The public deserves answers on Lumumba ‘land deals’

- Minister lashes back demanding public apology …says Ramjattan’s behaviour is ‘disgusting, lawless and an abuse of power’

HOUSING and Water Minister Mr Irfaan Ali, having taken umbrage at the Christmas Day Kaieteur News Headline: ‘Eccles to Providence hijacked by private developers’, presented the media with the facts of the case at a press conference held yesterday.

Khemraj Ramjattan

Alliance For Change (AFC) leader Mr Khemraj Ramjattan had told the Kaieteur News that hundreds of acres of land in central areas on the East Bank of Demerara had been distributed to a number of private developers in what appeared to be very unclear circumstances. Minister Ali consequently invited Ramjattan, via email, to yesterday’s press conference; but when the minister’s secretary called to remind Ramjattan about the press conference, she was told: “How can that ‘chap’ demand me to come to his press conference? Tell him to haul his ass!” The Housing Minister said he had been affording Ramjattan the opportunity to publicly ask as many questions as he wanted before the press. “This is a man who talks about being upright, morally straight; and this is the way he speaks to an ordinary public servant who was merely doing her duties. I find this to be disgusting, lawless, and an abuse of power by Mr. Ramjattan,” Minister Ali declared. “This is a man who speaks about transparency, openness, accountability and about professionalism; and this is the way he responds. He can tell me to ‘haul my ass’, I am a politician; but do not ever believe that you can humiliate a professional public servant who sits in my office and disrespect her the way he did. And I am calling for him to offer a public apology for the disrespect of this public servant! Nothing short of a public apology (will suffice),” the minister remarked. The minister then proceeded to answer questions that were posed in the Kaieteur News article. Below are the questions/statements, and the minister’s response:

Q: How much was paid for those lands by the private developers?

A: The first phase of the development on the East Bank saw us moving into unchartered territory. The land was swamped, overgrown, trenches, etc. The first phase of development saw investment in these swamplands from both the public and private sectors. The cost of land in the first phase ranged between four and six million dollars, plus infrastructural costs per acre. The average investment for service (per) acre of land is between ten to fifteen million of investment by the private sector.

Q: Where was it advertised, and was it advertised?

A: Contrary to the manipulation of the truth by Kaieteur News and Mr. Ramjattan, who seems to have a special likeness with fondling of the truth, the first phase of development was advertised on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 in the Guyana Chronicle, titled, “Invitation for Expression of Interest for housing development at the proposed Eccles to Mocha Housing Development Site, East Bank Demerara.” A total of 14 proposals (was) received.

Q: What criteria were used to grant these lands to these companies and individuals?

A: The eligibility criteria were outlined in the expression of interest and the framework through which the proposals were to be submitted. The complete criteria and framework were outlined in the said advertisement, and the proposals were all examined and evaluated within the context of these criteria. So there were laid out prescribed criteria and eligibility, and that is in the context in which all the proposals were examined. There is also the perception in the article that most of the lots between Eccles and Providence did not go to normal house lots.

Q: Why was it not available for normal house lots?

A: The policy for our housing programme is based on the development of many partnerships. In our previous press conference, we outlined extensively the nature of these partnerships: how the partnerships are developed, and for what purposes. We also outlined very clearly that the majority of development went to the public sector. As a matter of fact, between Eccles to Providence, the Government developed more than 4000 lots for the normal application process.

Q: The minister claims that the lands were advertised in the Guyana Chronicle from June. Explain to us, then, how some of these developers have been on the land, some doing infrastructural work for more than a year now. Further, for something like this, should it (not) be advertised publicly?

A: What the article was seeking to do was to portray a view that we gave the land out before the advertisement. But the land they are referring to was the area under development by private developers in response to the December 15, 2010 application. These works started since 2010/2011. Again, (this is) a manipulation and misrepresentation of the truth. According to the leaked document, 1000 house lots have been made available at Eccles for house lots, and just 400 acres behind Providence. There is absolutely no leaked document, because the map that was provided in Kaieteur News was made available since 2011 to all the media. We have nothing to fear in relation to any document, because we conduct our business in a fair, open, and transparent manner. All the land in Eccles was used for the public sector housing programme, amounting to approximately 1000 lots. We are not clear if the map is telling us that the new 1000 house lots behind Providence are part of the 400 acre.

Again, the speculative, manipulative agenda of Ramjattan and Kaieteur News to misguide people with propagandistic, sensational madness bounded by no morals or ethics remains nastily exposed. The 1000 homes here — as clearly outlined at site visits, project launches and press conferences, many of which Kaieteur News was also present — is located in Perseverance, all of which will go to the public housing development programme specifically targeting clerical and service workers.

Q: The article concludes by saying: “Some 400 acres in the Coverden area have been granted to a businessman close to the administration.”

A: This cannot be described in any way but (as) a nasty, nasty, nasty lie. This is a nasty lie! One wonders what is hoped to be achieved by this disgusting, rotten piece of journalism. Then again, credibility, honesty, ethics, morals and professionalism seem to be obsolete in this case, because this is far from the truth.

No businessman was, is, or will be allocated 400 acres. (As) a matter of fact, we have not even entertained any proposals thus far (regarding) allocation of 400 acres to a businessman. So I find this to be even more disgusting.

(Telesha Ramnarine)