A cabin built in 2018 at St Cuthbert’s Mission (now known as Pakuri) was destroyed by fire after the village council ordered its removal but the toshao says it was accidental.
The former toshao of Pakuri, Lenox Shuman, on his Facebook page, shared his disappointment with the destruction of the cabin, which was geared towards the economic development of the Amerindian village in Region Four.
“An icon in Guyana gone up in flames. Over $5 million of village assets set ablaze. The cabin and riverside have been the central tourist destination in the village”, he posted.
The cabin, said to be an iconic structure built in a partnership between the former toshao and Guyana Goldfields/AGM with historical significance and cultural value, made it a focal point for visitors seeking to immerse themselves in the village’s rich heritage.
Moreover, the decision to remove the cabin was met with controversy from the outset, with many in the village stating that alternatives to removal should have been explored A few villagers also expressed their frustration, asserting that with an investment of just $1 million, the benab could have been re-roofed and preserved for future generations. This restoration, they contended, would have allowed the village to generate significant revenue through cultural tourism by promoting the village guest house.
Resident, Roshani Razack, shared her disappointment, saying, “This is just one of the many reasons why we are nowhere up to par in terms of development if we were to match it with the resources that are given to us as a community. Is it every year or other year that we have to spend money to restart the same projects in our village? At this point the village landing should have already been earning revenue to sustain itself and to add to the development of the community.”
However, in an interview with Stabroek News, the village council cited structural concerns and maintenance costs as the reasons behind the removal order. According to the current village toshao, Timothy Andrew, the initial idea of a cabin in the community never received the support of investors or the council due to the fact that it was not seen as a sustainable investment for the village.
As a result of lack of maintenance and development, the cabin began to deteriorate and fall apart. Despite the state of the cabin, Andrew stated that he made the commitment to source funding to renovate the cabin.
However, during the inspection stages the cabin was deemed to be beyond repair, due the extensive damage and decay accumulated over the years. Consequently, Andrew instructed part-time workers to take down the roofing of the building to begin constructing some new huts.
“It cannot be repaired, so I instructed them to take it down, since we had plans in the pipeline to rebuild and refurbish the cabin. We were able to manage to source some funds, not from the LCDS funds but from investors”, he said.
However, during an attempt to burn some decayed materials, the fire spread and consumed the entire building, burning it down to the ground. Andrew insisted that the fire was not intentional, nevertheless, a new hut will be built to provide the village with the opportunity to expand economically. (Deneita Fredericks)
