With only five days left before they are possibly forced off their property, scores of Bozine Town residents picketed in front of the Cabinet office on Tuesday, to plead for the Government’s intervention.
On Feb. 28, Bozine Town residents would have exhausted all extensions granted to them by Attorney General Alfred Sears, to remain on properties along Harrold Road and Knowles Drive. Residents were also reportedly told that after this date, a gate would be erected to keep them out of the area.
The contentious Bozine land dispute is between residents of the area and Harrold Road Land Development Company Ltd. [LANDCO]. The company is claming ownership of the property along Harold Road to include Bozine Town and Knowles Drive. The dispute peaked last Oct. 16 when residents were served a letter from LANDCO, instructing them to leave within a two-week; pay the company for land; or face legal action.
LANDCO said its position is justified as it had been granted a certificate of title to the land by the Supreme Court of The Bahamas. Residents were granted several extensions by Attorney General Alfred Sears, to remain on the land until an investigation was conducted and the matter was resolved.
The latest extension expires on Feb. 28. However the matter is still not resolved, hence Tuesday’s fiery protest. Holding placards reading “Is purchasing land safe anymore?” and “Is the government looking out for me?” some 100 residents marched along Rawson Square chanting “We want justice now!” Throughout the protest, one Bozine Town resident stood at the entrance of the Churchill Building and handed out sealed envelopes containing letters that outlined their dilemma.
Chairperson of the Bozine Town Steering Committee, Adell Huyler-Gay, charged that the government should be sensitive to the plight of residents and must intervene before Feb. 28, as residents had nowhere to go. She pointed out that some residents have resided in Bozine Town for more than 30 years and have already paid for their properties.
Mrs Gay pointed out that 80 per cent of the people living in Bozine Town have recorded titles, and if LANDCO also claims to hold a title to the land, there must be some “loophole” in the system that needs to be corrected.
“We expect for this issue to be resolved today. We elected the government and they should respond to the people,” she said.
Mrs Gay said the Attorney General has taken too long to carry out an investigation and there has been silence on the matter for the past three months. She also claimed that Mr Sears did not return any calls to the lawyer contracted to represent the residents. LANDCO is being represented by attorney Wayne Munroe and Milton Evans represents the residents.
Some 30 minutes into the protest, Prime Minister Perry Christie arrived to attend Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, and was quickly cornered by Mrs Gay and other residents. Mr Christie said he understands the plight of Bozine Town residents, but his government does not “desert” people.
“I am not easily distracted, I take criticism very well, but I do not desert people who are in the position that you are in, and whether it is one day or six days [left], I do not abandon people,” Mr Christie assured.
The Prime Minister claimed that Tuesday was his first opportunity to address Bozine Town residents and noted that if he were in the same position, he would also be angry and concerned. He said Attorney General Alfred Sears had been asked to take certain actions to determine the legal position of residents, and one of LANDCO’s lawyers, Elliot Lockhart, had been asked to give the government the opportunity to “assess” the situation. Mr Christie claimed that legal opinions were also being sought from Lawyers in The Bahamas and abroad, to find a possible solution to the problem.
“We obviously have a situation that is not a healthy situation where people who regard the premises as theirs, have suddenly been confronted with people saying that they don’t own it and in many instances, these people have paid for it [their property] so I understand this,” he said.
The Prime Minister said because the matter involves the courts, the government will not interfere with the “process,” but will hopefully find a solution to the problems faced by Bozine Town residents in the “final analysis.” He also informed that he held a meeting with Attorney General Sears on Monday and Mr Sears was expected to address Cabinet on the possible options that were available to residents.
In response to the Prime Ministers assurances, Mrs Gay said residents will hold Mr Christie to his words, but also expressed that he should have taken the opportunity to walk over to Rawson Square and address all residents “face to face.”
Blue Hills Member of Parliament, Leslie Miller, claimed that government officials met with the lawyers of LANDCO on Monday, to arrive at some solution. He said the government is firstly attempting to get the land surveyed to determine exactly where houses were located. Once this is done, the government will consider several options, which will include: acquiring all of the land in Bozine Town or obtaining soft loans from the Mortgage Corporation, to have residents pay for the land. He also claimed that the government might acquire the land in Bozine Town and Knowles Drive and offer LANDCO another piece of land elsewhere in New Providence or the Family Islands.
Mr Miller also alleged that LANDCO had no problem with the government acquiring the Bozine Town land and had expressed their intention to sit with them to work out a fair and just price.
Mr Miller said his main concern were those properties for which Bozine Town residents did not have marketable deeds and titles. He said the government would acquire these properties from the developers to give back to the people for a “small” price.
“I am having another meeting with them [LANDCO] this afternoon to see how far we can get with the Government either acquiring the land or helping you to get soft loans from the Mortgage Corporation, but no gate will be put up in Bozine Town or Knowles Drive. This will not happen,” he charged.
Meanwhile, Attorney General, Alfred Sears was visibly absent from Tuesday’s protest. Mrs Gay later told The Guardian via telephone that it was not until after the protest, that Mr Sears arrived in his chauffeured vehicle to attend Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.
According to Mrs Gay, the Attorney General promised to address residents at a meeting held last night at the Hill View Seventh Day Adventist church on
Tamara McKenzie, The Nassau Guardian
23 February, 2005
