Nekeisha Burchell EXCLUSIVE On PDTV | Why I Spoke Patois In Parliament

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:02]Um, sorry. So, I said I'm not going to wait until the we we we get into office.

[00:00:08]I've already had conversations with our representatives who are on the standing order committee of parliament. Uh, that committee is currently going through a review of the standing orders and they have been meeting more regularly than before. Our representatives on it include uh M. Mr. the Philip Pwell MP who is our lead of opposition business and he has agreed to take before that standing order review committee the request from the opposition to have the Jamaican language being allowed or permitted uh to be used in the house if that fails because that is cheered by the current speaker of the house and it has majority government representatives on it. So if that fails, I am willing to work with pro driki theme senator to work on a private members motion which she has already started some work on to having that come again before the parliament. The thing is it still has to go before the standing order uh committee which again is chaired by the by by the by the speaker. But I'm I'm hoping that having gone through this exercise that the speaker and the other members of the government would find it fit >> to permit or not block something like this. Something that will allow us to have the people of Jamaica hear themselves in parliament. So now they're seeing themselves because we have more female representatives and so there is balance. So you can see if you're a woman you can see a woman in parliament representing themselves. If you're a man, you can see a man. If you're a youth, you can see a youth representing themselves. Right now if you're black, you can see one. If you're a little fear, you can see some somebody representing you. Why not also be able to hear yourself in parliament? And that's what we were trying to do because Andre what a big thing that has been coming out as I've been trying to navigate this portfolio is the need for what someone I won't name him but he called a cultural translator.

[00:02:19]He says that there is the need for someone who can interpret, if you will, um, and translate the concerns of the people in in their language >> and in their reality into parliament while also translating um, parliament back to the people. So too often our institutions sound >> so culturally distant from the people they are set up to serve. And so I want to see myself as part of that cultural translation team that is translating the culture of a parliament to understand where our culture is now, where it's coming from, and where we want it to go.

[00:03:02]but to also translate for the people what the n bill means but not in these big higholution words that it will escape some of our people. We want to break it down into our culture, into our language, so they understand. And and I want to big up uh I can't remember her name now, but there's this Tik Tocker online that my aunt sent me the link to where she was saying maybe the people them not understand in parliament don't understand what what the people them struggle with because the people are talking to them in a maybe they just don't understand it. So there needs to be some cultural translation to get parliament to understand people and people to understand parliament.

[00:03:41]>> Indeed.

[00:03:42]I know that we need to have a full discussion soon because there are many pressing things that is happening in our nation.

[00:03:52]>> We're going to have a full discussion in the very near future about culture, the creative industries and how it can really revolutionize Jamaica's economy.

[00:04:03]Tonight though, as a spokesperson on information, you are one of the parties official spokespersons when it comes on to what is happening on the island. You are in one of those constituencies that were severely affected by Hurricane Melissa and to hear that the government only spent 1.8%.

[00:04:29]out of a whole of 100% which accumulates to $26 million through the ODPM.

[00:04:39]What is your constituent saying about this?

[00:04:42]Well, Andre, I think it is such a slap in the faces of all of those constituents who've been lining up every day at the NIS officing parade. We call it parade Sam Sharp Square in Montego Bay trying to get assistance, right?

[00:05:03]>> Mhm.

[00:05:04]>> They go there daily and they're turned back to say no money exists. There's no help there for them. So, this is a big slap in their face. And you know what irks me? I saw you posted uh someone from the media today stating, "How much did we expect the government to spend from this?"

[00:05:22]>> Oh, you Wait, wait. I want Jamaica to see it.

[00:05:26]>> Ishmail. Can you put out the pronouncement from that one from that newsroom please and thank you?

[00:05:33]>> Yeah, I was most taken aback by it. I mean you can let me know when Ishmail is ready but I was quite surprised that someone in the media is so out of touch, so far removed from the reality of the people. Maybe they should leave the studio and come into the constituencies and see what is happening. The families are angry. They are frustrated. They're exhausted. The truth is they never give government.

[00:06:01]But this money is money that was donated to help their cause because disaster can affect anybody. You know, it just so happened that it affected us this time around. There are families still living on top.

[00:06:15]>> There's a young man in Cambridge.

[00:06:18]>> Mhm.

