Dear Editor,
May I re-state my appreciation of the existence and reputation of your newspaper as the principal reliable medium for the expression of comment on matters of serious public interest. In that context, the status of the Land Registry as managed from the Ministry of the Presidency continues to perplex and irritate like a bone in the public throat and we rely upon the facility of your medium in bringing some measure of sanity to that most disgusting and truly unacceptable situation.
On Saturday morning last, 15th inst, I was informed of the appointment of Ms Rosalie Robertson, Attorney-at-Law as the new Registrar of Lands. I then proceeded immediately to interrupt the good lady’s Saturday morning rituals for some word on the matter. In brief, she confirmed the fact but astounded me with the frank admission that she had actually signed a contract with the government for such appointment and furthermore had been sitting in the seat of the Registrar since Tuesday of that week.
I immediately assured her of the availability of my friendly technical advice on the performance of her duties at any time but subject to the legality of her appointment, having regard to my insistence on the amendment to section 7 (1) of the Land Registry Act as a pre-condition for the appointment of any new person to that office.
Editor, imagine all of this clandestine operation on such a sensitive matter which has attracted written comment by Mr Christopher Ram as President of the Guyana Bar Association and by myself as an individual, following the reported side-lining of Ms Sattaur, the previous illegal appointee to the position of Registrar.
Surely some public comment is due from both Mr Joseph Harmon as Minister of the Presidency and Mr Basil Williams as Attorney-General, ie, if they are of similar mind on this issue.
We, in the meantime are subject to the pangs of confusion, uncertainty, disaffection and, of course distrust. It need not be so!
Yours faithfully,
Leon O Rockcliffe
