Benn says campaign to continue
By Melissa Charles
Several unoccupied structures near the Timehri fire station were demolished by the army and police yesterday as anguished residents watched.
The exercise will continue until all persons living or operating on airport land are removed.
When Stabroek News contacted Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn he said that the squatters in the area are near to one of the country’s top military facilities and are also on land that belongs to the most “sensitive transportation facility”- the airport. As such “those persons who are on airport land will have to move,” Benn declared. There have been previous warnings from the government to this effect.
Benn stated that further dismantling will be done in a way that causes minimum confusion and destruction to the possessions of affected persons.
Two of Guyana’s most wanted men were recently ambushed at a shack in the Timehri area and there have also been several high-profile thefts from the airport.
Residents said that they were told that airport land constitutes land within 300 feet of the Airport’s fence; however this was not verified by the authorities.
When Stabroek News arrived at Timehri during the demolition exercise, the third structure was being pushed down. The owner Blane Sam said that he has been living in the area for at least 20 years and has been struggling for a long time to put up the almost finished concrete structure. “Is only the roof de left fuh go on,” the man lamented
Another unfinished concrete house belonging to Margo Gordon was demolished minutes before Sam’s structure. With tears streaming down her face Gordon said “they ain’t know how long I work fuh get that, but they come and push it down.”
One community representative said that while he understands that the authorities want people removed from airport land he questioned whether the area where some structures were demolished is on airport land since it is beyond the 300 feet perimeter. The man said that some 400 plus families live in the area in more than 100 homes. “People living here for almost 40 years, and only now they decide it’s Airport land.”
The residents are incensed that the authorities allowed development to proceed so far before deciding to clear the area.
Further, the residents say that they were not given any prior notice to remove before the demolition took place, even though a meeting was held on Thursday.
While the shops in front of the Airport entrance were given notice to move last year and again recently; residents in the Timehri North Squatting area were not.
The community representative told Stabroek News that several years ago they were given letters by the Airport Administration to remove but the letters were revoked and nothing was told to them after that.
Flooding
Barbara Walters, a resident of the area says that she moved there several years ago to escape flooding in Georgetown. The woman who is on the committee set up to represent the community said that a meeting was kept at the “red ground” on Thursday but nothing remotely resembling demolition was discussed. Walters said that representatives of the utilities were present along with others but they were not told of the planned dismantling.
One resident, Grace Bernard is grateful that she was given a reprieve after explaining to the officers that she had a freezer, a fridge and other appliances in the shop, although it is not in operation. The crew gave her until today to remove her things from the shop.
Bernard said that she had visited the Ministry of Housing to enquire about her occupation of the area and was shown a map that indicates “we are not supposed to be in this area.” But she also questions why the situation was allowed to escalate to this point.
It was also noted that while unoccupied structures were to be demolished several of these that are situated a few feet beyond the Airport’s eastern fence were not demolished.
Meanwhile, a press release from the Region Four Chairman Clement Corlette echoed residents’ contention that no prior notice had been given to persons before an army operated bobcat and front end loader arrived in the area around 10 am and proceeded to demolish the structures.
Corlette’s release said that discussions with the Prime Minister around 11:40 am yesterday established that 13 unoccupied buildings were targeted for removal by the government and were to be demolished by the security forces.
Corlette’s release also expressed concern “over the clandestine action to demolish people’s property without warning.” He also lamented that the government “arbitrarily” arrived at the decision to use “unknown subjective” criteria to decide what is an unoccupied building without referring to the Regional administration or the community.
Corlette said that an alarming situation is arising with implications for all home owners in Guyana and that in his opinion further planned demolition exercises should be put on hold until “clearly defined” criteria are established.