Government is advising persons not to enter the dilapidated First Federa-tion building located at Croal Street and Manget Place and for the tenants who occupy the building to vacate because it has been deemed unsafe and could collapse.
Officially known as the First Federation Mutual Life Insurance Company Ltd Building, ownership of the building has been bitterly disputed as government has claimed ownership over the objections of some tenants. Up to recently, in addition to lawyers’ offices, the four-storey building housed a driving school, a private school and a snackette.
In July, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) cut the power supply to the building, a move that dozens of tenants, including city lawyers, said was part of an orchestrated attempt by the government to force them out. How-ever, Attorney General Anil Nandlall said that the move was necessary as the building is “a public health hazard” and he questioned