‘I’m not offering you any money’

Oct 06, 2022 News

– Edghill tells Albouystown squatters

Kaieteur News – During a meeting with the residents of Albouystown, Georgetown, Minister of Public Work, Juan Edghill stated that persons squatting on the government reserve where the $1.4 billion, enhancement project along Independence Boulevard and Cemetery Road, will receive assistance but not money.

On Tuesday, Edghill invited residents of Albouystown at the ministry’s office, who had built illegal structures on the government reserve and are in the path of the project.

According to the Ministry of Public Works, some of the squatters already had housing applications, while others applied the day after Minister Edghill and his team had visited the area.

The illegal infrastructure that is to be removed

Kaieteur News understands that many of the residents informed the minister that they had nowhere to go, however, Edghill advised that once they were allocated land, based on what category they fell into income-wise, then some assistance could be forthcoming.

“I counted how many apartments are there, including the man that got the boxing gym, I [already] counted them. We have to be careful and a little sensitive, [because] if we had allowed it, a few people wanted to take advantage of the situation, [and] it will not be allowed,” Minister Edghill said, adding that his decisions were based on principles.

Edghill added, “This meeting is for the people who have not moved and I would like to hear what are the reasons, what are the issues, and why you have not moved.”

“I am laying down some clear principles, the land that you are dwelling on belongs to the State, it is Government reserve, whether you are here 30 years, 40 years, and 50 years. Consult with any lawyer in the country, or you can take a firm of lawyers, nobody can get prescriptive rights on Government reserve, you can get prescriptive rights from your family land,” Minister Edghill pointed out.

To this end, the minister said, “I am not offering anybody no money, nothing as an inducement to move, fair enough, the human factor is that people were living there because they did not have any land, nowhere to go. Now, you apply for your place to move, and there are factors in moving and when that time comes and you have to move, I am not offering anybody inducement to move, but if there is assistance that is required, whether it is the truck or workmen to move the material and be re-erected wherever, we will try to see what can be accommodated,” Edghill said.

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