Prime Minister Andrew Holness met with members of the entertainment fraternity who have been vocal about the issue of mining in the Cockpit Country in Trelawny.
The entertainers, who attended the meeting at Jamaica House on Wednesday (Aug 28), were Bounty Killer, Queen Ifrica, and Tony Rebel.
“There is much misinformation in the public domain and I engaged them with the facts. This Government took the bold move to ensure the Cockpit Country is protected. The Government is looking at the issue of the Cockpit Country in a comprehensive way. We are currently on the ground physically marking the area in a process known as ground-truthing,” the Holness noted in a social media post.
“The discussions were enlightening. I restated my position that this Government remains committed to protecting the Cockpit Country. I ask members of the public to refrain from disturbing the markings from the ground truthing exercise,” he added.
Others at the meeting were representatives of the Forestry Department, Daryl Vaz, who is the minister with responsibility for the environment, and Government Senator Matthew Samuda.
The Prime Minister posted photos taken during and after the deliberations, which included a Powerpoint presentation, on his Facebook Page and on Twitter. In the multiple shots, the PM greets a beaming Queen Ifrica with a tight hug.
The three artistes, along with entertainer Spragga Benz, had been taking the Holness administration to task on social media over the issue.
— Article written by Claudia Gardner
