By: Precious Mills
BASSETERRE, St.Kitts– “Enough is enough!”
So expressed Pastor Cyprian Williams of the New Birth Gospel Tabernacle in sending a message to the government while speaking before local reporters and church goers at a press conference held on Sunday 29th October -at a second temporary land space located on the border region linking the communities of Cayon and Key’s- in light of the ongoing controversial land allocation matter.
The government has asked for an extension of time to process all documents following a seven-month waiting period on the church’s part, to have the matter resolved in relation to that promised land in Cunningham Estate, Cayon.
As a result, the church has responded and is willing to wait until the end of this month (30th November).
Complaints put forward by the church, amidst the issue, include a price tag of $32,674.10 to be paid to the St.Kitts Electricity Company (SKELEC) to put necessary infrastructure in place as well as a hazardous high tension pole that needs to be looked at.
Also, the church is claiming to have so far we have amassed a total of $52,000 this year so far having occupied land space between the period March and October – relating to land lease payment among other expenses- and wants that the lump sum to be taken up by the government.
According to Williams: “Any amount of money that we paid in our displacement, the cost of that should be borne by the government. It is the government’s responsibility because we did not ask them to move us. They are the one who did it through the planning department and they have to bear that cost.”
Worship sessions at the present temporary land space began in March this year. The first spot, where a tent pitched for church sessions, was in Cabbage Tree (Cayon) close to the old church site- across the road from the Cayon Community Centre.
Notably, Williams, who silently protested outside Government Headquarters on Church Street, earlier this year in March, is prepared to take to the streets in protest once with other church members this time around.
“We are really praying and asking that those in authorities, especially the government-the solicitor general, the attorney general and all those to bear in mind that New Birth Gospel Tabernacle has already suffered enough, up to day! Enough is enough! We have been patient, we have been waiting, we have been praying but yet it’s coming to a point where, my God, that it seems as though if we don’t do something [nothing will happen] and I am not insisting because I know how the Government felt when I went to Church Street. If this has to come to the point it’s going to be close to 600,700 plus would be coming down to Church Street because this is not good! This is not good; I do not want that to happen but this is overbearing now!” he further stated.
As understood, in October this year, the church received a letter from the government in response to concerns over the waiting period whereby an extension of time was requested.
Williams pointed out that he has no problem waiting some more and gave his reasons.
“We, and within my own self, I don’t have a problem in giving the government more time.”
He then informed that “we have directed [our] attorneys because we’ve looked at the land, looked at the area and in careful examination we realise that there are several things are happening.”
Williams then shared such details, pointing to three specific areas, which he disclosed is not in the letter sent to the government.
According to him, a high tension post that is conflicting where the bound is and he has suggested that the land be taken just a little further away from the post or move that post.
Secondly, Williams highlighted that a 30- feet access road that should have been cleared off as part of the plan has not been done.
Additionally, he said that the church is waiting on government to give the land title “and all these things” for the architect to start the process of designing the lot.
“The building process would take couple months and we are asking them if they can provide the topography layout so that the architect can start the process of designing the lot so that there will be no delay for us for the extension of the month they’ve asked for …bearing in mind that in December, people don’t really be thinking work in St.Kitts so it means that we’re looking at January or February. That is pushing us further and further back.”
Williams is of the opinion that the matter could have been resolved in a quicker timeframe.
“The land belongs to the government and it’s very easy to get this one thing done because why I’m saying this. From the letter that we sent them in October in no time the land was cleared. In no time these things were done it means in a week this thing could have been over and why we had to wait seven months. This is not just hurting the people of God, this is hurting God! This is the house of God!”
In providing an overview of the matter, Pastor Orville Liddie said the church was located a lots 19 and 97 at the Cabbage Tree Housing Development and had been there for over 17 years.
He outlined that in July 2016, the church started relocating from that lot as to begin the process of constructing a new sanctuary and was going to start that November. However, a letter received from the building on 30th October, dated October 19th, informing that the church did not have any more permission to build on those lots that belonged to the church.
“So we were instructed by our lawyers to cease on the 1st of November. So it’s been a year since we gotten the letter and it’s almost a year since we’ve halted construction on the new building. All of know that from since then we’ve been in negotiation with the government through our lawyers as what to do.”
Liddie went on to say that another letter issued a letter from the government on 2nd March this year indicated that the church was allocated an acre of land and that the details would be worked out later.
“It has been seven months from that date when we realised little or nothing was being said or done about that area of land. So we took it upon ourselves and informed the lawyer that we were going to write again to the government and the Attorney General, the Prime Minister and the representative for this area and solicitor general, letting them know that it has amassed a time span of seven months from the date we were given the letter that we want to know what is going on. We also gave them a scheduled time date of when we would like to see some things get done.”
Liddie said the church indicated that it would have liked to get such things done by Friday 13th October.
“We did not get a response officially however the lawyers got copied a letter from the government letting us know that the process had already started where we saw the promised land had been pushed and cleared off.”
He added: “However, we got a letter last week dated 20th October informing us that the land had been cleared and they were asking for some time to process all the documents and right now we are waiting for the land to be registered in our name so we can resume our constructions. However, before (that), we have to do new plans and it should be a totally different building; it’s a bigger land so we could spread out a little bit.”