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Enmore contractor defies Minister’s instructions
Residents of Enmore are almost convinced that the words of Minister within the Local Government Ministry, Norman Whittaker, have no weight.
Six weeks ago, the Minister had instructed that a contractor, Narendra Latchman, remove his equipment from a playfield at Logwood. The Minister had issued the instruction following the publication of an article in this newspaper ‘Contractor takes over playfield’.
The investigation which followed on the heels of the article
There is still heavy duty machinery on the playfield at Logwood, Enmore.
had in fact revealed that not only did the contractor illegally occupy a playground, but there are a number of individuals who have similarly transgressed the area.
“We ourselves visited Enmore; myself and a team including Regional Officials. We engaged the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), we engaged the contractor himself at the site and there were 10 squatters at the site. I determined, and we all agreed, that they were all there illegally,” the Minister had told members of the media shortly after his visit to the community in early March.
The contractor was instructed to remove his machinery by March 17, but to date he has not done so and children in the area are still without their playfield.
“Obviously, Minister Whittaker’s instruction was just talk and the Enmore/Hope NDC has made no attempt to enforce the instruction. Residents are firm in their belief that the contractor is “in bed” with certain senior members of the NDC. His refusal to move from the playfield only strengthens that belief,” one irate resident of Enmore told this newspaper yesterday.
Minister Whittaker had noted that the contractor had indicated that he has another site not far from the area where he is squatting.
“We have asked him to relocate as early as possible to that alternative site,” Whittaker said.
This newspaper was reliably informed that there was a private transaction between a senior NDC official and the contractor for a plot of land on the Foulis Embankment, and many had speculated that the NDC was turning a blind eye to the contractor’s occupation of land and roadways in Logwood.
Minister Whittaker had noted too that the squatter dwellers have been offered assistance, by way of appointments, for them to apply for legitimate lands and “it should be noted also that some of the persons who were squatting were in fact given house lots by the Central Housing and Planning Authority.”
According to Minister Whittaker, in one instance the house lot was sold and in two other instances they were leased or rented.
Kaieteur News understands that several councillors of the NDC’s Interim Body had tendered their resignations over the failure of the NDC to take action against breaches by members of the council.
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