Education ministry defends ‘facts’ about delayed approval for Naggo Head fence, NLA says it’s processing application

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information has hit back after Education Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon was taken to task on Wednesday over comments she had made regarding delays in the approval process for a perimeter fence at Naggo Head Primary School in Portmore.

In a statement, the ministry insisted that official records support Morris Dixon’s stance that there had been a protracted approval timeline, despite Portmore councillors’ rejection of the claim and insistence that the minister needed to “get her facts straight”.

“The documentary record confirms that the project was subjected to an extended end-to-end approval process involving land, planning, access, and municipal authorisation before the final building permit was issued,” the ministry said in its statement. 

The ministry further stated that the Portmore Municipal Corporation (PMC) acknowledged receipt of correspondence regarding the proposed fence construction as early as November 28, 2024, and by February 2025 had requested several additional steps, including proof of ownership, meetings with ministry representatives, and approved and stamped drawings.

According to the release, records also showed that a stop order was issued after work had commenced, prompting the school board chairman to write to the permanent secretary on April 16, 2025 requesting intervention to allow construction to resume.

The ministry said the National Land Agency (NLA) later issued a no-objection letter on May 22, 2025, after which Morris Dixon wrote to the PMC requesting approval for construction to resume in light of concerns for student safety and security.

The ministry added that the PMC advised that the matter would be considered by its next Physical Planning and Environment Committee at its meeting on July 1, 2025, and that despite further correspondence from the minister in January 2026, appealing for approval, “the building permit was eventually granted almost one year later than the planned meeting date — dated April 7, 2026.”

The ministry argued that the matter demonstrates “how multiple approval requirements and fragmented processes can delay even the most urgent public-interest projects, especially one that concerns the welfare of our children”.

The statement came in response to criticism from the PMC during its monthly meeting on Wednesday, where Mayor Leon Thomas rejected suggestions that the municipality was responsible for bureaucratic delays.

Thomas chastised the minister and maintained that the municipal body acted expediently throughout the process and even granted a waiver to facilitate construction of the perimeter fence because of concerns over student safety.

The mayor also argued that the approval process required the involvement of several agencies, including the NLA.

Morris Dixon had referenced the matter while contributing to debate on the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill in the Senate, using the timeline surrounding the Naggo Head Primary School fence approval as an example of why the legislation was necessary.

Last night, the National Land Agency (NLA) said it was in receipt of an application concerning the subject property and was processing the matter in accordance with the provisions outlined in the government's Policy Framework and Procedures Manual for the Divestment of Government-Owned Lands 2015 as well as the standards established in the agency’s Strategic Business Plan. 

In its response to questions from The Gleaner, the NLA explained that the Commissioner of Lands, as the largest custodian of government-owned lands in Jamaica, is required to carry out due diligence and consultations with various stakeholders to determine the availability and suitability of identified properties for their intended use.

The agency further stated that where lands are being held on behalf of government entities, those entities must be informed of their beneficial interest so they can make informed decisions regarding the divestment of the properties.

ruddy.mathison@gleanerjm.com