[00:06:18]>> He is living under sleeping on cardboard beneath a staircase. There's a lady on her way up New Road Chin who's just living in a little bathroom like this with her daughter. And I'm picking out one-on-one cases because there's so many of them. And when you talk about it, Jamaicans hate to hear it so much. Some Jamaicans that they say, you know, you're you're you're putting the people's plight out there. But if I did not put out Bongo's plight, for example, out there, Andreas, >> you and Mr. Sadasa then you wouldn't have and your viewers wouldn't have seen the need to assist them. There are families who still have not gotten any assistance from government. And to hear that millions still remain in accounts for untold reasons is really hurtful.

[00:07:08]When Jamaicans hear these things, they understand now what I was saying that I have been trying to get the office of disaster uh ODPM to give me one signature so that this external team could give 25 a minimum of 25 homes to our constituency. This is a company that does this all across the world. All they wanted was an MOU between themselves and the government because then they do this with all governments everywhere when they go in for disaster because they have to interface with JPS, they have to interface with NWC and this makes the process smoother for them and that still hasn't come 7 months after Hurricane Melissa. So I'm not surprised at all that ODPM is at the middle of of this this situation where the numbers are saying that money exist and at least one more at least one more even bas on a whole heap of money. One more two more 10 more families could be in homes tonight had the government had the compassion.

[00:08:15]>> Mhm.

[00:08:16]>> Cuz it passability is compassion to have. I want Jamaicans to hear of this this person. I'm not going I want Jamaicans to hear tonight.

[00:08:30]I want Jamaica to hear what the representative at Nationwide News said.

[00:08:36]Listen to this. For those saying that more ought to have been spent to help poor people, help people impacted, how much more would you have been satisfied with?

[00:08:49]In other words, what portion of the 1.44 billion should reasonably have been spent already, that would cause you to not be up in arms about how much has been spent.

[00:09:03]And if the spending were done in a way where the premium was on getting the funds out, just spending the money that you have, just just spend it. That was the the the aim is to spend the money to, as the critics say, to help those impacted get back on their feet.

[00:09:24]Could that spending have been done within the rules, the rules that have been set for any government in office to follow? And as I said last week, aren't those same rules the reason why we've spent numerous hours debating a nar bill? Because we recognize that the rules don't allow for the quick spending of money. Perhaps the rules don't allow for the well, the rules certainly allow for efficient spending of money, but then again, it depends on how you define efficiency.

[00:10:01]So when you say 26 million out of 1.44 44 billion has been spent so far.

[00:10:07]Would you be satisfied if the rules were bypassed and the money just dash out waga?

[00:10:15]And if you're upset at only 26 million being spent of 1.44 billion, just how much would represent the sweet spot where spending is concerned for you?

[00:10:29]That said, in my mind, Odd PM must answer some serious questions.

[00:10:43]Nikisha, yes.

[00:10:46]What you want to say to him? Cuz because you're on this program, I cannot deal with him or I would want to deal with him. So, I giving you a chance to lead the conversation. Well, I wasn't able to hear him just now, but from my recollection of what he said today, it as the spokesperson for information, I am and this person being a past head of the um association that deals with media. I'm disappointed that he has not taken it upon himself to go into these communities to see what people are experiencing. So to sit on a soap box in your comfortable bed under a roof that is not leaking like a sie to have a warm place to put your children for blanket to cover them and to be assured that when you open your turn your key in your lock you will feel safe and protected from the elements and from other human interests.

[00:11:51]Try for a moment to see if you could apply a little empathy >> to the mothers, to the children, to the young people who still don't know where them go sleep tonight. You understand?

[00:12:06]It is now the rainy season. June is upon us. The hurricane season is here. And already think about the the illnesses that going to break out. even from a even from a sense of um of of of personal enlightenment or even for to protect himself >> if from a position of compassion >> of of compassion even but thinking about even himself if he feels that he's protected in his enclave think what will happen if people in Jamaica outside in the elements get sick and some some epidemic breaks out you're no longer protected even if you're going to think about it from a self-interest perspective, but apply a little empathy, apply a little compassion. We need people in the media who has the ears of the listening public to have some more sympathy, a little bit more empathy and humanity.

[00:12:59]>> Yes, it it really broke my heart to hear it. Really broke my heart to hear it.

[00:13:04]>> I'm calling for a commission of inquiry into how the monies are being spent by this government. Do you think that is something the opposition would entertain? Oh, but we must uh Andre, the opposition from the get-go, we sought to work with the government in terms of their design where they think they want to go with >> sorry with the hurricane relief programs and we did not stand in their way. We did not agree. I mean, when they first announced X amount for here, X amount for there, we're like that really can't work.

