Minister Ali refutes squatters’ claims, exposes wrongdoings
MINISTER of Housing and Water, Mr. Irfaan Ali, noting squatters disregard for the authorities, has refuted several claims in sections of the media.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, he sought to clarify a number of issues about the squatting at Sea View, Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, in Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands).

Ali said, contrary to what was reported, the Ministry of Housing and Water is disputing the inaccuracies.

He said, long before the high tides in December 2009, more than 22 households of squatters were removed from near Anna Catherina sea defence and allocated lots in Cornelia Ida, also on West Coast Demerara and Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.

Ali said Food for the Poor even built a number of houses for those persons he is surprised that the media would carry stories without seeking any comment from the Ministry.

He explained that, out of the 22 families of squatters removed and allotted land, a number of them sold their house lots and some even resorted to renting their Food for the Poor constructed homes and returned to squat at Anna Catherina Sea View.

Ali said one such person, who has been very vocal, was allocated a house lot at Good Hope, on East Bank Essequibo, too, but sold it and is now squatting at Sea View.

“Now what is it that the Government must do?. Reward persons for illegalities like these? Or do we take decisive action?” the Minister asked.

He observed that some sections of the media reported that, after the recent Spring high tide, the occupants were given 14 days notice to move.

Ali said that is totally inaccurate, because the last notice was served on those persons in April, 2009, asking them to remove from the sea defences.

“At that time, we did an occupational survey and there were 33 households of squatters,” he stated.

Ali said the Ministry, subsequently, invited the 33 to apply for house lots and be interviewed but, at the end of December 2009, only 12 did.

Old applications
He said those squatters with old applications were offered house lots at Parfaite/Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, where the majority of them refused to accept, stating that they fish at Anna Catherina and own their own boats, engine, and hundreds of pounds of seine.

Ali said, anywhere in the world, people travel for hours to get to work and Parfaite/Harmonie is less than 20 minutes away from Anna Catherina.

“They prefer to stay on the sea defence and squat but, when nature has its way, the Government is called in to answer and certain sections of the media are bent on negative journalism,” he charged.

“I am very, very surprised at the professionalism that certain media persons are demonstrating,” Ali declared.

He said, in addition to offering the persons Parfaite/Harmonie and having them refuse it, another issue developed.

“And this was a very well planned and coordinated effort by more than a hundred persons to squat on an area in Anna Catherina, including those on the sea defence. Now, if the media are portraying that it is because of the sea defence that the persons went to squat on this new portion of land, how is it that a hundred persons turned up and not the 33 squatters?” Ali questioned.

He concluded: “It shows that it was a well planned activity and they started this on January 1, 2010, during the period of the long holiday weekend.”

According to him: “Immediately the residents of that area called us. They were very peeved. They were annoyed at what the squatters were doing.”

He said, right away, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) team was mobilised and went into the area to warn the squatters of the consequences of their action.

Ali said the group continued on January 1 and 2 and, although the officials returned there on the second day, the squatters persisted on January 3.

“When our team went back there on the January 3, they threatened them with cutlasses. On January 4, we took decisive action to get the Police involved and remove these squatters and it was only then that certain sections of the media saw the sensationalism in the matter and tried to profiteer off it,” he explained.

Cheap journalism
Calling it as very cheap journalism, Ali said: “We need to address issues of policies at a much more broader macro level. We cannot be narrow-minded.

“Squatting is a very serious issue. We need the media to help us in fighting squatting and mitigating it, especially under situations like these, where the persons are so wicked that they were allocated house lots and some of them sold their house lots. Some of them are renting their Food for the Poor homes and they are back there squatting.

“And the media are playing these people up as heroes and heroines. What message are you sending out there to the people,” Ali wanted to know.

He said:“I am just appealing to the media to be responsible as we work together on improving the living conditions of all our people.”

About the next move, he said: “The first step we have already outlined to them, since April 2009, to come in and apply and get interviewed.”

Ali said, last Monday, more than 14 of them went into the Ministry and he reiterated: “All those who are willing to accept Parfaite/Harmonie would be allocated.”

He warned, though, that those persons who were allocated house lots and sold them and are renting their Food for the Poor houses will be prosecuted.

“There is no way we are going to allocate them another house lot and there is no way that they are going to be allowed to remain on the sea dam, so that is the action moving forward,” Ali outlined.