Mr Miller was the guest speaker on the popular Island FM radio talk show ‘Parliament Street’ hosted by attorneys Anthony Delaney and Fayne Thompson.
“Not one single resident in Bozine Town will be displaced from the home that they now occupy. Not one single resident of Bozine Town will be replaced,” he stressed sternly.
But questioned as to how the government will be able to achieve this as LANDCO has produced a certificate of title, Mr Miller responded that there is always an avenue for appeal of any decision that was made by any of the courts in the country. And although admitting that that avenue has not been explored yet, the minister insisted that no resident will be displaced.
Without wavering or tripping over his words, Minister Miller said, “The government will do whatever is necessary to see to it that the residents of Bozine Town maintains their property, even if it means us acquiring the land in Bozine Town for and on behalf the residents of that community.”
Attorney Delaney pushed to obtain a straightforward answer as to whether the government was willing to pay for the land.
“The government is prepared to do whatever is necessary to enhance the welfare and to see to it that those persons who live in Bozine Town are secured. That is what the government is prepared to,” Minister Miller responded.
The land dispute came to a head last October when residents were served a letter from LANDCO instructing them to either leave within two-weeks, pay the company for land or face legal action.
LANDCO was granted a certificate of title to the land by the Supreme Court. Battling to keep their land and remain in their homes, the residents were granted several extensions to stay on the property until an investigation was conducted and the matter resolved.
The last 30-day extension was granted in late February, however. Backed by Minister Miller, the residents have gone so far as to ask the government to purchase the land for them. But, a decision has not been made.
Some residents have lived in Bozine Town for more than 30 years and claim that they have already paid for their properties.
A Bozine Town resident who spoke to the Guardian on the condition of anonymity on Sunday said residents are waiting for the government to intervene and will continue to hold Prime Minister Perry Chrisite to his promise made during the protest held more than two weeks ago.
“We are waiting on the government’s intervention. If that doesn’t work we assume that our attorney would have to take legal action. We were given a 30-day extension until April 30, while the Attorney General’s Office continue its investigation and we are just hoping and praying for the best and hoping that peace will prevail.
“We know that God is on our side and we would be vindicated because the situation you have here is not the situation of squatters rights. Eighty per cent of residents in Bozine Town have land papers or deeds that have been stamped by the Supreme Court of The Bahamas; because of that you would have second, third, fourth generation building houses by way of mortgages,” the female resident said.
She pointed to one instance where a second generation resident built her home through the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation. Therefore, she said, this situation has a lot of implications for the banks as well.
“Basically we want the public to know that we will continue to fight and we shall not be moved,” the resident said.
By: KEVA LIGHTBOURNE, The Nassau Guardian
