Andrew Holness scandal: A new scandal against Jamaican PM Andrew Holness has came into light. Jamaica’s anti-corruption agency has referred Prime Minister Andrew Holness to the director of prosecutions over allegations related to government contracts awarded to a construction firm during the period of 2006 to 2009.
The Integrity Commission’s report, published on 15th feb, revealed an inquiry into a recommendation for contracts with Westcon Construction Limited by the Prime Minister, raising concerns of a potential “conflict of interest.”
According to reports, PM Andrew Holness did a scandal worth millions of dollars. In response, PM Holness made a statement in which he expressed his adamant disagreement with the findings of the Integrity Commission and discounted the alleged conflict of interest as nothing more than associations.
When Andrew Holness, the current prime minister, was the education minister in 2009, he gave ten contracts worth nearly JMD$22 million ($140,000) to his close associates over a two-year period.
The panel concluded that Holness might has broken the Corruption Act, the Public Sector Procurement Regulations of 2008, and the Contractor General Act (Prevention Act) of Jamaica and so, he must be penalized.
Another day, another politician in hot water. Or do we say another day and another scandal of Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness. The latter is better, I guess.
Andrew Holness, has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Apparently, he’s been playing favorites with his buddies over at Westcon Construction Limited and awarding them government contracts left and right.
But wait, there’s more! Not only did he give them contracts worth millions of dollars, but he also gave ten contracts to his close associates when he was the education minister back in 2009. I mean, who needs to follow regulations and the law when you have connections, am I right?
Of course, the Integrity Commission had to go and ruin all the fun by publishing a report on February 15th that highlighted a potential conflict of interest with the Prime Minister’s recommendation for these contracts.
But did he take responsibility and own up to his mistakes? Don’t make me laugh. Instead, he vehemently denied any wrongdoing and dismissed the allegations as mere associations.
So, what’s next for Andrew Holness? Well, the Commission thinks he might have broken a few laws here and there, including the Corruption Act, the Public Sector Procurement Regulations of 2008, and the Contractor General Act (Prevention Act) of Jamaica. But I’m sure he’ll be just fine. After all, it’s not like politicians ever face any real consequences for their actions, right?
This makes his story of rise and fall an interesting one. Let’s trace it together.
The scandal city of Andrew Holness
It’s a sad time for Jamaica. Corruption has always been an issue in Jamaica’s political and social systems, but lately, it’s become even more prevalent. Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perception Index never has good news for Jamaica, and recent events have only made things worse.
One area where corruption has been particularly problematic is in government contracting.
The misuse of public funds and awarding contracts based on political connections instead of merit have been long-standing problems that have eroded public trust in the government.
And to top it all off, the Prime Minister of Jamaica himself, Andrew Holness, has now been accused of scandal. Holness, who was once a shining star in Jamaican politics, has now become one of the most despised PMs in the country’s history.
It’s a shame to see how the state of Jamaica has deteriorated from what it was just a few years ago. Just compare Jamaica of 2010 to 2023, you will realize how messed up the situation is.
Surprisingly, Holness wasn’t even elected as PM, he was appointed. People took him in with lots of expectations but now, they just want him to leave.
The rise of Holness
This makes the story of the rise and fall of Holness an interesting one. Let’s trace it together.
The year was 2011, a year of great turmoil in the land of Jamaica. The people were restless, demanding justice and order from their leaders. But, their cries went unanswered, until On October 23, 2011, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding, resigned amidst growing public pressure.
The reason for his resignation? A controversial extradition request made by the United States to prosecute the notorious drug lord and gang leader, Christopher “Dudus” Coke, had caused a stir in the Jamaican political scene. Golding’s administration was accused of protecting Coke and delaying his extradition.
The tension reached a boiling point, with many fearing violence and unrest in Coke’s stronghold of Tivoli Gardens. But, after months of negotiations and international pressure, Golding finally relented and agreed to extradite Coke. However, this decision came at a cost, as it forced him to resign from his post.
As the dust settled, the Jamaica Labour Party was left without a leader. But, from the ashes of this political turmoil rose a new leader, Andrew Holness. The former education minister was appointed as the new Prime Minister of Jamaica in 2011, replacing the outgoing Golding.
But, his reign did not start smoothly. In 2012, Holness led the JLP to a crushing defeat in the national elections, with the opposition People’s National Party winning 42 out of the 63 seats in Parliament.
However, Holness did not give up. And in 2016, he led the JLP to a slim victory in the national elections. Holness emerged as the new Prime Minister of Jamaica, winning 32 out of the 63 seats in Parliament.
But, his true moment of triumph came in 2020. Despite a record low voter turnout, Holness led the JLP to a resounding victory in the national elections, winning a staggering 49 out of the 63 seats in Parliament. He was sworn in for a second term as Prime Minister on September 7, 2020.
Read More: PM Andrew Holness leaves Jamaica at Biden’s mercy
Whims and Fancies turned nightmare
The story of Holness is one that is filled with promises and lies, development projects without any development, and a constant decline of Jamaica’s economy.
Holness was portrayed as a visionary leader by the JLP and his followers, someone who wanted to change Jamaica for the better. However, under his rule, Jamaica has faced high crime rates, poverty, corruption, and political instability. The nation is also grappling with gang and drug violence, which have raised the homicide rate. The healthcare and educational systems are deficient, leading to a brain drain as a result of the emigration of highly skilled workers.
Despite promises of development, there is little to show for it. For example, in the Spanish Parish of St. Catherine, a $500m redevelopment project was promised, but it has not been started, and the funds are nowhere to be seen.
Holness promised to make Jamaica a commonwealth just like Barbados, but he has failed to do so and is now blaming the opposition for his failure.
In addition to the lack of development, Jamaica is also dealing with cyber-crimes and fraud, which have become a common occurrence under Holness’s administration. The Bank of Jamaica’s 2018 Financial Stability Report revealed that the nation experienced 62 counts of net banking fraud between January and September 2018. The bank also mentioned that Jamaica regularly experiences two cyber-attacks per week, yet there has been no stringent policy to fix it.
Furthermore, the SSL scandal has victimized not only the Jamaican people but also the nation’s beloved athlete, Usain Bolt. Administration of Andrew Holness knew about the severe loopholes in SSL’s monetary policy, yet no action was taken.
Read More: Bankman Scandal: The scandal that forced the Caribbean nations to hit the reset button
Despite all of this, Holness remains an obsessive compulsive liar, who blames Jamaicans for everything, including the downfall of the nation.
Now, we ask you: will Andrew Holness be able to overcome the anti-incumbency wave that he himself rose on? Will he be able to fix the problems that he himself has caused? Do let us know your thoughts on this in the comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgDTBYZvu1Y