Remigrants house lots cost four times more than Jagdeo’s

Dec 25, 2012 News

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Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes, is hoping that all future eligible persons acquire house lots at a comparative market value to what former President Bharrat Jagdeo and a few of his closest allies acquired theirs in Pradoville Two, (Sparendaam) East Coast Demerara.

Hughes, who had virtually taken on members of the ruling administration by himself on the National Communications Network “corruption debate” had lashed out at the circumstances under which Jagdeo acquired his two-acre plot of land at Sparendaam.
According to reports, which were confirmed during last September debates, Jagdeo acquired his land at Pradoville 2, at a “market value” of $5M per acre, a price that was justified by Attorney General, Anil Nandlall.
But when compared with the price that the government is offering land to remigrants at Providence, East Bank Demerara, Jagdeo and his associates have actually secured a sweet deal, Hughes said.
Officials from the Ministry of Housing have confirmed that persons applying for a 8,000 square-foot house lot in the remigrant housing scheme are being asked to pay $7M per lot. One acre gives five house lots.
The house lots are 8,000 square feet. The area of the plot is less than a quarter of an acre of land.
Compared to what former President Jagdeo paid, the remigrants are being asked to pay almost six times more for a comparative plot of land.

A copy of the letter that the Ministry of Housing dispatched to prospective remigrant house lot applicants, read.
“Land Allocation Department
Tel. Nos: 592-223-7530, 7521, 7517
2012
Dear (Name Given)
With respect to your offer of an allocation at Pln. Providence, you are invited to select your lot number at the Providence Stadium, East Bank Demerara on Saturday, July 7, 2012 at 14:00h.
Please be informed that since you have qualified for a High Income land, that you are required, to make a full payment for the land, the conveyance fee of $8,000 and the Identification of Lot fee of $3,000. Payments must be made by Manager’s Cheque.
Please be advised that after making full payment of the land and conveyance fee, you can sign to process for a Certificate of Title.
Payment required for allocation of a house lot.
Offer
Cost of land—$7,000,000 (G)
Conveyance Fee—$8,000 (G$)
Identification of Lot Fee—High Income—$3,000 (G$)
Kindly ensure that you walk with the required sum of money to make the full payment along with Original and copies of your: Identification Card/Passport, Birth Certificate/Naturalization Documentation and an Affidavit stating Non-Ownership of Property in Guyana, so that your offer can be formalized into an allocation.

Please note that the Central Housing & Planning Authority is making this offer available to you on the condition that neither you nor your spouse is the owner of any property in Guyana. This offer shall be rescinded if you are found to be the holder of property in Guyana.
Should you fail to respond to this offer of allocation on July 7, 2012, it will be assumed that you are no longer interested and the offer will be null and void.
We hope that you take this opportunity and be a part of this exercise. All for your information and guidance.
Sincerely,
For the Chief Executive Officer”
At the price offered by the Ministry of Housing, remigrants would actually pay close to $42M per acre. When compared to the prime ocean front land that former President Bharrat Jagdeo acquired at $5M an acre, Nigel Hughes said that it is no wonder that the Alliance for Change questioned the circumstances under which state lands were given out at Pradoville Two.
“I hope that they put in some facilities with the same alacrity that they did at Pradoville Two for the other citizens at the remigrant scheme,” Hughes told this newspaper yesterday.
The remigrant scheme was conceptualized and promoted by the Bharrat Jagdeo regime under the stewardship of one of his protégés, Irfaan Ali.
Housing Ministry officials confirmed that the water network as well as roads has already been installed in the scheme, and the electricity infrastructure should be completed early next year.
Hughes, an attorney-at-law, had contended that Jagdeo, while in office, acquired more wealth than any other president of independent Guyana.

Hughes had pointed out that “no other Head of State in this country through independence to now…while they are President, made a business of the presidency to acquire the assets that the state owned; not assets they went out on the open market and bought; assets that the state owned and they then converted and bought below market prices.”
Hughes was mainly referring to the ‘palace’ that the former Guyanese leader now owns at Sparendaam.
According to Hughes, Jagdeo managed to purchase prime ocean front land for $5M per acre, an amount way below the market value of such property.
“This is state land acquired by the government of the day and distributed to the President and the President’s friends below market prices, next to Courida Park, some of the most expensive real estate. I’m still waiting to find out where I can get one acre of ocean front property, prime real estate for $5M per acre,” Hughes said.
He challenged his opponents to identify whether Dr. Jagan or even President Burnham ever carried out such practices.
Hughes’s assertions were strongly refuted by Labour Minister Nanda Gopaul and Attorney General Anil Nandlall, who made it clear that Jagdeo received what every other Guyanese received under the government’s housing programme.
“The impression that is being given  here, is that the President embarked upon this conquest and acquired land by some improper way and improper procedure is one that must be wholly rejected,” the Attorney General said.
According to Nandlall, many persons including ministers of the government, former Commissioners of Police and CARICOM Secretariat officials were offered lands for sale there, a move he said was made public.
But according to Hughes, like many other Guyanese, he was unaware that the state lands at Pradoville 2, which “Jagdeo and his close associates” now occupy was advertised for sale publicly.
“Can I ask…where was this land advertised? When did they advertise ocean front land?” Hughes had questioned.

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