There is no smoke without fire
WHEN I read the story published a few days ago pertaining to the lease of seven acres of land in Holywell and listing a government minister as an interested party, my mind immediately ran on Member of Parliament Daryl Vaz for some reason.
A day later, as strangely suspected, I learned from The Gleaner that the minister in question was in fact Minister Vaz, and it was confirmed that he, as minister of environment, had made an offer to lease the said land for what I would consider to be the paltry sum of J$10,000 per month, or approximately US$10 per month per acre!
How is it that Minister Vaz can operate right under the prime minister’s nose at the Office of the Prime Minister yet is always close to controversy? Is this mere coincidence or something more?
I call on the prime minister to immediately separate from Minister Vaz if in fact he wants us to believe that he and his Government are serious about fighting corruption as, while I am not saying Minister Vaz did anything wrong here, I am a believer that where smoke exists fire may not be far away.
Or is it that the prime minister honestly cannot see the obvious conflict of a minister of government seeking to partake in a deal where he would be the obvious beneficiary?
Minister Vaz was elected to look out for Jamaicans and not to look out for himself. In spite of statements he may issue in defence of his actions, I am left to wonder how he could have obtained seven acres of land for such a ridiculously low price. At the very least, his ministerial responsibilities suggest that he should seek the best possible deal for government lands, and no one would really believe that, in this case, he has done that.
P.S.