I will not “give up State property” – Granger

Red House fiasco

…wants all presidents to be recognised

As the tug-of-war continues between the coalition Government and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) over the High Street, Kingston Red House (Kamana Court) property, which houses the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre Incorporated (CJRCI), President David Granger is adamant that he will not be giving up State lands.
Instead, the Head of State noted that he wanted to see the State-owned property used for public good, pointing out that there have been attempts by his Administration to have engagements in this regard, to no avail.
“People are becoming vile talking about contamination, so I’m not going to give up State property. I’m going to participate in ensuring that the children of this country will recognise for all time all the presidents starting from Arthur Chung right down to David Granger,” the President said while addressing members of the local media fraternity at a brunch on Sunday.

President David Granger
President David Granger

He was at the time referring to a statement issued by the PPP back in November 2015, when Government initially indicated intentions to transform the Red House into a facility in memory of all past Guyanese Presidents after it found that the prime land (Lots 65, 66, and 67) on which Red House sits was leased to the CJRCI for 99 years for only $12,000 per year.
The coalition Government had strongly objected to this and had consequently announced its intention to review the lease agreement.
The PPP, in a subsequent statement, which President Granger quoted on Sunday, said, “To associate Red House with Burnham, Hoyte and perhaps later Granger would be a historical misnomer and contrary to the progressive anti-colonial and anti-imperialist ideas, thoughts and memories associated with Cheddi Jagan… It would be anathema to disperse, integrate and to contaminate all that Jagan stood for and fought for with the reactionary pro-imperialist, repressive and oppressive praxis of the Burnham/Hoyte regime.”
The Head of State further outlined that the PPP statement went on to say that  it was not going to have past presidents from other parties under the same roof as Dr Jagan.
“Such an act can be characterised as the epiphany of surrealism and consequently, abhorrent and distasteful to the hundreds of thousands of members and supporters of the PPP in particular, and all decent-minded Guyanese in general,” the Head of State quoted from the PPP statement.

Offence
According to President Granger, he was offended by these comments, reflecting that the first thing he did in May 2015 when he took office was to put up portraits of all nine Presidents in the Cabinet room. He noted that he wanted to remind not only the staff at the Ministry of the Presidency, but thousands of children who visit his office of all nine Presidents and not just one; but then there were people talking about contaminating the memory of former President Cheddi Jagan.
“It is not a question of law; it is now a question of right. This is the mentality which is driving the battle for Kamana Court. Somebody is accusing persons who do not belong to one party, of contamination – I find that offensive,” posited the President.
Two weeks ago, President Granger revoked the lease of the Red House, based on advice from his Attorney General, Basil Williams, that the agreement was invalid. Williams had argued in a detailed statement the day before that the lease held by the CJRCI was invalid on several grounds, including that there was no evidence that the President of the day had sanctioned it.
However, quick action by the PPP-backed Management Committee of CJRCI saw legal action taken to reverse the President’s decision, with the court ordering that the property of the CJRCI “not be interfered with or removed until further ordered”.
In the meantime, workers from the Ministry of the Presidency had hammered down the hallmark sign of the Red House, resulting in a standoff outside the High Street premises. PPP members had rushed to the scene to defend the legacy of the Party’s founding member.
The workmen attempted to transport the wooden sign bearing the words “Cheddi Jagan Research Centre”, but fierce opposition from the PPP members and stewards of the Red House prevented them from doing so. The men eventually drove off in a canter and the PPP members worked together with others on the scene to re-hoist the sign on the building.
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who was on site during the standoff with the Government officers, noted that the attacks against Dr Jagan and his legacy were the height of indecency and callousness  by the Government.
“This is heinous, reprehensible act on the part of this government. They have so many things to deal with in this country than to come and do what they did here today (last Friday) to forcibly eject the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre from this building,” Jagdeo posited.