Jovan Johnson, Gleaner Writer

KINGSTON, Jamaica:‎‎
A vice-president of the People’s National Party (PNP) is among two elected officials who have hit out against the National Housing Trust (NHT) amid the controversy over the Outameni lands.‎

Commenting on the social networking site Facebook, Angela Brown-Burke, who is also the Mayor of Kingston said the NHT board does not care about public service.

“I wished the NHT board had just shut up. We need people in public service who really care about the public, especially when the public hasn't caught your informed visionary approach to development. ‪#‎humility ‪#‎tolerance‪#‎selflessness. ” wrote Brown-Burke.

Also commenting on ‎Facebook, PNP councillor Venesha Phillips, said the decision to retain the scandal-hit board and appoint new members, was slap in the face of Jamaicans.

Phillips, the ‎councillor for the Papine Division of the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation, said ‎the handling of the matter by the ‎NHT chairman, Easton Douglas, demonstrated “contempt for the people of this country”.

‎The comments from the two Comrades are the strongest coming from members of the PNP administration that has been facing mounting public pressure to sack the board over the decision to buy the Outameni tourist attraction and property in Trelawny for $180 million.‎

Earlier today, the PNP released a statement saying yesterday's press briefing hosted by the NHT board chairman was successful in silencing detractors.‎ ‎

‎The statement added that the party fully supports yesterday's decision by the Cabinet to appoint the four additional members to the current Board of Directors at the NHT.‎

The new appointees are: Daisy Coke - deputy chair‎, Sgt. Raymond Wilson - Jamaica Police Federation, Clayton Hall - Jamaica Teachers' Association and Pastor Michael Harvey, vice president Northern Caribbean University.

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