption enabling mechanism” to divert state funds. The Prime Minister, who had initially promised to respond to the report, has yet to do so. G2K turned a blind eye to the findings of the OCG’s report, made no call on the Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) to investigate, and has made no public statements admonishing anyone for their role in the corruption enabling activities.
Therefore, the caucus of young professional of the People’s National Party (PNP), is calling on G2K to demand that Prime Minister Andrew Holness accord respect to the office of the Contractor General and provide the promised comments on the damning report which was critical of his government’s handling of the public works programme.
The contractor general’s report on the de-bushing programme brings the Cabinet and at least five of its ministers into disrepute, asserted the President of the Patriots, Omar Newell.