By Alva Solomon

“THIS has got to be the most outrageous act I have seen in a very long time.” Those were the sentiments of prominent Attorney Nigel Hughes after a demolition crew from City Hall broke down the popular “Dread Shop” in the Stabroek Market area, near the Route 42 minibus park in the wee hours of Thursday morning.

The business which has been under City Hall’s hammer for years was flattened by employees of the City around 03:00 hrs, leaving the owners of the building counting significant losses.

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) carried out the act even though the property is actively engaging the Court of Appeal.

An adjoining business, The Island Snackette and Pizzeria, formerly K&VC Snackette was left standing.

Abiola Fung, who operates the snackette, told the Guyana Chronicle that the Council informed her that her business would be demolished.

City Hall workers had threatened to demolish the structure at 06:00 hrs on Thursday; however, the building was left standing last evening.

According to a relative of Anthony Forde, who owned the “Dread Shop”, without prior notice, the demolition crew appeared at the site with an excavator around 03:00 hrs Thursday morning.

He said he attempted to inform the excavator operator that there were valuable pieces of equipment including refrigerators, freezers, fans, television sets and music equipment in the building. However, the man noted that the operator of the machine yelled several expletives before proceeding to smash the building to pieces.

Prominent Attorney and AFC member Nigel Hughes condemned the act. He told reporters at the site where the building once stood that many persons wanted a change in the system of governance prior to last year’s elections.

“Not in the personnel to carry on the same acts from before. What we continue to see is a lack of courtesy, a lack of respect and a lack of the basic, decent tenets of how you engage the people with respect,” Hughes said.

Hughes, who is representing Fung in the matter before the court, noted that the municipality’s representatives have failed to appear in court to answer to the ongoing matter.

Hughes said he called the City Engineer to discuss the matter, but he was directed to Town Clerk Royston King. He said King confirmed that the building was indeed demolished on the Council’s orders.

DANGEROUS GROUNDS
An enraged Hughes said the Council was entering “dangerous grounds,” as he outlined the Council’s disobedience of the laws of the land and the outcome of court proceedings.

Hughes also informed this newspaper that the property in question is at the centre of a dispute between the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and City Hall, since both parties have claimed ownership of the parcel of land in question.

“So even the persons who are supposed to be responsible for the management of this area, we are not sure who it is, it is actively in the Court of Appeal,” he said.

He noted too that the Attorney General’s Chambers has acknowledged the matter is an ongoing court proceeding.
Hughes said if the City Council attempts to break the remaining structure, persons affiliated with the building will be forming a human barricade to prevent the demolition crew from proceeding with its demolition plans.

Forde told this newspaper that he rents the building which is monitored by his son. In tears, the man said he started the business around 1968 when he sold egg and bread as breakfast to passers-by during the early morning rush to get to work.

NO PRIOR NOTICE
“I don’t really know what happened , I ain’t get no notice, nothing at all, is this morning at 09:30 hrs somebody told me what happened,” he related.

He said for years, the authorities have attempted to break down the structure and he recalled former President, the Late LFS Burnham, who gave him permission to remain at the site when the former leader held the portfolio of Prime Minister.

Fung, the owner of the adjoining snackette, told this newspaper that she received a call around 05:30 hrs on Thursday from a staff member who informed her that the neighbouring structure had been demolished.

She said she subsequently visited City Hall and while she was pushed around, persons there told her that her business will be demolished.

Fung said the matter has been before the courts for years, noting that she has been paying her taxes up to date.

“Nobody ever came and say well we breaking down today or tomorrow,” the frustrated woman said.

Meanwhile, in light of the Georgetown municipality’s plans, Hughes noted that Stabroek Market vendors will be forming themselves into a group which will make representation on matters pertaining to their concerns.
He said there are vendors who have financial commitments.

“To disrupt their incomes at very short notice is unacceptable behaviour,” he said.

For years, the “Dread Shop”, has been under the demolition plans of the city authorities. In January 2011, following a grenade explosion which left one person dead, there were plans to demolish the structure after several stalls, close to where the grenade had exploded, were demolished.