Dear Editor
It is evident that the PPP/C is promoting the decline of the BV/Triumph community in a massive way.
In his Press Conference of October 24 General Secretary Dr Bharrat Jagdeo in a bold lie stated that the Government has been saddled with the task of recovering lands which the APNU led BV/Triumph NDC has estranged from the community. He focused on the attempted sale of lands in the BV Backlands and the leasing of a reserve (road way) northern portion of Triumph Side line Dam in alignment with Agriculture Road.
That was followed up with a visit to the community where he (Dr Bharrat Jagdeo) and AG Nandall attempted to side line the Government’s role in that attempted sale and usurption of the northern section of Agriculture Road, but mentioned that the government (through the AG’s Office) shall investigate the usurping of road ways including the same Triumph Side-line Dam North, Northern extremity of Bata Road by Gafoors and the Northern extremity of Republic Drive (BV Main Road) on which is being built the National Gas to Shore Control Centre. A facility which has government consent.
Residents are still awaiting a response to that investigation, which many feel shall not end before the required structures for the Gas to Shore Control Centre are completed. At which point the VP or other high-ranking official shall offer an appeasement for the breech of By-Laws under the guise of National priority. In other words, a similar stalling process as went on with the building on Triumph Side-line Dam, that Dr Jagdeo ranted about in October, is in progress. The long and short of which shall be the disentrancement of the community with respect to land. The Government, the BV/Triumph NDC and the Mon Repos- La Reconnaissance NDC were embroiled in a court battle since 2021 over the ownership of the reserve/roadway North of the Agriculture Road. However, none of them saw it fit to file an injunction to stop the building
which was being erected on the land as they were all comfortable with the developer, from whom they probably see benefits or find favour with in some way or the other. It is in this sort of backdrop one can appreciate the falsity of VP Jagdeo’s attempt to mischievously call out the BV/Triumph NDC for neglecting the interest of the community for playing along in a scheme which PPP supported and promoted.
A PPP/C Councillor is known to have advised the BV/NDC that Gonsalves and McKenzie Polders were owned by the Council and the current Transports were false documents, the result of pass underhand deals. His knowledge on the issue he has repeatedly said is based on information he acquired from the Attorney General (Chambers).
In the wake of Jagdeo’s visit others from the PPP/C came bearing gifts. The result of these visits are promises of uncoordinated piecemeal assistance which clearly have the potential to back fire against the proposed benefactors and the community as a whole. Imagine a Minister of Government turns up to meet with residents and it was only the Minister’s ideas were tabled. The people from the community were treated like sponges that absorb what the one from high came to deliver. It is clear that we are seeing a top-down approach in these interactions without a clear understanding of the needs of the community – a sign of a disaster in waiting. In closing it is necessary to ask that the personnel from the AG Chambers that were instructed to do the investigation by the General Secretary about the land use issues on the approaches to the BV/Triumph Seawalls take action to have these issues resolved to the benefit of the community in a timely manner.
Yours Truly
Elton McRae
Resident
BV/Triumph