Dear Editor,
I’d like to respond to a letter of June 29, 2014 ‘Works Ministry and airport authority have held meetings with Timehri squatters since 2008’ by Aneka Edwards.
Ms Edwards starts by stating ‘’The ministry of public works is extremely disappointed…” but in her signature she refers to herself as the PRO of Cheddi Jagan International. I’m confused on whose behalf and in what capacity Ms Edwards is writing this missive. It is my understanding that the airport is a corporation separate from the ministry which has does have some oversight over it, but can one works for the airport corporation and speak on behalf of the ministry?
Ms Edwards speaks of the “airport mov[ing] ahead” as if it is a foregone conclusion, failing to mention anything about the controversy over the legality and awarding of contracts, etc; these things have been discussed in detail elsewhere in Stabroek News. This being known, one would think that a PR Officer would proceed with caution when handling these sensitive matters and issues. Quite the contrary; Ms Edwards flew the coop with her guns blazing. She casually uses the terms squatters and farmers interchangeably, which I find disturbing. We’re all aware that the term squatter has certain connotations in Guyana.
Ms Edwards’ claim that the article is prejudiced is not supported by any facts or information. What appeared in the article is a factual account of the experiences of Patrick Gray and the Chinese nationals and others working on the airport.
Ms Edwards claims that the ministry has been in “one-on-one conversations with squatters since 2008.” Maybe she could enlighten us about these conversations since the airport expansion contract was not signed in 2008. Is there any documented evidence of these relocation options Ms Edwards speaks of? This is a major bone of contention in her letter but she presents no evidence. In a recorded interview that still exists, Mr Gray explains in detail all the “options” he has been offered which amounted to $10,000, and some materials to rebuild and a truck. This offer was made by a Chinese national working for China Harbour.
Ms Edwards segues into a puzzling mention about applying for lands. The Ministry of Works has no oversight over the Lands and Surveys Commission according to the Commission’s website.
Ms Edwards ought to clarify what she means in paragraph four by “The ministry encouraged each of the farmers to apply to Lands and Surveys…”
I am quite familiar with the operations of the Lands and Surveys Commission having visited multiple times, and also applied for land in 2008. To date I remain landless. Unlike Mr Gray I do not awaken in the morning to the sounds of heavy duty equipment churning up the land and crops in my yard.
Since the airport expansion is moving ahead and it takes years for lands to be allocated by the Commission, what’s Mr Gray and the others in the path of the bulldozers to do in the interim? These are things Ms Edwards should have clarified in her letter.
Paragraph six then boldly states that Mr Gray was advised that suitable land would be provided for him. Ms Edwards, the Ministry of Public Works and/or the airport authority are entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts to paraphrase Daniel Patrick Moynihan. I’ll leave it to others to pronounce on the airport expansion and whether it is crucial to the development of Guyana.
Ms Edwards failed to comprehend the issues related to uprooting a 54-year-old farmer, his crops and his trees. Crops do not magically reappear because you’ve moved to a new piece of land. The article was quite clear in highlighting these issues. If the ministry or other agencies are serious about the income and livelihood of the farmers they would present a complete package of compensation, lands, transportation and materials for rebuilding. Compensation is made more complicated by the sudden destruction of crops and farms without any audit of what’s being destroyed.
On what authority were these lands in Timehri “vested” in the airport? Equally misleading and worthy of correction is the assertion that the land in this country belongs to the government. Again we’re having a confusion of opinions and facts. The lands of Guyana belong to the public – ie the people not the government.
If Ms Edwards and the ministry follow the series on these farmers they will learn that there’s nothing prejudicial in these articles, just a clear and precise explanation of the situation in the words of the dispossessed.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Jacobs
Editor’s note
The Cheddi Jagan International Airport is an agency falling under the auspices if the Ministry of Works. The latter has no PR officer, and Ms Edwards sometimes acts in that capacity for the ministry as well. In this particular instance, the issue concerns the CJIA as much as it does the Ministry of Works.
