Dr. Vin Lawrence
In the first (but hopefully not the last) consequence of the Sandals Whitehouse cost overrun scandal, the much feared and disliked Chairman of the Urban Development Corporation, Dr. Vin Lawrence, has resigned.
Having accepted Dr. Lawrence’s resignation, the Prime Minister has thrown the whole Scandals Whitehouse mess to Opposition spokesman on Finance, Audley Shaw, and the Public Accounts Committee. She has charged them with shedding light on every nook and cranny of the scandal, and with hauling every wrong-doer before the proper authorities. A stunning move which checkmates not only the Opposition, but the naysayers in her own camp. You go girl !
The current Prime Minister removed one PJ crony last year when she flushed away Alston Stewart, the Chairman of the Solid Waste Management Authority. Now Dr. Lawrence, renowned for his arrogance, abuse of authority and sheer vindictiveness has gone the same way.
There must be many people, great and humble, in the local construction industry who are having a quiet celebratory drink and saying a silent prayer of thanks.
Of course, the doctors working in UDC “refurbished and expanded” hospitals who cannot use their operating theaters when it rains; and the teachers working in UDC “overseen” schools who are trying to teach in newly constructed, but leaky classrooms full of shoddily built furniture, have less to celebrate…..
Next on the agenda for Sister P ? She needs to get rid of the Dr. Lawrence surrogates installed wherever in the Government the former Prime Minister allowed his crony to run unchecked. We’re talking most of the Board and senior management at UDC, the National Works Agency, Air Jamaica, PCJ, the bauxite industry etc, etc……
And after that ? Wait for all those who supported Peter Phillips and Omar Davies to realize that Sister P intends to “run things” quite as ruthlessly as any of the boys, and watch them all get in line for the plum jobs that will soon be hers for the giving…..
Personally, I ‘m hoping Madam Prime Minister will take really drastic action and also close down these 3 pet projects of Dr. Lawrence which are perpetual swallowers of our tax money : (1) Air Jamaica (2) the incredibly costly charade of resurrecting the Jamaica Railways (3) Jentech, Dr. Lawrence’s consulting company (Jentech, of course, would be closed down by simply requiring them to use their much vaunted “experience and qualifications” to get private sector, as opposed to government, work)….
“Can You Forgive Her (The Penguine Trollope, vol. 17)” (Anthony Trollope, Stephen Wall)
“All the King’s Men” (Robert Penn Warren)
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Technorati Tags: corruption, Omar Davies, Peter Phillips, Portia Simpson Miller, UDC
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