The Jamaica Diaspora Crime Intervention and Prevention Task Force, in association with the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council and their supporters, staged a protest against the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) on Friday, May 10, in front of the Jamaican Consulate located at 300 E. 42nd Street, New York City.
In a press release, the group stated that the demonstration highlighted some of the issues impacting the lives of Jamaicans and tarnishing Brand Jamaica. These issues included the Prime Minister’s unfulfilled promise in 2016 that Jamaicans would be able to “sleep with their windows and doors open” and the Prime Minister’s Statutory Declarations (i.e., financial disclosures) for 2021 and 2022 not being verified by the Integrity Commission, the country’s anti-corruption agency.
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The groups also cited that the Prime Minister and his Cabinet received anti-corruption training but refused to sign the good governance “Code of Conduct,” the GOJ implemented State of Emergency violates fundamental rights 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 percent.
Additionally, the Diaspora grouping cited what they said was rampant corruption at the Ministry of Education, 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, and the GOJ’s 2016 and 2020 promises to resolve the water/drought issues largely remaining unfulfilled.
