Orville W. Taylor, Contributor
I watched and squirmed as blame for the recent flooding on Marcus Garvey Drive kept passing from the National Works Agency (NWA) to the National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC). In the meantime, Kingston's Mayor, Desmond McKenzie, kept nudging for answers while extricating his organisation from the matter.
It was the television news programme appropriately named 'All Angles'because the managing director for NROCC and the NWA representative dodged responsibility with the dexterity of ninjas.
From whichever angle the question came, the answer was not forthcoming. It is as if NWA meant 'Not We Again'. So the public is caught between NROCC and a hard place.
Whoever is to be blamed, what is clear is that the water did not flow off and almost drowned drivers and stationary business persons alike. Perhaps because it was muddy and not white water from the 'White House', it was not able to go down the drain. It was obviously an engineering error and someone committed it.
My suspicion is that it is NROCC, because Section 1.5.1 of the agreement with the Government states, "The developer shall be responsible for the construction of all elements of the toll road and related works including required environmental mitigation measures, coordination of utility relocations, demolitions and removals, and temporary works."
Simply put, NROCC, the developer, must not build the highway in a vacuum but is responsible for the linkages with the rest of the environment within which it is located. Furthermore, Section 1.4.5, that deals with hydrology and drainage, states, "The drainage system shall be designed to accommodate Jamaican climatic conditions, comprising heavy rainfall and rapid run-off." Argument done!
Although Marcus Garvey would have been proud that the water that runs on the roadway named in honour of him was coloured, he would have been peeved that there are so many issues that are escaping public scrutiny.
Concessions to developers
Two weeks ago, I raised questions about the concessions given to the developers and the signing away of the right of the people to free access to Portmore without indicating to them that this would have been so.
One burning question was whether the government could have upgraded the Mandela Highway to improve traffic flow, thereby making it into a true alternative route to the toll road.
The copy of the agreement in my possession suggested that if this were to be done, then the Government would have to compensate the foreign developers by raising the toll.
Having now seen the document from the official website, I am not only convinced that this is so, but there is even more that is to come.
A reported survey carried out on behalf of the developers in 2000 showed that 70 per cent of 1,200 respondents were in support of a toll road.
However, this support was only forthcoming after they were "told the basics" about it. I don't know what the basics were, but initially 36 per cent of the Jamaicans surveyed were opposed to it.
I am quite unsure that this survey was done in regard to Portmore residents or any other community who would be directly affected.
Nonetheless, the agreement reveals that other toll booths are to be constructed at May Pen, Clarendon, and Williamsfield in Manchester. How many of us were 'tolled' this?
It is this lack of openness that has characterised the present administration. The issue is not even whether the decisions taken are in the interest of the nation. This is a democracy, and the people need to know.
A transparent dialogue needs to be initiated by the Minister of Transport and Works. Whatever 'time of the month' it is, it cannot be early enough for Minister Bobby Pickersgill to give us answers. The public also needs 'periodic' updates.
Similar questions need to be answered regarding PetroCaribe, and other forms of assistance from the Venezuelan government. I have no compunction about coope-ration between our neighbours and us. In fact, inasmuch as it may offend the United States, we are a sovereign nation.
When Michael Manley proposed an economic alliance among Mexico, Venezuela and us in the 1970s under the banner JAVAMEX, I liked the idea because it had the potential of upgrading our structure of production and industrialisation process.
Moreover, our links with Venezuela are historic. Its liberator, Simon Bolivar, while exiled here in 1815, designed and wrote his Carta de Jamaica (Letter from Jamaica). He conceptualised the plans to liberate several Latin American countries, including his native Venezuela. His legacy is preserved in a statue at National Heroes Circle where he looks in the direction of the Marcus Garvey, Bustamante and other memorials.
Sold out, polled out
Notwithstanding this, I am very uncomfortable with any non-Jamaican entity owning 49 per cent of as critical a resource as our national Petroleum Refinery, Petrojam.
It is as 'shocking' as the foreign ownership of the Jamaica Public Service Company and the selling off of the Donald Sangster International Airport. Imagine a foreign company owning a landmark bearing the name of a former Prime Minister.
Mention also Caribbean Cement that was only producing acceptable cement perhaps due to the counter flour dust blowing from Jamaica Flour Mills and you have concrete reasons for worry. Even today, there are not enough answers coming to the public.
These are the issues that Sister P must grapple with. The recent Gleaner-Bill Johnson poll shows declining support for her although without a corresponding increase in popularity of the Jamaica Labour Party's Bruce Golding.
In her zeal for probity, she must create some distance between her administration and these dubious decisions. If not, although we are tolled out and sold out, she could be polled out.
Dr. Orville Taylor is senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at the University of the West Indies, Mona.
