United Progressive Party (UPP) MP for St John’s Rural West Richard Lewis, is refuting claims made by Education Minister Daryll Matthew on Pointe FM over the weekend.
The Education Minister called out the MP for what he felt was opposing for no reason the UWI Five Island expansion plans, and not engaging the community to take advantage of the opportunity arising from the plans.
However, yesterday, MP Lewis told Observer media that the Education Minister had promised to hold a meeting with him to keep the MP abreast of developments in the project, but failed to stick to his word.
“I remember going to Parliament and reminding him what he said, and he has not fulfilled any promise to have a sit-down with me to let me know what is going on with the project,” MP Lewis said.
The Education Minister said that MP Lewis was “playing politics” with the University of the West Indies, referencing former Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, whom the Minister said has come around to the project after initial objections.
“He is now coming, blatantly lying to the public, saying that I am not supporting the project because of its location. We are past that, that’s water under the bridge,” declared MP Lewis.
Meanwhile, the MP continues to state that the government needs to ensure that a secondary school is built in the area.
“We have to look for a location to get the secondary school that they have promised, along with the University of the West Indies, to have built,” he said.