Manning threatens to fire NHA Board

Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday warned that Government would fire (“take action against”) the NHA Board if the Authority did not act in accordance with the Government’s stated policy. Speaking at a post-Cabinet news conference, Manning criticised the Land Settlement Agency for allowing squatting to get out of hand and the NHA for going about the demolition “in the wrong way.” “It is not (a) legal (question);  it is a humanitarian (question). You don’t just come in the dead of the night and break down people’s houses. That could never be right,” he said.

Manning stressed that while Government’s policy was not to encourage squatting, the policy of caring which dominated the PNM’s election campaign had to be reflected in governmental actions, and in the actions of all agencies acting on its behalf. Conceding that the NHA got legal advice before it  demolished the squatters’ homes, the Prime Minister said it was absolutely necessary for the NHA to reconcile that advice with Government’s policy. Asked whether Government’s policy explicitly stated that squatters must receive notice, Manning stated that one didn’t have to put that in a policy statement.

Denying that he was undermining the authority of the Minister of Housing and the NHA,  Manning said the Prime Minister had a responsibility to ensure that in the conduct of its affairs, Government demonstrates that philosophy. “The Prime Minister is quite in order to point out that the agency erred,” he said. Asked why he didn’t take this position with all the other demolitions (at Wallerfield and Cashew Gardens), Manning stated that the difference was that in this case no notice was given to the squatters at Union Hall. Told that Garcia had stated that notice was given, Manning asked sarcastically: “When? In 2001?...You give a notice in 2001 and you come in 2004 and demolish. Now tell me, is that equitable?” Manning denied that  his statements and action (of giving food and shelter to the squatters) had emboldened squatters all over the country.

In an obvious reference to statements from executive director Noel Garcia — that while NHA had no mandate to relocate squatters it was willing to help if asked, Manning stated: “It is not for the Prime Minister to ask for anything, the NHA has a responsibility to tell the Prime Minister and the Government what they propose to do in circumstances where the Prime Minister has publicly made it clear that he objected to the way that they conducted their affairs.” Stating that the NHA must now tell the country how it proposes to carry out Government’s policy, Manning said if the Authority failed to act “properly,” Government would take action against it. Asked if he had told the Minister of Housing about this, Manning said the Minister of Housing was present at last week’s Cabinet meeting when the issue was discussed.