[00:13:38]>> But of course, they're not listening to us. Six months later, seven months later, we are saying that those issues still have not worked out themselves and people are still left vulnerable. And and and and just before, you know, all of the rich people start to complain, the rich people from Twitter, >> we're not saying that the government owe the people them to build them houses, right? But it says a disaster, a national disaster happened all across the um parishes across the island. They were not >> bad lucky them bad lucky then. Right. A bad lucky them bad lucky that a them house mash up and not yours.

[00:14:19]>> Yes, >> we not but people donated and we want what people donated to the people. Get the money to the people because the money is there. The roofs program has been a problem. how it has been managed and no n can fix it. What we're seeing is that systemically there are issues and weaknesses across government.

[00:14:38]Government not really managing because they're spending so much of their effort on public relations. It's not about prettying up things. Let's hear the people. The people them said I'm not we're going to the to the NI's office and they're saying they have no relief for us. We're going to the NI's office and they say that they are not going to be assisting us because we might have gotten two sheet of zinc from somebody else. Listen to the people to a sign that they have no intention of listening to the people. Is that for a disaster?

[00:15:08]>> Did you see the video of the lady who say she's a tourist worker?

[00:15:12]>> Yes.

[00:15:13]>> It's really bad.

[00:15:16]>> It's really Did you see the video of the man who says he's from Clarendon from the from from the Labour minister's constituency and that he has asked for help and has not received um that kind of help.

[00:15:31]>> You understand? It it it is all over.

[00:15:34]It's all over. And to hear that money in our account put down a wait for min it's it it really frustrating. But I want to thank those people who have come on board to help us out.

[00:15:49]>> I want to thank PDTV, Andre Stevens and their family. I want to thank Mr. McFarland and his team from CM Recycling there in Kingston. Right now, as we speak, his staff members are up in retrieve, Rose Mount rather, in Cambridge helping a mother and her children to go into a model home. and the rain come down upon them never finish it. So the house go finish tomorrow. I want to thank Isaia Madden and her team who gave us and you'll hear some more about it who gave us 10 homes, 10 modular homes. I want to thank all of the people PJ Patterson and his team. I want to thank the the shine Charmaine Gonzalez and her family. Other private persons have come on and asked not to be named, but there are people who are helping us out one one family at a time. I want to thank the Jamaica Relief Mission right now. They have a team on the ground helping to construct some homes. You notice who we thanking?

[00:16:55]Private interests. private interests have stepped up more than the government has stepped up and is a pity. I thank them for sticking to us because the prime minister did tell them to stop because he did say that he don't like to see how his people are being >> represented through their eyes. But thank God them never listen and they've stuck with us. God bless them and bless their businesses and their families. But Nikisha, you know, if I got even a quart or half of that money that Andrew Holes got through the ODPM, you know that the people in Western Jamaica will be better off and would get a decent partner draw.

[00:17:35]>> Well, we've absolutely seen how you have turn your hand make fashion, how you have, you know, use your ML and make muckle. You know, I'm just saying that there are people who work with compassion. There are people who understand how to care for people with the little them have. Some people just out of touch and not really truly understanding that people are in great distress. Great distress.

[00:18:07]So people are saying, why is the opposition not taking to the streets?

[00:18:14]Why Mark Golding and yourself not taking to the street? The people said they're tired of the press conferences, tired of you guys standing in the parliament.

[00:18:22]They're asking for you all to take to the streets. What's your response to them at this time?

[00:18:28]I'm I'm a slave of the people and I'm a slave of the people's will. I accepted their will September 3 and I'm willing to go with the temperature and the mood of the people because that's what representatives do. We reflect the will of the people. I understand that frustration completely for anybody who is saying that we should be doing this because people are hurting and when people are hurting they naturally want to see urgency, emotion and visible action. But opposition work is not only about taking to the streets. Yeah.

[00:19:05]Opposition work is also about oversight.

