Dear Editor
THE political arena is no play park, this I have come to know with the passage of time and I have gained my own experiences that confirm this view. People I had great respect for, confidence in and looked up to, turned out to be well dressed wolves in sheep’s clothing. Some have besmirched my character with their stranger-to-the-truth lethal tongue and even colluded with law enforcement to bring me before the courts, but justice prevailed and my belief in the power of Almighty GOD is now more supreme.

Despite my life-changing experiences, the knowledge and views I now hold, most were largely influenced by the many who mentored, guided and provided me with many perspectives. I have been blessed with the opportunity to tap into the minds of some of the wisest, educated and experienced Guyanese directly and indirectly. Some are the likes of Aubrey Norton, Joseph Harmon, Dr. Kirton, Eric Phillips, David Granger, Eslene Shockley, Winston Jordan, Gordon Moseley, Larry London, Ms Sampson, Mr Vic Persuad, Ms Amna Ally, Colvin Heath-London, Christopher Matthias, Mr Bynoe, Raphael Messiah, Selwyn Sills and countless others too numerous to mention. In the final analysis it comes down to the saying we all agree with, “knowledge is power.”
It influences a change in behaviour, it helps us to make informed and correct decisions about very important things. One such thing I believe, should be about the elections and voting.
It is therefore important that the population is knowledgeable and becomes more aware of facts and truths that are at times blurred by media sensationalism in an effort to sell its product to make profits/money.

Voting is your democratic right and you should exercise that right when that time comes, and make the right decisions.

I, like most Guyanese, believe that voting for the APNU+AFC government means having a prosperous future and an equal opportunity to be empowered and to have increased access to government services.

On the contrary, casting a vote for Jadgeo’s PPP means massive corruption, untrustworthy and discriminatory conduct, drugs, migration, extra-judicial killings, economic marginalization and threats to freedom of the press as we experienced during their reign in office. Poverty, distress, premature death for opposing political views and the further enrichment of the few in Jagdeo’s elite circle/class, more so now because of oil money. Before you dismiss what I say as an elections gimmick or propaganda, let me provide you with undisputed, accurate and factual information and I dear you to fact check.
Let’s examine how land was distributed under the PPP by Bharrat Jagdeo and Irfaan Ali, I mean Mohammed Irfaan Ali.

Within the Ministry of Communities (formerly known as the Ministry of Housing and Water) is the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA). CH&PA was established in 1948, via the Housing Act, Chapter 36:20, “to address the housing needs of the citizens of Guyana by divestment of government land to eligible Guyanese for residential use.”
The PPP blatantly violated the tenets of the Housing Act, commercialised the CH&PA and began to distribute the best lands to Jadgeo’s friends and cronies of the PPP cabal, who bought huge plots of lands at giveaway prices, then resold these lands to Guyanese and earned as much as 1600% to 6000% profits. Hundreds of acres of land on the East Bank of Demerara in areas such as Eccles, Little Diamond, Republic Park, Providence, Herstelling and Grove were sold by the former PPP/C administration to more than 20 of Jagdeo’s acolytes and some Chinese companies. The former PPP administration put 25,000 housing applicants on pause, on hold and then proceeded to parcel off lands to whomever they wished. Many of these lands were sold for between $500,000 per acre to up to $9Million per acre with no credible valuation. Prices were allegedly determined by affiliation to the PPP.

In 2011, PPP/C Parliamentarian Odinga Lumumba allegedly received 150 acres of land at Providence, East Bank Demerara (6,450,000 Square feet). This is the equivalent of 1,433 (50 feet*90 feet) house lots. The CH&PA claimed that they were unaware when these lands, which are worth billions of dollars, were given away. Jagdeo and his Cabinet gave these lands to Lumumba in exchange for 6,700 acres of lands that Lumumba leased in Canje, Berbice, after the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission was about to repossess the land from Lumumba, due to issues regarding non-payment of leasing fees. When Lumumba surrendered the 6,700 acres in Berbice he was not required to pay for 150 acres of land on the East Bank – ironic– considering the fact that he had defaulted on payments for the Berbice land. Lumumba was also given land measuring 0.786 of an acre (30,100 square feet- 200*150feet) in dimension. This land is situated behind the Botanical Gardens in Georgetown. The PPP Cabinet gave these lands to Lumumba in 2004. He paid $1.5 million for the land and re-sold the land for $38 Million in 2009.

Jagdeo again bypassed the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission and gave his friend, Edul Ahmad, who is currently serving jail time in the USA for a US$50M real estate fraud, a portion of land which belonged to the Guyana Public Service Union. This land is situated at the corner of Thomas Road and Irving Street. Edul Ahmad was allowed to lease the 3.1 acres (133,000 square feet) of land for G$500,000.00 per year.

