Angoy’s Avenue residents protest for electricity
By Leon Suseran
Several residents of Angoy’s Avenue held a picketing exercise in front of the PPP’s Freedom House in New Amsterdam on Thursday to protest what they said were broken promises of the Region Six Chairman, and President Bharrat Jagdeo.
According to one protestor, Patrick Budhie, “the Regional Chairman lied to us and also the President. They said they will give us current (electricity) starting from today [Thursday]. They told us that Monday, and when we go out to GPL today, GPL said the Prime Minister did not pass any order to give us light in Angoy’s Avenue.”
The residents had a meeting at the Regional Office on Monday with Chairman, Zulfikar Mustapha, whom they alleged had promised electricity to them the following day.
Angoy’s Avenue is a squatters’ settlement in the outskirts of New Amsterdam and has largely been an un-regularised area, owned and controlled by the New Haven Coop Society.
The Coop Society had taken the government to court a few years ago, after the latter expressed its desire to regularise it so that electricity, water and telephone lines could be taken to the homes.
Some of the protestors in front of Freedom House, Berbice, on Thursday.
The matter is still in the court. At a political meeting earlier this week in New Amsterdam, President Jagdeo had promised that the “new” PPP/C government would bring electricity to Angoy’s Avenue.
But the irate residents took to the streets on Thursday and placarded Freedom House. Another protestor, Ishmail, said, “We need to know why the President and the administration (is) lying to us…lying to Guyanese citizens throughout the country; telling us one thing and they doing another. We need a government who responsible for us as Guyanese people. They look after their rich friends alone.”
The residents added that there were some residents who received pre-paid meters and electricity. They also allege that the police “kicking” down their doors early in the morning in Angoy’s Avenue to search for illegal connections.
“We want current, and if this government don’t give we, another government will give we.”
Another resident, Lorna Hickens, noted that laptops were distributed but there was no electricity available to operate them.
“We have no current to work the laptops, so I don’t know what we will work the laptops with and the laptops are the votes they buying!”
When contacted, Mustapha said that he did meet with the residents on Monday at his office.
“The President reiterated that every house will receive (electricity) in Angoy’s Avenue, but at the same time the Coop has a matter with the court with the Ministry of Housing. The court matter is putting a little pressure on the issue.”
He said he told the residents to submit a list of names of persons who can be connected and who are currently living along an existing small power network in the area. This was done.
They took that along with a letter of recommendation to the Regional Manager of GPL in Berbice, Ayube Bacchus.
The Region Six Chairman believed that there was political mischief afoot, “because they picketed Freedom House. You suffer so long for electricity and now because two days [had elapsed after
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