GPL cuts power to First Federation Building

Jul 23, 2013 News

The First Federation building yesterday was blacked out after the Guyana Power and Light disconnected power to the building located at the corner of Croal Street and Manget Place, Stabroek.
When Kaieteur News visited the building yesterday, the stairs and the corridors which were once filled with persons conducting business at the various entities was darker than midnight.

The decades old building.

The building housed a number of law firms, three schools, a snackette and a number of privately owned businesses.
After the blackout, many offices were closed and the owners were seen transporting some of their belongings to vehicles.
According to multiple reports from the business persons who occupy the building, last Wednesday they received notices advising them that power will be disconnected due to faulty wiring of the building.
On Saturday, while most of the business persons were not around, GPL crewmen were said to have disconnected the electricity.
“Well I didn’t work the weekend so I didn’t know. I turn on the AC in the place and it ain’t come on so I thought it was blackout,” one occupant said.
She added that when they contacted GPL it was related to them that power had been disconnected due to a number of faults in the building.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall on February 3, said that Government had acquired six possession notices against some of the persons who occupied the First Federation Building.
The notice of possession is a document issued to inform a party of the intention to retake possession of certain property, in this case the “First Federation Building”. This type of document is often used by landlords who are evicting tenants.
In such a case, the landlord provides the tenant with a deadline by which to vacate the premises and turn over the keys to the property. Sometimes a notice of possession may also be used when a mortgage lender is foreclosing on a property.
Nandlall told Kaieteur News on that occasion that with the six possession notices being given, he hoped that the other occupants recognize that the government needs the building to house important judicial offices.
According to the Attorney General, he was extremely displeased with some of the occupants who happen to be Attorneys-at-Law. He said that these lawyers ought to recognize the value of having greater space being made available for the justice sector in close proximity to existing facilities.