Mark Wignall | Connected at 185 miles per hour

In 2019, as Hurricane Dorian literally sat on Abaco in The Bahamas (between 27 and 36 hours) and achieved a consistent 185mph, none could know that it was sending a message to Jamaica about the monster to come: Melissa in 2025.

Old-time Jamaicans will tell youngsters that the longer a happening doesn’t happen, the more urgent should one expect the happening. Maybe somewhere in numbers theory it fills a logical slot.

Hurricane winds of 185mph over a period of a minute is hell lasting for 60 of the longest seconds ever known to mankind. Ask the Bahamian in 2019. Ask the shopkeeper in Santa Cruz in 2025.

Hurricane Melissa’s fury was concentrated in its small eyewall of five to eight miles where winds of 175 to 185mph blew. Of course there were outer bands with winds below, say, 150mph, which ripped roofs apart and laid JPS poles flat and entwined with power-distribution wires. One would hardly expect those who suffered damage to think, “t’s only 150mph me get, but it still tek whe mi roof like dem whe get di eyewall.” One hundred and fifty miles per hour is still a dangerous, destructive storm.

At the invitation of an acquaintance, I drove down to Discovery Bay about a week ago. Glancing around, Hurricane Melissa’s effects were not too visible until I exited the highway at Runaway Bay. On the sea side of the road on the way to Discovery Bay, all light poles were down.

Bear in mind that as Hurricane Melissa prepared to exit Jamaica from the northwest of the island, it made easterly turn. Areas that were in no way associated with the eyewall suffered significant damage. In St Ann’s Bay, it was the same scenario but with more buildings damaged. This continued right on to Discovery Bay. To no one’s surprise, just about all of the board-and0-zinc depressed communities I saw had been totally wiped out. That was really painful to see. I saw the same thing in Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.

POWERFUL KNEE, SCRAWNY THROAT

A quite useful fact that Jamaicans ought to know is that the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) is 80 per cent owned by the Marubeni Corporation, a huge Japanese entity, and Korea East-West Power (KEPCO), a similarly expansive South Korean conglomerate. As would be expected, both these companies are very large, with significant assets and strong balance sheets.

Which begs a number of questions. Why have they not come up with a high percentage of the funds the JPS needs to repair the grid? The Government of Jamaica owns 20 per cent of the JPS, which is US$70 million.

The next question, and a very problematic one, is, why is the Government of Jamaica forced to loan twice its ownership interest to the JPS (US$150 million and more)? That same government is somehow required to spin like a top, pause briefly, then must borrow a huge amount of money for reconstruction and repair of badly damaged Jamaica.

The Government of Jamaica is under a monumental, onerous financial burden due to Monster Melissa. But Marubeni and KEPCO do not seem to be providing any financial support to date, yet they are 80 per cent owners of the JPS. Even a 10th-grader can see right through the illogic of Jamaica accepting a role as nothing more than a soiled kitchen mat, especially at this crucial time.

We would want the Government to be convinced that it has a special responsibility to explain to Jamaicans why the Government of Jamaica is bailing out Marubeni and KEPCO. I deeply understand that the people of Jamaica want electricity as soon as possible and the Government of Jamaica is under pressure to get the lights back on.

And yet, with all of that forcing us to plead to the best of corporate altruism because we probably have no legally protective clause, we find that we are put out for drying even as we drip and grow cold.

Do they need high-voltage cattle prods? Can Marubeni and KEPCO simply remain silent and do nothing? Are there words written in the contract that bind us to a special form of corporate servility?

That is simply not reasonable or logical and leans heavily on the hurtful side of economic terrorism.

CHAT, ACTION TIME LAG

On November 20, Prime Minister Holness announced the formation of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (the Authority). As I write, on December 11, we do not know who the members of the Authority are.

One would have hoped that with such an impressive name, it would be indicative of action with alacrity. Assuming that the concept of the Authority was discussed in Cabinet or at the OPM, or the Ministry of Finance, before November 20, why has there been no announcement of who the members of the authority are?

I would think that the moment the concept was conceived, qualified members would be contacted and asked to serve and that those qualified and asked to serve would agree instantly. With no members, the Authority cannot even get off the ground. Would it not be sensible to announce the Authority and at the same time say who the initial members are (I am mindful that some may be appointed and then resign or cannot serve).

Time is of the essence. Thousands of Jamaicans are without proper shelter; they have lost everything. Getting this Authority up, humming and running, without these obvious hitches ought to have been the urgent objective.

Mark Wignall is a political and public affairs analyst. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and mawigsr@gmail.com.