Demonstration will highlight issues impacting the lives of Jamaican

Durrant Pate/Contributor

Jamaica Diaspora Crime Intervention and Prevention Task Force in association with the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council and their supporters will stage a protest against the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) this Friday, May 10 in front of the Jamaican Consulate located at 300 E. 42ndStreet, New York City.

“the demonstration will highlight some of the issues impacting the lives of Jamaicans and/or tarnishing Brand Jamaica, including but not limited to the Prime Minister’s promise in 2016 that Jamaicans would be able to ‘sleep with their windows and doors open’ not being fulfilled and the Prime Minister’s Statutory Declarations (i.e. financial disclosures ) for 2021 and 2022 have not been verified by the Integrity Commission, the country’s anti-corruption agency,” the group said in press release.

The groups also cited that, “the Prime Minister and his Cabinet received anti-corruption training but have refused to sign the good governance ‘Code of Conduct;’ the GOJ implemented State of Emergency violates fundamental right and freedoms protected by the Constitution; the GOJ amending the Constitution to extend the tenure of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the GOJ raising the salary of legislators by approximately 200 per cent, while civil servants received a paltry 20 per cent.”

In addition, the Diaspora grouping also cited what they say is the rampant corruption at the Ministry of Education, which is grossly affecting the quality of education provided to students, investors including Usain Bolt losing their funds due to the SSL scandal, the Auditor General reporting in January this year that J$1.7 trillion has been unaccounted for while the GOJ’s 2016 and 2020 promises to resolve the water/drought issues have been largely unfulfilled.