— vital for management of ancestral lands, Alexander tells CoI

FORBES Burnham Foundation Chairman, Vincent Alexander, has suggested the formation of village councils for the management of ancestral lands within the boundaries of such settlements.

Alexander told the Land Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Thursday morning that the Constitution provides for such establishments. He told the CoI that the local government system has evolved overtime and is not representative of the people, adding that they are managed by people from outside of specific villages located within the confines of a local authority area.

Alexander suggested that the village council will act on behalf of the people and will be able to determine how the lands are used. Regarding the management of the lands, specifically the disposal of lands, he said that this has happened over the years and according to him, if one looks at the Local Government Act, one would see that in the Act speaks to the sale of surplus lands.

He said it refers to whether the lands are still required for the use intended. He also pointed out that the Municipal District Councils Act speaks to disposal of such lands by the councils.

“What I am saying that the adoration of the authorities fell into the hands of the wrong group of people and that the authority should be vested in the village council,” he told the commission.

Questioned by Commissioner, David James, on the village council’s powers, Alexander said the body would determine the use of the lands under the law.
He said it would be necessary for a consultative process with the villagers and which has to take into consideration the original intent of the lands for communal purposes.

In terms of the ethnic make-up of villages today, Alexander said a survey may prove that African Guyanese dominate the population of certain villages.

He said that the concern of the Burnham Foundation relates to the fact that ancestral lands have found themselves in the hands of persons and/or entities, who by virtue of their acquisition have deprived Afro Guyanese of lands through a process, which has been unjust. Alexander said the lands were acquired by purchase and were private property. He said the lands were plantations and they acquired the status of villages under the local government arrangement.

Quizzed by attorney for the CoI, Darren Wade, he said examples of such villages are Farm village, East Bank Essequibo; Stewartville, West Coast Demerara; Plaisance and Buxton, East Coast of Demerara, among other villages.

“My contention is that it is unfair and unjust for lands which were acquired by purchase and which were given custodial authority to a council, which corresponded with the local area and the local people who purchased those lands to then have other authorities, alien in nature given responsibility for those lands, including the right to dispose of those lands,” Alexander said. “I am hoping that the commission comes to term that the lands were unjustly transferred,” Alexander said.