5 persons from Success shift to Govt’s shelter at Graham’s Hall school

Five persons who were squatting at Success, East Coast Demerara have since taken up shelter at the Graham’s Hall Primary School.

Last Saturday, Prime Minister Brigadier Mark Phillips visited Success, where scores of persons are squatting on lands belonging to the Guyana Sugar Corporation, and offered shelter to persons there who are refusing to relocate even as GuySuCo is preparing to resume cultivation of sugar cane.
Despite persons initially rejecting the offer, Government still went ahead and prepared the Graham’s Hall Primary School at Cummings Lodge, ECD for occupancy.
On Wednesday, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) revealed that a total of five persons are being housed at the temporary emergency shelter established by Government.

“Three males and two females have taken up occupancy as more squatters are finally making the move to be housed [at the school],” the CDC said.
At the facility, the Commission noted, strict COVID-19 guidelines and protocols are enforced, and meals, hygiene products, sleeping, bathing and other facilities are provided. The shelter has capacity to house more than 150 persons with the necessary spacing requirements in keeping with the COVID-19 guidelines.
The CDC is encouraging the other displaced Success squatters to make use of the shelter at Graham’s Hall Primary School and contact the National Emergency Management System (NEMS) on 226-1114, 623-1700 and 600-7500 for occupancy.
Squatters have been occupying lands in various communities along the East Coast of Demerara, including at Vryheid’s Lust, Success, and Chateau Margot. However, with GuySuCo now embarking on efforts to revitalise the sugar industry by reopening three estates closed by the APNU/AFC regime, including the East Demerara Estate (Enmore) which is expect to recommence operations in early 2022, attempts have been made to remove the squatters from the lands.
In fact, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has visited the area to commence the land application process for unlawful occupants, so that they could be eligible for a house lot. Arrangements are being made for other parcels of land to be made available.
It was previously reported that lands in 22 areas on the East Coast, East Bank, and West Bank Demerara; at Linden and in Berbice and Essequibo were approved in the 2020 Emergency Budget, and this publication understands that allocations for the residents will fall under this project.
But still many are refusing to relocate from the squatting areas. In fact, these persons are being led on by the APNU/AFC Coalition.
As such, Attorney General Anil Nandlall has called on the Opposition to stop using the plight of the Success squatters for political mileage. He made this remark during his weekly programme – “Issues in the news” – that was streamed on his facebook page on Tuesday.
“Squatting is illegal. It is wrong, and politicians who care about people have to stop using people as political pawns and using their plight as a political platform; and that is what is taking place at Success,” he said.
According to the Attorney General, Government wants to do what is in the best interest of those residents and the wider country.
“Squatting stymies development, creates housing areas without proper planning, leads to sickness and violence,” the AG said in a report from the Department of Public Information (DPI).
While reiterating that “everything has to have a process,” the Attorney General said there are more than 60,000 applications backlogged in the system.
To this end, Nandlall further posited that the administration has an accelerated housing programme that would cater for everyone. However, he noted that this will take time.
Last Friday, President Irfaan Ali pleaded with residents of the Success squatting area to utilise the legal path to land ownership.
“It is not that we want you to be dislodged in the area. We want you to own your home too, that is why we sent the Housing teams so many times to see you, but there is a right way in doing things and the wrong way. In Guyana, we have to get accustomed to doing things the right way,” President Ali said at the “Dream Realised” housing initiative at the Guyana National Stadium.
GuySuCo had previously disclosed that some 17,000 varieties of sugarcane have been damaged by the squatters in those areas along the East Coast of Demerara. GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer Sasenarine Singh was quoted as saying that while the squatters have been affected by steps taken in preparation for the recommencement of operation, the successful outcomes from the sugar mills at Enmore require a supply of one-year-old sugar canes. As a result, land tillage needs to commence next January.
It was against this backdrop that the sugar corporation, two weeks ago, flooded the field, including the area where the squatters are occupying at Success, where most of the persons have taken up illegal occupancy.