Former Old Harbour councillor calls for cleaning of drains

He made the appeal after raising the matter with Old Harbour News in an interview this week.

“The drains them need to clean man. Dem stay bad. You nuh si the amount of grass and garbage in the drains them,” a clearly irate Frankson lamented. “Weh di councillor de? Weh di MP (Member of Parliament) de! Man dem a joke bredrin. The drains dem need fi clean like right now.”

Checks at one of the sites highlighted by Frankson confirmed his observation.

Thick grass clogs the main drain along lower Darlington Drive, a perennial eyesore for citizens, as well as stagnant water at the front of the Post Office.

Frankson was elected councillor of the Old Harbour Central Division in the 2012 Local Government Elections, winning the seat for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). During his reign as councillor of the division, he switched allegiance to the People’s National Party (PNP) after a falling out with incumbent Member of Parliament Everald Warmington. In 2016 Frankson represented the PNP at the local polls but was defeated by reigning councillor Steve Graham of the JLP.

He subsequently resigned from the PNP and sought to bury the hatchet with Warmington. Those discussions did not go down too well apparently, as Frankson declared himself an independent candidate whenever the next council elections are called.

Asked by Old Harbour News if he still intends to run as an independent, Frankson said “yes, definitely”, before adding “and mi ago win to”.

On the same day Frankson made the appeal the National Works Agency (NWA) announced a $100 million flood mitigation programme, a proactive measure in anticipation of the hurricane season.

Weather experts are forecasting an above-average hurricane season this year.