A REMIGRANT Guyanese, who claims his mother’s property at Buxton landed in the hands of outsiders, is calling for the computerisation of the records of the Guyana Lands & Surveys Commission (GL&SC).

At the same time, while referring to the GL&SC staff as being incompetent in undertaking their mandate, Weusi Tefawa is suggesting that there should be amendments to the laws to ensure stiff penalties for persons who are engaged in land theft.

Tefawa was at the time speaking from a personal experience, while addressing the Land Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Thursday morning at the GL&SC headquarters in the city.

The man explained to the commission that his troubles started when he presented a plan to the Buxton Village Council for approval. He said it was rejected on the grounds that there were some discrepancies with the title.

He said he was told to visit the GL&SC and while there, he told the staff that his mother was the owner of a parcel of land at Buxton for over 30 years, noting that the family lived there undisturbed.

Tefawa said he was made to understand that his mother did not register the property, which she had acquired from one Harry Chung. He said he also found out that Chung did not register the property either.

He said he employed a surveyor to provide additional information about the land on which he was about to build. He told the commission that the surveyor, who was able to get “more access” at the GL&SC, discovered that the land is now in the name of one Parbattie Singh and Azeez Mustapha.

“So I went back to the land registry to find out how these people acquired title to the land,” he said.
He said the staff there were not cooperative, but told him that they had no record to show how the two persons acquired the land.

Tefawa said he engaged the services of an attorney and he was able to get additional information.
He said the attorney found out that despite his family’s occupancy of the land, the two persons, Singh and Mustapha, have recorded an interest in the property.

DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE
“I have documentary evidence of all the rates and taxes paid by my mother going back 30,” he said.

He said when he visited the village council a third time, he wanted to find out if there was any record of the two person’s existence.

Noting that the land is in the “Middle of Buxton”, at Buxton Middle Walk, Railway Line, he told the CoI that the village council informed him that there is no record of anyone paying rates and taxes, other than Princes Margaret Williams — his mother.

Tefawa noted too that his attorney has informed him that another person may be involved in the transfer of the land in question.

He said his attorney named a Haroon Haniff, who may have been the person who sold the land on October 24, 2010 to Singh. He said his attorney suggests his legal case would be more complicated to address in the courts.

He explained that for the last 12 years, his sister lived on the land, adding that his mother’s house is still on the land.

“There are many of people perhaps the generation before mine who, out of ignorance or lack of information who did not register their interest in their property, all they did was passed it on,” Tefawa said.

He told the CoI that he believes a group of people are able to be the first registered owners of lands and hold titles to other people’s property.

Tefawa reiterated that based on his experiences, many people have lost titles to their property and are unaware of the lost. He said he only found out his situation because he is about to build on the land.

The elderly man told the commission that the attitude of staff of the GL&SC suggests either incompetence or a lack of interest and awareness of the importance of their jobs. He suggested too that the records of the GL&SC be computerised.

Buxton was purchased by freed slaves. And Tefuwa said that every parcel of land in the village had another parcel in the back lands tied to the first property. He said those lands stretch from the seawall all the way back to the conservancy.

The man’s submission was noted by the COI.