[00:19:08]It's about exposing failures, forcing accountability, >> representing communities and putting pressure on systems through every democratic avenue available whether inside parliament, out of parliament, through committees, through public advocacy or directly in communities. And I can tell you though, Andre, that those of us representing affected constituencies, we have not stopped fighting on these issues every single day. We have been in the communities. We've been documenting the suffering. We've been raising the concerns in parliament. We're pushing ministries. We're challenging agencies and we're advocating constantly for better delivery and faster relief. But I also understand the emotional point people are making. Jamaicans are frustrated because they feel like too many people are still suffering while the system moves too slowly. And honestly, that frustration is legitimate. I can't wrong them. The larger issue here is that people want to feel seen, heard, and prioritized. They want to feel like leadership matches the urgency of their reality. So I think when Jamaica is ready for the next step, they will let the PNP know and the PNP will be ready to march with them if March is what they march is what they want. But the people must be ready for that.

[00:20:32]>> You're in Montego Bay. What is the mood of Montego Bay right now?

[00:20:36]>> Oh boy. I'm sure you'd have heard of what happened to Buu in in Granville. Um the lady who was shot and killed by the security forces >> who was murdered.

[00:20:49]>> Mhm.

[00:20:49]>> Murdered accurate murdered by the security forces today. Not today. Yesterday. So what is happening now in terms of the mood is that everybody is just up in arms. Up in arms. The tension is palpable. Every supermarket you go in, every gas station, every taxi you're in, that is the conversation. Everybody's talking about the callous way we approach a citizen of this country.

[00:21:20]They're likening it to what happened in Minnesota a couple of months ago, a couple weeks ago in America.

[00:21:28]>> Yes.

[00:21:28]>> Was the threat of force to the police commensurate to the action?

[00:21:34]>> Certainly was.

[00:21:35]>> People are debating that right now tonight. And is it that we're trying to pitch the people against the police?

[00:21:45]>> Do you understand? In terms of the temperature here in Western Jamaica, the homelessness is getting to the people >> because they've tried. They've tried the best they can. They've tried to listen to the instructions from the government to go down to the office at the NIS and God know a feel it for the people at the NIS and nothing is moving for them. the roads they have to journey on every day.

[00:22:09]>> It takes a toll out of you.

[00:22:13]>> It tired you. Before you reach a work, you're tired.

[00:22:16]>> And then you have to get up 2 hours earlier to beat the traffic. And then you have to leave work at 5:00, 6:00 and fight to get on a bus to go back in the same bad weather. So what is the temperature down here? Frustration.

[00:22:31]frustration, exhaustion, and hopelessness mixed in with the homelessness.

[00:22:38]>> Hopelessness.

[00:22:40]Wholessness?

[00:22:42]>> Homelessness.

[00:22:43]>> Homelessness.

[00:22:47]A whole mess.

[00:22:49]>> A whole mess.

[00:22:52]I going to bring you back soon to this conversation.

[00:22:55]>> Sure.

[00:22:56]>> Um, what are you? is because I have so many issues to take on with an very unorthodox position tonight.

[00:23:05]>> I don't want you to get in any trouble and the media call you.

[00:23:08]>> I'm very much I'm very considerate of that.

[00:23:11]>> Thank you.

[00:23:12]>> What are your final words to Jamaica tonight?

[00:23:15]>> My final words to Jamaica is that two things. Our culture is ours. It is the gift of our fore parents.

[00:23:27]And if we do not take stock of our culture and take advantages of the blessings that they have given us, we're going to lose our culture. not only lose it in terms of memory and institutional relevance, but we're going to lose it in terms of the value it can add to our lives socially and politically as well as economically. Our culture is not decoration. Our culture is infrastructure. And if we treat it the same way we treat our best infrastructure, then we stand to gain tremendously from it. That's one. And the second thing I want to ask is let us not lose our humanity >> in everything that we're going through.

[00:24:14]Whether it is homelessness or hopelessness, don't lose your humanity.

[00:24:20]Whether it is when you come in contact with the police and the security forces, don't lose your humanity. Whether it is when you go to the NIS office to try to get some help, don't lose your dignity.

[00:24:31]Don't lose your humanity. When we lose our humanity as Jamaicans is when all things gone through the door and we no longer have an identity that is respectful, respectable, and one that we can be proud of. We're proud Jamaicans and we're going to get through this together with or without the government.

[00:24:52]Nikisha Burchel, our future is bright in the politics.

[00:24:57]Jamaica, I just want to say to you, keep doing what you're doing. Keep conversing. Keep advocating and keep triggering them.

[00:25:06]>> Thank you.

[00:25:07]>> Keep triggering them.