A young father of Shieldstown, West Bank Berbice is pondering his next move, claiming that the application he made for a house lot since 2004 has been denied and he has to apply all over again. He feels he was treated unfairly.
Kabawamat Ally, 26, a cane cutter, said he was awarded a lot at the cost of $500,000. He spent a longer time out of the area during the out-of-crop season, trying to work and raise the money.
As such, he was unable to return before the three-month period that was stipulated for making payment, was over. However, in order to ensure that he secured the land, he asked his mother to pay a portion.
However, he was told that when she took the cash along with Ally’s documents to the office the housing officer at Fort Wellington did not accept it.
Ally said that when he finally went to the office last Thursday, a female officer “who was very hostile”, took the document he had placed on her desk and crumbled it.
He claimed that she “chased” him out of her office, asking him where he “went so long”. He said he became very disappointed and frustrated with what was happening and raised his voice.
He admitted that when he left her office he continued to talk loudly “for my rights” and the security guard told him he had to leave the compound. He then requested to see regional chairman, Bindrabhan Bisnauth.
After about one hour, he was able to see the chairman, who listened to his complaint and then went down with him to the officer in an effort to resolve it.
At the time, Ally did not have the money with him and was waiting on his mother who was supposed to take $250,000. But she showed up with only $150,000 which she had accumulated.
Contacted, Bisnauth told Stabroek News that he went down to speak to the officer who claimed that Ally was very abusive. He said too that Ally had lied to him about the amount of money his mother was bringing.
Nevertheless, he said the officer would have forgotten what had transpired earlier and accepted the $250,000 he claimed his mother was bringing. But when she showed up with only a part there was nothing he could have done.
Ally insisted that he was not abusive and said he was only “speaking for my rights”.
He said when his mother showed up, she had an argument with the officer. He said his mother was trying to get all of the money but did not get through.
He lamented that he was a poor man and would go “all over the country and walk and sell” items. He has been married for two years and has a child but his wife cannot stay at his parents’ place with him because of the inconvenience.
The man said he also has a lot of household items packed up in a makeshift storeroom at his parents’ house until he gets the land and can afford to build his house.
