21 hours ago
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Councillor for the Old Harbour South division, Dr Kurt Waul, is alleging there is a lack of transparency in the handling of the SPARK programme in the St. Catherine South Western constituency.
Statements from the Ministry of Works has outlined that all relevant stakeholders should be included in the consultation process.
However, according to Councillor Waul, he was excluded from discussions, and his division was omitted from the list of roads posted on the SPARK website, despite longstanding road infrastructure challenges in the area.
He says he has raised his concerns to the member of parliament and the Minister of Works but was told that that no parochial roads in his division would be addressed and that no further action could be taken.
Councillor Waul says road patchings were recently observed on the main road leading to the Old Harbour Bay community. This involved workers from outside the Old Harbour South community.
He says when he enquired, he was told works were being conducted under the SPARK Programme by the member of parliament.
Councillor Waul says the MP should not be authorising roadworks in his division without prior consultation.
He says while MP Everald Warmington indicated after the local government elections that none of ‘his money’ would be
spent in his division, he is the elected councillor and public funds do not belong to any one individual.
According to Councillor Waul, attempts to work out the matter with the MP has been unsuccessful. He says despite reaching out to him on three separate occasions, he was dismissed and calls were ended abruptly.
Councillor Waul says the exclusion of Old Harbour South from these repairs is an indication of political bias. Councillor Waul says he is prepared to take all necessary steps to advocate for his division.
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