The highway robbery and skullduggery by the PPP didn’t stop there. Jagdeo’s bedfellow, Edul Ahmad also received 17 acres (731,000 square feet) of prime land at West Coast Demerara. Ahmad bought these lands for about $4.7Million per acre. In other words, Ed Ahmad paid GYD$109.00 per square foot.

The covetous, red-eyed Jagdeo continued on his trajectory of land-grabbing and disenfranchising of the 25,000 housing applicants who were awaiting house lots, by taking possession of land that was owned by the then Guyana Broadcasting Corporation and parcelling it off: to himself, Dr Roger Luncheon, Floreen Ramnaught, Priya Manickchand, Clement Rohee, Rear Admiral (ret’d) Gary Best, Lisaveta Ramotar, daughter of former President Donald Ramotar, Ramesh Dookhoo, Dr Nanda Gopaul, Dr Ghansham Singh, Rajendra Singh, Dr Compton Bourne, Safraaz Khan, Sheik Baksh, George Halla, Dave Narine and a company called Future Developers of Guyana Inc – 19 properties in all.
The PPP administration spent GY$578.4 Million to develop the land and parcelled off same in 28 plots. Most of those lots are 18,853 square feet and were sold for an average of $1.5 million each; even though these lots were each worth about 10 times more, based on their market value and the amount of money spent to develop the area. Jagdeo took two acres (86000 square feet) and paid only 14 million (basically paying about G$162 per square foot).

In addition, over 500 acres on the East Bank of Demerara were allegedly given to friends of Jagdeo to build housing schemes for their own enrichment. India’s coffee maker mogul V. G. Siddhartha was also given 1.8M hectares of Guyana’s forest. V. G. Siddhartha acquired a 30-year lease from the PPP. Ajeenkya DY Patil Company from India also received 60,000 hectares of land in Berbice for farming, plus he was given tax concessions. Even a famous Guyanese cricketer was given prime land at Providence for his mall, while 25,000 people were awaiting house lots.

Eddie Boyer, the former President of the Private Sector Commission, was given a glorious sweet deal by Jagdeo. Eddie Boyer, owner of National Hardware, was sold 103.88 acres of land for G$510Million (which amounts to $115.00 per square foot). These lands are now being sold for about $7 million a plot (when they were purchased for about $500,000.00 a plot).This plot of land can hold about 984 house lots. If one were to do the math, one would see how Jagdeo made his friends super-rich and totally excluded you and I, the ordinary Guyanese, he now again wants to fool for their votes.

Mr. Editor, even Scady Business Corporation from Tortola, British Virgin Islands, received prime lands at giveaway prices. In a disturbing comparison, the citizens who actually acquired house lots under the PPP were given swampy, snake-infested former canefield lands with “no” “none” infrastructural development such as proper roads, electricity and water. But they were sold 4,500 square feet plots for about $2million in many cases, while 18,853 square feet plots were sold to Jagdeo and Ali’s friends for $1,515,000.00.
Guyana re-migrants suffered as well; they paid 10 times the price that former President Bharrat Jagdeo paid for his house lots. Remigrants each paid between $4 to 5.5M (at $1,111 per square foot as compared to Jagdeo’s $114 per square foot).

Mr Editor, if you concluded that was bad, know that the insanity continued as Jagdeo and the PPP gave away to Bai Shan Lin, several combined Caribbean territories land mass of 960,000 hectares of Guyana’s pristine forest; additionally, 20 kilometres of riverine gold-mining concessions; a five-kilometre square construction area for a Guyana-China Timber Industry Economic and Trading Cooperation Park, and 400 acres of land for real estate development. Wow! I know that you, like most ordinary Guyanese who will determine the outcome of the elections, didn’t know this.

Mr Editor, It is evident that Jagdeo and his cabal felt that he possessed the transport for Guyana, for he has stated that he considered “giving a part of Guyana” to Venezuela in order to solve the border controversy. Could you believe this man? As real Guyanese patriots would say, “Not a blade of grass” Jagdeo!

The 23 years of PPP governance resulted in a massive giveaway of Guyana’s lands, many of which were ancestral lands, to Jagdeo & Ali’s friends, families and close acolytes. Jagdeo never empowered the poor; the cane-cutters remained cane-cutters; Jagdeo showed no care for 25,000 housing applicants, but sought to enrich only those who were a part of his clique, his elite circle. Jagdeo’s friends purchased prime lands at cheap prices, made gated communities and sold these properties for mega-millions. Jagdeo created a corrupt elitist group who are now filthy rich, while the CH&PA is still grappling with a housing applications backlog that has existed since the 1990s.

We as a people owe the future of Guyana to know the truth, to know the facts so informed decisions at the polls will be made. A vote on issues and the future of Guyana must trump a vote of race.

Mr Editor, I put it to your readers that Guyana is going to be a new Guyana and the David Granger-led coalition government is better equipped to continue serving this nation for the benefit of all Guyanese. We must never allow ourselves to forget that most evil, wicked and corrupt PPP administration.

Regards
Jermaine Figueira
Member of Parliament