The people of Beterverwagting and Triumph are between the proverbial hammer and the anvil

Dear Editor,

It is with some amount of trepidation, I pen this letter, for it seems that my writings and utterances are easily misinterpreted by some who should welcome the kind of interventions I have been making relative to the matter I intend to explore. The people of Beterverwagting and Triumph (myself included), have found themselves between the proverbial hammer and the anvil. At stake is a significant portion of our material inheritance. I am referring to 200 plus acres of land in Sections F & G in BV back dam.

We are all aware that John Fernandes Ltd. (JFL) since the latter part of December proclaimed that they walked away from the proposed purchase of Section G of Beterverwagting (BV) backlands. In the days leading up to their announcement, some of my colleagues who have dealt with that company had assured me that once there is contention linked to the sale JFL would walk away from the deal, hence I was not in the least surprised when I saw the Stabroek News item on Christmas day, “John Fernandes Ltd pulls out of land deal with BV/Triumph NDC.” Seven months have gone by since and one wonders why the two parties that were in such a frenzy to have the deal inked have still not met to have it annulled. This begs the question is there more in the mortar than the pestle?

To update those who are not familiar with the related saga. The BV/Triumph Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) told the people of BV/Triumph that JFL approached them in August of 2021 with a proposal to purchase the entire 200 acres of Sections F & G. The NDC thereafter proceeded to order a survey, following which, it decided to sell JFL Section G at its Statutory meeting of November 18, 2021. The intention was for the NDC to meet again and deliberate on a price. This second meeting never took place and an agreement of sale was finalized with JFL on November 30, 2021. Many Councilors were led to believe that the land was Council’s to sell, they were unaware that these lands had private owners. Ole peeple seh – ignorance of the law is no excuse. Everyone involved should have done their due diligence.

It must be pointed out that when the JFL proposal was presented at Council, one Councilor insisted that the matter be discussed with Villagers. These discussions were facilitated. I attended one of the two meetings held and along with others stated that the area under consideration for sale is privately owned. I even made reference to the fact that the RAID project could not have been fully implemented in BV/Triumph for the same reason – the absence of communal lands in our back dam. At that meeting I stated that there are Councilors who are fully aware of the status of lands in the back dam and should be able to substantiate my position and these persons include the immediate Past NDC Chairman, two other Councilors who are/were Chairman and Secretary of the Beterverwagting Triumph Agricultural Cooperative Society, and the currently longest serving Councilor, also the Overseer, should have full knowledge of the situation and should be consulted.

Hence when I was shown the sale agreement on December 17, 2021, I was surprised for as far as I was concerned, the meetings and in-house consultations with the listed individuals, should have been enough to scrap the JFL proposal. However, it was not to be. One can only assume that the lure to have the deal completed in secrecy was indeed a great one. The real decision-makers on the Council disrespected the rest of the council in their zeal to ink the deal. I must say that because I informed the Villagers about this catastrophic sale. On December 17, many Councilors vacated the Council’s Chamber because I refused to apologise for informing the public about their malfeasance.

The result of this action was I could not be sworn in as a counsillor, on that date.

In the interval, from that Christmas Day news item to now, I have observed a great reluctance from the NDC and JFL to meet and annul the originally misdirected agreement. I say misdirected for the Council never had land to sell and JFL by now must have realised the same. So, what is keeping these two groups of people from calling off the deal? Why do I believe there is reluctance on both sides? In February, after it was realised that I was visiting the Deeds Registry, one of those promoting the sale, from the Council’s end, also went to the Deeds Registry and obtained information which was there all along, indicating that the lands are owned by over one hundred families. At the following NDC Statutory Meeting, it was decided that there is a need to refund JFL their monies. However, there was disagreement on the modality to be followed. Finally, a decision was taken to write JFL inviting them to a meeting to discuss how this can be achieved.

At the Statutory meeting of March, it was revealed that the letter inviting JFL was not written. Also at that meeting, a letter was received by the Council from Attorney at Law, Ms. Shaunella Glen-George, indicated that her ‘client’ was willing, ready and able to complete the deal. The decisions of March meeting were to write JFL inviting them to meet with the Council and to write Ms. Glen-George, to find out who is her client. At April‘s meeting the letter written to JFL was circulated. Many present felt that it was inadequate and it was proposed that a second letter be written. enquiries about the letter to Ms. Glen-George remains unanswered. In other words, a Council’s decision from March to date cannot be actioned. Since the BV/Triumph NDC is unwilling to find out, I do hope the Guyana Bar Association or the Guyana Women’s Lawyer Association (because of this expose) can find out and let us, the residents of BV/Triumph, know who is/was Ms. Glen-George’s client that has a deal with the BV/Triumph NDC for 143 acres of land.

Sometime in May, the Chairman wrote the second letter to JFL, and another agency, Mohamed Sons and Daughters (MSD) of 61 4th Street Cummings Lodge (the address of an abandoned old house, see Stabroek News of July 25. 2022). Council again agreed to write JFL, indicating a meeting time. Councilors were called and told that JFL’s representatives would be at a meeting on June 30, 2022 in Council’s Chambers. At that gathering, instead of JFL’s representatives being present, the non-Council personnel were representatives of MSD. Objections were raised to their presence and the meeting was adjourned. That morning was special for among other things, I received a good ole Guyanese ‘dressing down’ from a Councillor who disapproves of my activism on Facebook (FB). I would assume that learning of my activism on FB, the MSD agent later issued a threat to those who ‘write stupidness on FB’ as I passed him on my way down the NDC’s stairway.

In response to the tardiness of the Officers of the Council, I decided to go and seek Mr. Zack Gonsalves, the Secretary of JFL, on the following day – Friday 1st July, 2022. He did not meet with me but we spoke on the phone on that day and on three other occasions. I learnt that JFL did get the letter which was sent in early April, and is still to decide on how to deal with it, but he did not confirm receiving any other. All be it, during those interactions, Mr. Gonsalves agreed to be present at the next Statutory Meeting of the NDC in order to resolve the issues surrounding the repayment of JFL’s deposit for lands they cannot own, since the proposed seller does not own it. Mr. Gonsalves did not show up at the meeting. My question to him and his directors is WHY? It is strange that people who were eager to enter into a contract can find it difficult to exit after realizing their aims are futile and it must be underscored that their aims are futile. The sacrifices, heritage and legacy of our ancestors will never be for sale, and we will never allow our inheritance to be stolen.

Sincerely,

Elton McRae

Councilor

BV/Triumph NDC