|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Georgetown, Guyana (Credible Sources) The National Assembly on December 18, 2024, witnessed heated debates over the contentious Bill No. 16 of 2024, the Acquisition of Lands for Public Purposes (Amendment) Bill. While the government framed the amendments as necessary for national development, opposition voices, including Member of Parliament Nima Flue-Bess, delivered pointed objections that highlighted the human cost of the legislation.
Flue-Bess opened her address by questioning the government’s approach to land acquisition, particularly its impact on displaced communities like Caneview and Peters Hall. She noted that residents uprooted from their homes often faced severe hardships, including inadequate housing and disruption of livelihoods. “Many of those homes are not completed. No fencing. Some of them, the plastering not done. The ceiling is not completed. The drainage is not completed,” Flue-Bess stated, painting a stark picture of the realities faced by relocated families.
She further lamented the lack of proper consultations before displacement, citing the absence of support systems for those affected. Flue-Bess recounted the story of Mark Gordon, a Caneview farmer who lost his livestock and crops during relocation efforts, highlighting the lack of provisions for individuals to sustain their livelihoods. “These people were told to sell what they have and take what the government is giving to them. Is that fair?” she asked, questioning the fairness of the process.
Flue-Bess also took issue with the government’s handling of ancestral and cultural connections to the land, emphasizing the emotional and social losses experienced by those forced to leave their homes. She described the challenges faced by elderly residents who struggled to adjust to unfamiliar environments, stating, “Who provides the psychosocial support that is needed when these people are relocated and have to readjust to a new living, to a new environment?”
Turning to broader implications, Flue-Bess warned that the bill reflects deeper issues of inequality and governance. She accused the government of selectively valuing lands and prioritizing its allies, asserting, “Everybody wants to see development, but development got to be fair.” Her remarks also drew attention to systemic inequities, particularly in the treatment of African ancestral lands and unresolved historical injustices.
Flue-Bess called for inclusive dialogue and meaningful consultations to address the concerns of affected communities. She advocated for mechanisms that ensure equity, respect, and proper oversight in relocation processes. “Guyana is made up of six races, not one,” she stressed, urging the government to honor the diversity and dignity of all citizens in its development plans.
Despite these objections, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government pressed ahead, using its majority to pass the bill while the opposition voted resolutely against it.
