‘Cold ground was my bed last night’

Western Bureau:

On Tuesday night, Shane ‘Biggs’ Ricketts, whose house was demolished in Cooper’s Pen, Trelawny, earlier that day, could not help but reflect on Bob Marley’s hit song, Talkin Blues, in which the legendary singer declared “ cold ground was my bed last night”.

Ricketts, who lost all his belongings in the actions of a demolition crew that flattened some 20 houses using bulldozers, tractors and sledgehammers in a pre-dawn operation that started at 3 a.m., was left with nowhere to sleep.

“Last night a waa tent wha de MP (member of parliament Tova Hamilton) bring come mi sleep under…. yu caa seh cold ground was my bed last night,” said Ricketts, who described the action of the demolition crew as inhumane, immoral and illegal.

“Me lose everything inna mi house: refrigerator, television, dresser, stove, bed, washing machine, household appliances, clothes and documents,” said Ricketts. “Dem left mi pon mi face.”

With questions being raised about the legality of the action taken against the residents and the ownership of the property on which they have been living, the residents staged a protest yesterday, during which they called for the authorities to carry out a full investigation into what had taken place.

“In 2009, a man who had claimed ownership of the property had taken us to court, but the matter was not resolved because there was an issue related to the land title,” a resident told The Gleaner. “That man has since died and we know of no other owner, and we were never taken back to court.”

“Some of us are here for over 30 years; yuh have pickney that born here who are now big man and woman,” he continued. “Since we got no proper notice and believe what was done is illegal, and if that is the case, we must be compensated for what we have lost.”

Hamilton, who visited the location on Tuesday and was instrumental in getting the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) to provide the affected residents with much-needed supplies, hinted that the matter would be thoroughly investigated.

“It was private-sector led, and we’re trying to get to the bottom of it to see who initiated this,” Hamilton said. “I have already reached out to the prime minister (Dr Andrew Holness) to see how best we can have the Government try to resolve the issue on behalf of the people.”

Concerning the expressed desire of some residents, including the 40 householders who escaped the demolition, to purchase the plots on which they are living, Hamilton intimated that such a route could be pursued.

“It would mean acquiring the property, it would mean getting the people regularised, but we have to also do our own investigation because I’m not sure who started this,” she said.

Regarding any immediate action to assist the persons who are now homeless, Hamilton suggested that they make arrangements with relatives who might be able to accommodate them.

“We can’t do anything in the short term to assist, but I know that I will ensure that we resolve this land issue once and for all, because the people can’t live like this,” she said, having earlier described what had taken place in a social media post as “inhumane, unacceptable and deeply distressing”.

“This is impossible, and there have been people living on this land for more than 60 years, before I was born, so we need to resolve it once and for all,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Government, through ODPEM, is coordinating humanitarian and social support for the affected residents, as several government agencies have been deployed to assess their needs and provide immediate assistance.

In a media release, ODPEM said it has provided 40 family-size tents, cots, foam pads, solar lights, care packages, cases of bottled water and sanitary products to the residents.

“The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) has also dispatched officers to the community to assess the circumstances of affected children and families. CPFSA officers remain in the field as the assessment continues and will determine what interventions may be required within the agency’s mandate,” ODPEM stated.

“Additionally, the Poor Relief Department of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, along with the Social Development Commission, will undertake further assessments of affected residents and households. Assistance will be provided through the applicable government programmes and support frameworks.”

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com