If you’re objective, open–minded or, especially, a–political, you’ll be hard put to find fault with the general objectives of many of the government’s programmes, policies and promotional events.
Take the just – concluded International Building Exposition. Or the One Laptop Per Family. Or even the lowering of Carbon Emissions. Great purpose, fairly acceptable intentions. However behind the projects, fuelling the operationalisations, lies too many suspicious maneouvrings and controversial contracting. But my thrust today has to do with housing a bit. And land, a lot!
Opening the Building Expo, President Jagdeo was sincere – soaring in his eloquence about working – class people “realizing their dream(s)” to own their own homes. He made the point that that could be one aspect of “the accumulation” of wealth. Quite correctly he touched on how home–ownership inspires pride, achievement, integrity and the like. Great stuff!
But here is my perspective, even my long–held worry: (of the 125 booths reportedly at the Exhibition, who were the principal entrenched exhibitors? Suppliers of the hardware of the dreams? You know, we are painfully aware of who owns what in this land. Alas, the inequitable distribution of wealth is symbolised even by who supplies the poor with lumber, cement, paint, zinc sheet and nails. (Read the names, then “educate” me about the socio–economic history and commercial culture of the Guyanese ethnic groups.) Which takes me to the issue of land.
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“This land is”… whose?
Three years ago in these columns, I did my bit to highlight the arguments about Guyana’s land put forward by one group claiming to represent Afro–Guyanese interests.
Still claiming that, since the 1834 Act for the Abolition of Slavery provided compensation for the British Planters who “Lost” their slaves (their units of production), the slaves and their (African) descendants are also entitled to massive compensation – or reparations.
Then the activist – still around these days- demanded some 100,000 acres of Guyana land for the manumitted Africans in lieu of the plantations which the ex- slaves made into villages, but which were sabotaged by post- slavery Planters and governments. Slowly too those village lands were bought over by shrewd new-comer speculators. (Guess who!)
I found those demands interesting, at the minimum. Canadian Indians have been compensated, as were some Afro- American descendants. It could be a mighty task here to define who gets what. Institutions will have to be established so that individuals won’t “hog” whatever is granted.
When you read the 1948 Venn Commission’s findings about the Africans’ unequalled contribution to establish Guyana’s earliest plantations, villages, land settlement schemes, towns and cities, you must be persuaded to wonder why today’s Guyana is owned more by “Brown” than by “Blacks”.
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Significant ownership
Give the PPP/C post ‘92 governments credit for both allocations of house lots to citizens and land lease/ ownership to hinterland Amerindian Guyanese.
Frankly Speaking, one has to be honest and state that they outshone, the PNC’s 28 years in terms of that type of distribution. Alas again, check and verify just who have gotten and are getting massive swathes of green Guyana state or para- state land to be their very own estates. Who can afford the new private housing projects? Who has the “connections”?
Sure, Odinga was smart enough to acquire and Courtney is granted some acres. And a few Afros who owned early on, still strain to keep ownership of the green. But this land, my friends, is now owned and controlled by the rich and favoured!
What? There are still forests to be owned? What forests?
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The President’s Friends
Poor President Jagdeo. I agree that he couldn’t possibly know of all the activities in which his friends and acquaintances engage.
Even his colleagues do things he can’t know of. But if he has strong moral principles he will know how to treat both their strengths and indiscretions.
As a President however with lots of intelligence resources at his fingertips, wouldn’t Mr. Jagdeo be aware of certain people’s activities and backgrounds?
Whether they are political comrades or other personal pals? It is reasonable to assume so, whatever he states to the contrary.
Pity the President had to remark that his erstwhile friend Glen Lall was found to be, allegedly, some “back-tracker”. The President’s men still publish frequently in Lall’s newspaper. Recall my points about moral dilemmas?
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Ponder…
1) Will the APNU Prime Minister still be a strong, qualified, healthy, straight- haired female?
2) What!? The retired brigadier will retire the current commodore – if he Granger wins? Naughty!
3) And what? Felix and Harmon will get top posts? And Georgie?
4) It had to be divine pity. Mercy that no one died on the CAL ’plane. Guyana has more than its fair share of blight already. The airport facilities will now be made completely modern. No other choice!
5) I’m upset with the lady found with cocaine in the rum at JFK. Now I can’t carry my boy’s favourite liquors?
6) Coming soon – two ministers in one mini bus.
Til next week!
(Comments? allanafenty@yahoo.com)
