In bid to halt crime...
Gov't blocks bridges at Buxton/Friendship Villagers complain, neighbours relieved
By Nigel Williams
Stabroek News
January 30, 2003
The government has blocked two bridges which connect the villages of Vigilance and Annandale to Buxton/Friendship in an effort to stem months of murders, robberies, Kidnappings and beatings.
Villages such as Annandale, Vigilance and Coldingen on the East Coast of Demerara have been at the mercy of armed gangs from Buxton/Friendship and in recent weeks several villagers were killed.
But some Buxtonians condemned the move yesterday describing it as irrational. The two bridges, one at Brushe Dam which connects Friendship to Vigilance and Strathspey and the other west of Buxton which connects to Annandale have now been sealed off with steel planks and wallaba poles.
Public Relations Consultant within the Ministry of Public Works, Ajay Baksh said the Ministry acted upon a request made by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the bridges to be blocked.
Asked about the decision yesterday at his post-cabinet press briefing, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said, "the sentiments, we were quite clear in our minds would surface, as more and more stringent efforts are taken to safeguard the health, lives and property of residents in the communities surrounding Buxton."
He added that the efforts currently in place would have seen some interruption of the free flow between members of the communities and it was lamentable. "I would want to believe that reasonable people would accept that it is unavoidable. It is highly unlikely that in the name of free movement between Buxton and the neighbouring communities that the neighbouring communities, the administration and the law enforcement agencies would similarly condone the continuation of the forays of the bandits into those communities to maim and kill and rob, and indeed if restrictions were to be applied, I am quite certain that the views of the residents in the affected communities would have to be taken into consideration and their security may very well be an over-riding priority to them and for the administration," Luncheon said.
But dozens of disgruntled Buxtonians along with their village leaders yesterday protested the government's actions. And while their neighbours to the east and west were relieved over the move, some observed that blocking the bridges would not prevent the criminals from entering their villages.
"They don't always ride and come, or drive and come. Those men usually walk in and out this place," a resident of Vigilance told this newspaper.
Another resident from Annandale said he welcomed the initiative and said even if the blocking of the bridges did not stop the attacks, it would slow down the criminals. He noted that on most of the occasions when criminals operating out of Buxton invaded their village, had it not been for those bridges they could have been chased and caught. "They would now have to use a different route and if the army and police do as they should they will not come at all in this place," the man said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Foulis/Buxton Neighbourhood Democratic Council, Randolph Blair described the government's decision as, "executive lawlessness."
He told this newspaper yesterday that the NDC was not consulted on the matter which he said is a reflection of the government's high-handed way of doing things.
However, a source close to the Ministry of Public Works told Stabroek News that the construction and maintenance of all public roads come under the Works Ministry, hence the NDC need not be informed of such matters. Blair said the blocked bridge to the west of Buxton has been causing severe inconvenience to many residents who usually use that area to get out the village. Residents on that side of Buxton said that they have been living very peacefully with their neighbours over in Annandale. One woman said while she had no intention of casting any blame, she was aware of incidents where young men who live in the central parts of Buxton have attacked residents from Annandale. She said to block the bridge meant that even those persons who were law-abiding have to endure something that they were not responsible for.
The woman complained that residents who did not have standpipes in their yards were now made to fetch their drinking water over the barriers. Further she said those persons who have their livestock could no longer lead them to the pasture to feed as some of the animals found it difficult to cross the barriers. To the east of the village at Brushe Dam the situation was said to be worse. Students of Friendship Nursery School had to duck under the steel poles on their way home. Several other residents some riding on bicycles and others fetching heavy objects had to contend with the barriers.
"Right now I am fed up of this thing," a man who was seen fetching out his furniture told this newspaper.
The man said he could not live as if he was in prison and as such he was moving out.
Access roads into neighbouring villages have been ripped apart and with the now erected barriers vehicular traffic is now greatly restricted. Huge piles of old wood and shells of used cars could also be seen along the embankment. The army and police who had previously patrolled in certain sections of the village can no longer do so because of the dug up roads. At least two army patrols were seen guarding the newly erected barriers yesterday.
Residents said on Tuesday a Ministry of Public Works vehicle transported the steel planks and wallaba poles to the area.
One woman asked whether as villagers they did not have a say in what went on in their own village.
She was particularly critical of the army's role in blocking the bridge, saying that they were on "Operation Tourniquet, not Operation Guard the Bridge."
When Stabroek News visited Buxton yesterday, Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council, Region Four, Allan Munroe, Blair and two other representatives of the PNCR were in the area inspecting the barricades. In an invited comment, Munroe said he was not consulted about the government's decision and as such his council would have to meet to discuss the matter.
According to the RDC chairman, it was "clear that this thing is affecting the residents of Buxton and we would have to look at it in principle."
At Enmore residents have taken matters into their own hands blocking the old road and the embankment with boulders and the shells of old vehicles. The barricades were recently put up according to one resident upon the instructions from someone in "high authority". One resident observed that currently the army and police hardly patrolled the area and they mainly depended upon their Community Policing Group for security. Enmore has a police outpost but residents said that the ranks there were not very helpful to them.
Along the East Coast numerous persons have been attacked, beaten, robbed and killed in the last year. Yesterday was a rare day of peace for the affected villages of Bladen Hall, Coldingen, Vigilance and Annandale. Army and police ranks were seen constantly patrolling the public road keeping a watchful eye on the funeral procession of Quincy Blair who was shot and killed a week ago in Buxton by police.
