– Minister Allicock blames political division for sloth

THE move to address land issues in the hinterland could take as many as 10 more years, Vice-President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, told reporters on Wednesday shortly after appearing before the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources.

In the chambers of the Public Building on Wednesday, Minister Allicock informed the committee, chaired by Opposition Member of Parliament Odinga Lumumba, that only 26 per cent of the Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) Project has been achieved to date with US$2.5M or 25 per cent of the US$10.7M budgeted for the project expended.
With funds from the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) under the Government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy, the Amerindian Land Titling Project was launched in October 2013 to fast-track the Amerindian Land Titling process in Guyana within a three-year framework but Minister Allicock said the country would need another extension, come October.

Within the three-year framework, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, now known as the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, was expected to issue land titles and complete the demarcation process for all Amerindian villages that submitted requests, including those that requested extensions; strengthen existing mechanisms to deal with unresolved land issues; and improve the communication and outreach efforts.
However, the ministry was unable to meet the October 2015 deadline.
A three-year extension was subsequently granted but according to Minister Allicock, the revised deadline would not be met. However, he assured the Members of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources that though his Ministry has not issued a single land title since he took office. Four villages including Karasabai and Four Mile will be completely demarcated by October, 2018.

In his presentation, he noted that under the Land Titling Project, 13 communities applied for ‘Absolute Grant’ for the first time of which six namely Karisparu, Kariako, Tuseneng, Batavia, Katoonarib and Riversview have been completely demarcated.
It was further noted that for the villages that requested ‘Absolute Grants’, 14 were demarcated namely Kamana, Manawarin, Waramuri, Kurukabaru, Taruka, Sawariwau, Massara Extension, Yakarinta Extension, Kato Extension, Pupunau, Baramita, Konashen, Paramakatoi and Chinoweing.

However, with the extension Sawariwau and Paramakatoi Certificates of Title have been issued. Chenapou, Arau, Kaikan, Jawalla, Kamarang, Paruima, Kako, Waramadong, and Phillipai are villages yet to be demarcated under this category.

Minister Allicock noted that the ministry had received 32 applications for new extensions before the start of the Amerindian Land Titling Project, and based on those applications conducted a total of 45 investigations all of which have been completed.
Opposition Members of Parliament, Pauline Sukhai, Yvonne Pearson and Neil Kumar expressed disappointment with the progress made thus far under the watch of Minister Allicock.

According to Kumar, the Amerindian Land Titling Project appears to be at a standstill since the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNUA+AFC) Government took office.

Sukhai, a former Indigenous Affairs Minister under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), said though millions of dollars have been spent, little has been accomplished. But those claims were shot down by Minister Allicock, who said, despite many challenges his ministry has been making progress, reiterating that before October, 2018 demarcation of four villages will be completed. He posited that if these demarcations are completed way ahead of October, other demarcations for other communities could also be completed.
Lumumba has requested that Minister Allicock submit a report on the challenges being experienced in communities such as Rockstone in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

Outside of the Chambers, Minister Allicock reiterated that his Ministry, with support from the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC), and other organisations, has completed 45 investigations. However, at the moment, he was unable to say how many villages were demarcated under his watch.

Sloth
Questioned about the slow pace at which the project is moving Minister Allicock said among challenges faced was the issue of political division. “There is political divide in our communities which I have never seen. It was never something I would have expected across the country but it was very, very divided, and that was a big hindrance to us moving forward,” Minister Allicock explained.
He noted that some villages were in some cases uneasy, due to the manner in which they were treated in the past. “We had to say to them that ‘this is your community, you need to understand that we need to have village improvement plans which will allow you to understand your entire boundary, your entire resources and it would be better for your planning’,” the Indigenous Affairs Minister said.

He noted that it is important to get the by-in from villagers based on the fact that the majority of the adult population in Amerindian villages across the country have requested that the project be done based on the principles of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).
Though the Lands and Life Commission has not affected the Amerindian Land Titling Project, more so the issuing of land, Minister Allicock expressed the hope that the National Toshaos Council (NTC) will buy into the initiative.
Minister of State Joseph Harmon; Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin, APNU+AFC Members of Parliament Jermaine Figueira and Audwin Rutherford were among the Parliamentary Committee Members present.