A release from the PUP today concludes that the cutting down of the mangroves, and the filling of land will neutralize the work of the Southside Poverty Alleviation Project. They are asking community based, nongovernmental organizations and civil society to request that the Area Representative demand that the Minister of Natural Resources cancel the sale. Now that’s a tall order; there’s lots of fill already in the ground but Carolyn Trench Sandiford, the PUP standard bearer amplified those comments today.
Carolyn Trench-Sandiford, PUP Chairman
“How can you issue land, 9.6 acres of land to one man when there are so many families who want land and secondly, how can you disrespect and insult the people by giving out land in their lagoon which is very important to relieving flooding, not only in Collet but in Port Loyola and Lake Independence.”
Keith Swift,
“The Area Representative says you should be the last one talking since in the months leading up to the 2008 election, you were giving out land in the area haphazardly.”
Carolyn Trench-Sandiford,
“The Minister has a serious problem. It is sad to say he has a serious problem. You know what he reminds me of, there was a person who emailed Krem Radio and they were telling the City Council that everytime you speak, you speak of the previous administration but you were the previous administration. The Minister who is the Minister of Education was the Area Representative from 2003 to 2008. I started working in the Collet constituency in 2006. When I went to the Antelope Street Extension area you found a lot of challenges Keith. You people who were squatting, we call it squatting I call it you capture your piece of land.
I went behind there and I saw the challenges people were facing but because of my technical qualifications what was the problem. When you speak to the people they would say they go to the Area Rep. and they cannot find him because his office was always closed. They would go to ACC to try to find him, he was busy. They had nowhere to turn and so they turned to me. From a human being perspective I could not sit down and allow those people to continue to live like that so I went and I organized to get the survey done, I went and I brought the Minister in and that was a public ceremony and I make no apologies for that. I ensured that 181 people get lots. But those people were already living on those lots.”
Keith Swift,
“But do you accept responsibilities for what you did in the run up to elections, giving away these leases, some of which are invalid?”
Carolyn Trench-Sandiford,
“Back up, which leases is invalid?”
Keith Swift,
“Some of the leases given.”
Carolyn Trench-Sandiford,
“Why were they invalid? You made a statement that the leases are invalid. Why are they invalid? Do your research Keith. Those leases, how can they be invalid? The Minister signed valid lease applications. Those applications were done by the individuals in the area based on a survey. If you go and check all the applications that were done, all those people signed, the principal surveyor signed off on the entry, they made their application to the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Minister in an official Ministry of Natural Resources letter, what more official can you get, signed off and said your application to lease has been approved. Now the problem arises, and let me say this very clear, the problem arises because the Area Representative is going around telling people their lease approvals are bogus and that is not so. It cannot be bogus. How can a lease approval that you get from the Minister be bogus?
So you see what’s happening here, you have people with valid lease letter approvals can’t get their certificates but a Jack Charles could come in and get 9.6 acres without even getting recommendation if you go according to the Minister. That is an injustice to the people of Collet. So don’t say it is bogus, don’t follow the Minister, the Minister is leading you astray.”
Keith Swift,
“What is so different about Jack Charles getting this nine acres when other people were previously granted land under the PUP?”
Carolyn Trench-Sandiford,
“What has happened before has happened before. I cannot be held accountable for that but what I can say about the time I worked in the community is that the government cancelled leases that were in that area, they declared it a public reserve, I’ve provided you with the law under which they declared it and basically they recognised the importance of that particular lagoon and the functionality. There are many other uses, it could have created employment, it could have been for leisure but it has to be planned and coordinated and organized and that is what the government ought to be doing right now.
In fact that is what the Area Representative should be doing. Instead of discrediting and threatening people, work with the community based organizations in your community because they are all there. Well I am assuming he is there for the benefit of Collet but when you look for example, if you want to look at the Collet constituency and you look at the individual, he is not even a voter in Collet and who is to say that if he does a factory or anything that he is going to employ people from the south side. So that is what the Area Representative needs to look at and if that person is going to get that land for that factory then there must be some concessions under which he does it but let me say that we are asking clearly that it remains as a reserve.”
