…housing officials addressing matter
…two other pastors promised lot by Essequibo officials

THE pastor at the centre of an issue in which the man of the cloth was ‘bullying’ a young nurse at Charity over a house lot which was allotted the young woman’s late mother, has discontinued construction works at the site.

Reports are that the man called ‘Pastor Francis’, met with a relative of the young medical professional recently and agreed to discontinue works at the site. His decision, persons in the Charity Extension Housing Scheme noted, was also tied to commitments by officials of the Central Housing and Planning Authority(CH&PA) to the young nurse, Natusha DeFreitas, that all systems will be exhausted to ensure that she is able to rebuild her mother’s house on the lot.

Since the matter was highlighted, officials of the CH&PA visited the site and erected signposts, dissuading persons from trespassing.
The Guyana Chronicle reported recently that the pastor was battling with the young nurse over the house lot on which her mother’s house stood. The young woman lost her father when she was six-years old ; the man was fatally stabbed in 2006 at the Charity Waterfront by a businessman.

Later, when she was 13 years-old, ill-luck came her way once more when her mother Stacy Benn perished in an accident, along with a man, aback BuckHall, Essequibo River, when the vehicle in which they were travelling overturned. DeFreitas’ has three brothers but they are said to have moved on with their lives.

Reports are that since February this year , the pastor started works at the site and recently residents who are familiar with the young nurses’ misfortunes, expressed outrage over the issue.

As such, a resident highlighted the issue on Facebook and this newspaper was able to contact an official at the CH&PA office at Anna Regina, who noted that the pastor was ‘bullying’ the authorities over the property.

Since the Guyana Chronicle highlighted the matter last week, a number of persons, including legal luminaries, voiced concern over the issue. Several persons also made contact with the nurse and offered to assist her in sorting out the matter.

This newspaper was told that at least two other persons , who are said to be pastors on the Essequibo Coast, were promised the house lot in question, a move which residents noted points to widespread corruption in the manner in which persons are able to obtain house lots in the area.

DeFreitas told the Guyana Chronicle on Friday that she is moving ahead with her plans to secure the house lot. She told the Guyana Chronicle recently that the house lot is the only memory she has of her parents and she was determined to ensure that she is able to rebuild her mother’s home.