Senator Damion Crawford Says PM Andrew Holness Stole His Idea To Make Jamworld A 24 Hour Entertainment Zone
Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ announcement of his Government’s plans to make the Jamworld Entertainment Complex Jamaica’s first 24-hour entertainment zone, has been met with jubilation from his supporters, and some members of the entertainment fraternity, but with scorn by one Opposition Senator.
On Friday, Holness had taken to Instagram, where he shared a birds-eye view of the Portmore-based Jamworld and stated that his plans for the area were “a big deal” and that his administration had a history of ‘getting things done.’
“This development will significantly address the need for designated entertainment zones and enhance Jamaica’s position as a global powerhouse in entertainment. This investment will attract visitors from across the world and create real economic opportunities for our people,” Holness had written.
Holness’ announcement was met with a “Finally thank God,” from singjay Ce’cile, while one event promoter noted: “Wonderful. About time. It needs to be a world class facility that’s able to host all types of events. Big and small.”
However, former Entertainment Minister Damion Crawford of the Peoples National Party (PNP), took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, to claim ownership of the idea.
Crawford asserted that he had proposed Jamworld as a 24-hour entertainment zone back in 2013, and suggested that Prime Minister Holness had appropriated his concept for political gain.
“I proposed Jamworld as an entertainment 24hr zone in 2013. Now Holness has it as a flag ship idea,” Crawford wrote on X, where he also shared a screenshot of a 2014 article titled “24 Hours of Partying – Back Road, Jamworld, beaches make for good entertainment…” which quoted as having raised the possibility of zoning areas for entertainment purposes.
“Also proposed Fort Rocky and the Palisados strip. A single zone will only lead to price war due to bidding. Plus the key to helping the ppl is community zones as very few events are Jamworld size or can afford than venue,” Crawford added, attaching a June 2014 Jamaica Information Service (JIS) article, and then noting: “This adds to all the other ideas they have taken as flag ship which I mooted b4 one example is rent to own housing”.
In response to Crawford’s accusations, Jamaican Twitter, dubbed the so-called “articulate minority” by a now-retired politician, criticized the former minister and his political party, highlighting their failure to execute the proposed plan during their tenure in government.
“Who cares who proposed it? If it gets done it’s to Jamaica’s benefit. The people decide who they want to pursue these opportunities with. Your having it as an idea is irrelevant,” one man rebuked.
“You a wa? Nu Bruce and Baby mention an entertainment 24 hr zone some time in 2006? As a matter of fact, you are there to make proposal for the government if they want to accept it fine. This is Jamaica, why you are your party never dweet?” another man reproached.
Other commenters urged Crawford to refrain from making unfounded claims and instead focus on constructive engagement.
“Bruce Golding in 2011 did say he wasn’t oppose to having entertainment zones. So none of it is original ideas. Get on with it,” sweetmusicman reprimanded.
Others accused Crawford and his party of being all talk and little or no action.
“That’s part of the problem tho, proposing in 2013 and not implementing when you were in office up to 2016. Can hardly complain when another party implements what was fairly obvious, given that Jamworld has been hosting Sting, etc since whenever,” one woman noted, while another added: “But that’s what PNP does… make promises and proposals and never fall through! Thank God to JLP; ST. Thomas is being a beautiful parish! Uno ah wicked!”
“You had a great idea but your own Govt. was slow to action. This is for JAMAICA not for party politics. Get involved in seeing it done properly, you have the platform,” jeanius33 ordered, while another man piped in: “Let those who can bring ideas out of the pipeline remain as government. We don’t no pipeline government”.
Another man was highly caustic in his remarks and gave Crawford a tongue-lashing.
“Y’all motherf-ckas always have some plan and never can execute when somebody else do it y’all complain…you said you came up with this plan in 2013 and y’all leave office in 2016 that’s 3 years n you didn’t do sh-t so stfu!” he stated.
The announcement of the developments in store for Jamworld, was first made in Gordon House on Tuesday during the Throne Speech by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen.
“Our excellence in entertainment outweighs our size. The JamWorld Entertainment Complex is being renovated for the facility to be the first 24-hour Entertainment Zone, to address the need for designated entertainment areas,” the GG had said in the speech titled “Towards a Peaceful, Productive and Prosperous Jamaica”.
Back in November 2022, Entertainment Minister Olivia Grange had revealed that the entire 70-acres of land which make up Jamworld, was finally the property of her Ministry, and, as such, would become the best entertainment venue in the Western Hemisphere under her regime.
“A few weeks ago, I got a letter from the National Land Agency – and I had made representation about two years ago for the MCGES, to get possession of Jamworld. Well, I can tell you all tonight, that I am now in the possession of the deed, right of possession of land,” she had stated during her address at the launch of Sting 2022, at the Jamaica Pegasus in New Kingston.
In an interview with Pelpa Time TV following her address, Grange had said that measures were being taken to put plans and designs in place in order to get the monetary support approved by the Dr. Nigel Clarke-led Ministry of Finance.
“I can’t say much more, except we have now taken possession of the property and we are going to clear the area… And then we are working on designs; we are working on putting together the things that are necessary to take to the Public Investment Committee of the Ministry of Finance and then overtime we will build out the entertainment complex to be one of the best in Jamaica,” the St. Catherine Central Member of Parliament had explained.
Months earlier, in March 2022, during a sitting of the Jamaican Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee, Grange had also disclosed that permission had been granted by the minister with responsibility for lands, for her ministry to take possession of Jamworld. At the time she had said that her Ministry would be “seeking to do the necessary infrastructure work to formally establish Jamworld as an entertainment zone”.
Prior to that, in January 2020, The Star tabloid had reported that Jamworld, “was sitting, idle, vandalised and overrun with shrubs and bushes”. The publication had also noted that while a “solid stage still exists, and the ticket area still stands firm”, the buildings that housed the entertainers backstage and the ‘money room’ had suffered severely at the hands of looters.