Removing Success squatters is for greater good of entire country – Nandlall

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, has said that action being taken by the Government to remove those squatting at Success, East Coast Demerara (ECD) off lands belonging to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is for the greater good of the entire country.

Nandlall, during a recent programme hosted on his social media page, said that while some may view the flooding of the lands as very harsh, the action was necessary, as the Government has a development agenda which would benefit all Guyanese.
“The situation must be looked at from the country’s interest, and a Government must always act for the greater good,” Nandlall contended.
“Running a Government”, he outlined, “is not a popularity contest. There are harsh decisions that have to be made by Governments all over the world; that is the cost of being in Government.”
He argued: “It is not in the best interest of the whole country that the back of Success be converted into a squatter swamp.”
The Minister reminded that squatting is illegal, and creates a whole host of problems if left unaddressed.
“That is what squatting does: it stymies development; it creates housing areas without proper planning: no roads, no water; leads to sickness, violence; all these things are associated with squatting,” he explained.
According to Nandlall, there is a backlog of 60,000 applications for house lots, and when persons engage in squatting, they do so with the intention of “jumping the line”. This, he noted, is unfair to those who have been waiting for a number of years to acquire their lots.

“These people must understand that when squatting takes place, it pushes them down the line further, because it delays their application,” he highlighted.
About 150 persons had illegally taken up residence on the cane lands owned by GuySuCo, but now that that corporation is embarking on efforts to revitalise the industry by reopening three estates which had been closed by the APNU/AFC regime, including the East Demerara Estate (Enmore), attempts are being made to remove the squatters from the lands.
Moreover, GuySuCo has disclosed that some 17,000 varieties of sugarcane have been damaged by the squatters in those areas.
Not long after the PPP/C Administration assumed office, it began to work with the squatters to legitimately resolve the problem.
In fact, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has visited the area twice to commence the land application process, so that residents could be eligible for a house lot.
Additionally, the Prime Minister, Brigadier (retd) Mark Phillips, recently visited the area and offered Government’s support to provide shelter at the Graham’s Hall Primary School at Cummings Lodge, ECD to persons until other permanent measures are put in place.
However, with prodding from some political operatives, most of the squatters are refusing to take up Government’s offer. To date, only about five persons have taken up residency at that shelter.
“It simply can’t happen! It can’t be tolerated by a Government in a civilised society! 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. That is what is taking place at Success,” Nandlall expressed.
He added that it is not the Government’s intention to put residents off lands, but the correct procedures must be followed.
The squatters at Success, he noted, would benefit from having their own land, but they would have to follow a procedure.
The Government, he said, has promised to accelerate the housing programme that would cater for everyone, “but it takes time.”
President Ifraan Ali, during his speech at the two-day housing drive held at the National Stadium recently, expressed that all Guyanese under his administration would benefit from housing, but the process has to be done the right way.