Questioning the ruling PPP/C of benefitting from state resources through the acquisition of three house lots at Bath Village, West Coast Berbice, AFC Vice-Chairperson Sheila Holder yesterday called on Housing Minister Irfaan Ali to release full details surrounding the acquisition.
“The issue is not whether other NGOs obtained house lots as well or if they were paid for, but rather, whether the ruling political party should obtain the benefit of the state’s resources by being granted title to house lots which were set aside for persons without homes,” Holder told reporters at a news conference on Thursday.
In response to questions raised by the AFC, Ali said last week that the PPP/C had to go through the same application process that all other parties interested in obtaining a house lot have to go through, while accusing the opposition party of misrepresenting the facts.
“Any house lot granted by the CH&PA (Central Housing and Planning Authority) has gone through an application process,” he was quoted as saying by the Government Information Agency (GINA).
However, Holder described his statements as “ambiguous,” while saying the AFC maintains the claim that the PPP/C, as the party that forms the government, obtained three house lots in “a less than transparent” manner.
She urged that there be a clear explanation of the details surrounding the acquisition of the three house lots, adding that decency would require it to reverse the acquisition.
According to the AFC, the PPP/C received the three parcels of land by way of transport from the Government of Guyana to the [PPP/C] lots 153, 154 and 155 in Bath Village. The advertisements for the passing of the transports for these house lots were published in the Official Gazette of August 1, 2009 as numbers 17, 18 and 19 for the County of Berbice. The AFC said it was unable to find a corresponding precedent in Guyana or the Commonwealth Carib-bean of the political party which forms the government being given Transport or Title to lands.
