Welcome to Bahamas Local, Your Bahamas Online Search Engine

Elsworth Johnson blasts United Nations' attack on shanty town demolition strategy

Mon, May 10th 2021, 08:19 AM
Disputes Politics Tribune Stories

IMMIGRATION Minister Elsworth Johnson emphasised the sovereignty of The Bahamas while accusing the United Nations of lacking balance after the organisation assailed government plans to demolish dozens of homes in The Farm shanty town in Abaco.

#In a statement released on Friday, the UN said the planned evictions and demolitions are a “serious violation of the human right to adequate housing” and will likely result in increased homelessness and extreme poverty.
#In 2018, the Supreme Court granted an injunction protecting shanty town homes in New Providence from destruction pending the outcome of a judicial review challenge over the matter. Government officials, however, have said homes in The Farm and elsewhere are not subject to that injunction.
#Mr Johnson said: “The laws that are being enforced have international credence in that every country in which you go into, including European countries, there’s a standard by which we all agree that structures have to be built and they have to be fit for human habitation, especially in Third World countries where we are constantly wrestling with our physical establishments in terms of the way how we have to deal with these things. I hear nothing being said about the ongoing construction and nothing being said to those who have the intention to build in this country.
#“We see in Andros, Bahamians are now going and deciding that they are going to clean their own pieces of property because they’re saying that others are coming into the territory and doing as they like. We are a country of laws. We are a sovereign country and so as a country we have determined in accordance with international norms as it relates to which obviously affect women, girls, boys and men that this is how things are to be done and nobody has yet said that our laws and regulations that govern building regulations in The Bahamas fall afoul of international standards.”
#The fact that shanty town structures do not adhere to building code regulations is one reason the government has given for demolishing the structures.
#Mr Johnson said the international community should take an holistic approach to the matter, adding: “In large part, persons who are building, who have built and who intend to build, a lot of them don’t really want to be in The Bahamas and there are some historical injustices that have been done, especially to Haiti that I think the international community may want to consider and see how we can right the ship in a country that we all love and respect.
#“We cannot allow unregulated building anymore. I live in a community where I see unregulated building and I know the harsh realities that are existent in those communities where social services are not readily available and people build.”
#The UN’s statement is among the harshest it has written about The Bahamas. Mr Johnson said he is not surprised.

In a statement released on Friday, the UN said the planned evictions and demolitions are a “serious violation of the human right to adequate housing” and will likely result in increased homelessness and extreme poverty.

In 2018, the Supreme Court granted an injunction protecting shanty town homes in New Providence from destruction pending the outcome of a judicial review challenge over the matter. Government officials, however, have said homes in The Farm and elsewhere are not subject to that injunction.

Mr Johnson said: “The laws that are being enforced have international credence in that every country in which you go into, including European countries, there’s a standard by which we all agree that structures have to be built and they have to be fit for human habitation, especially in Third World countries where we are constantly wrestling with our physical establishments in terms of the way how we have to deal with these things. I hear nothing being said about the ongoing construction and nothing being said to those who have the intention to build in this country.

“We see in Andros, Bahamians are now going and deciding that they are going to clean their own pieces of property because they’re saying that others are coming into the territory and doing as they like. We are a country of laws. We are a sovereign country and so as a country we have determined in accordance with international norms as it relates to which obviously affect women, girls, boys and men that this is how things are to be done and nobody has yet said that our laws and regulations that govern building regulations in The Bahamas fall afoul of international standards.”

The fact that shanty town structures do not adhere to building code regulations is one reason the government has given for demolishing the structures.

Mr Johnson said the international community should take an holistic approach to the matter, adding: “In large part, persons who are building, who have built and who intend to build, a lot of them don’t really want to be in The Bahamas and there are some historical injustices that have been done, especially to Haiti that I think the international community may want to consider and see how we can right the ship in a country that we all love and respect.

“We cannot allow unregulated building anymore. I live in a community where I see unregulated building and I know the harsh realities that are existent in those communities where social services are not readily available and people build.”

The UN’s statement is among the harshest it has written about The Bahamas. Mr Johnson said he is not surprised.

Click here to read more at The Tribune

 Sponsored Ads