Tourism Ministry Calls Emergency Meeting to Discuss Royalton Negril Incident

KINGSTON, Jamaica; May 10, 2016: The Ministry of Tourism has called an emergency meeting to discuss the implications of this morning’s incident in which a section of the Royalton Negril Resort and Spa, Hanover, which is under construction, collapsed injuring several workers.

Hotel representatives have indicated that based on the staff listing, all personnel who should have been on the site have been accounted for. The injured workers have since received medical attention. None of the injuries were considered life threatening.

A high level team from the Ministry visited the property shortly after the incident to provide assistance. The team was dispatched by Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett, who is currently overseas on official business.

The team was led by the Ministry’s Senior Director of Technical Services, David Dobson and included Chairman of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Ian Dear, Chairman of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), Godfrey Dyer, Executive Director of TPDCo, Dennis Hickey, Executive Director of the TEF, Clyde Harrison, Director of Tourism, Paul Pennicook and Senior Communications Strategist, Delano Seiveright.

The emergency meeting will be held tomorrow at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices where members of the team will meet with the owners of Royalton Negril, the main contractor and the sub-contractor, whose team was carrying out work on the site when the incident occurred. Following the meeting Minister Bartlett will be briefed on the outcome of the discussions.

Commentary

Royal Mess … As Hotel Collapses Under Construction … PNP Led Hanover Parish Council Under The Spotlight … Again …

We have attached an Official Release from the Tourism Ministry on this most tragic incident of a Hotel’s first floor crashing to the ground while under construction. What we know so far and confirmed by officials is that five construction workers have been injured. There are no deaths so far and to this we are eternally grateful. There are investigations being done and we await such findings.

We hope there will be no cover ups and facts uncovered during the probe will be made public. Work has been ordered suspended indefinitely.

It is our hope that the necessary approvals were granted …. environmental and otherwise for this hotel project to have started
in the first place.

Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie seem to be hinting that all is not well.

Nepotism

We also must state that we are disappointed that this incident/accident has happened but based on history with the Hanover Parish Council … are not surprised. We expect the worse and are surprised when good comes out of that municipality … best described as “a cesspool of corruption.” It’s former Mayor Councillor Shernette Haughton is being questioned as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged criminal conduct on her part. Allegedly by her awarding millions of dollars in contracts to close relatives including allegedly her husband. Is this Royalton mess one such building/permit/contract that was awarded under her watch as Mayor ?

We would not be surprised if this “embryo” was a result of actions initiated under Mayor Shernette Houghton’s incumbency?

Let us keep our cool and await the high level probe into the awarding of this building permit or contract which we hope went through the Hanover Parish Council.

What a tangled web or rather what a mangled mess …?

Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is Senior International Correspondent & Photojournalist for Vision Newspaper Canada.