By Vernon Daley,
Staff Reporter
LECTURERS AT the Mona Campus of the UWI have objected strongly to Government's plan to relocate squatters from the nearby Mona Commons community to adjacent lands owned by the university.
The lecturers, who were yesterday summoned to an emergency meeting by their union, West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT), voiced strong concerns about the planned development, arguing that it was likely to create major social and security problems for the campus.
"WIGUT Jamaica strongly opposes the proposed relocation. A development of the kind proposed is inimical to the future of the university and to its regional and other commitments," said a draft statement approved by the more than 50 lecturers who attended the meeting at the UWI's Senior Common Room.
It turned out to be a stormy meeting. Some lecturers charged that the Government was intent on having the development on the Mona lands to ensure that the residents who have traditionally voted for the ruling People's National Party would continue to live in the St. Andrew East constituency. They say other more suitable lands could be identified outside of the area.
"It's about them using public lands to make houses to give to members of their party," said John Maxwell, journalist and lecturer at the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communications.
He added that opposition to the relocation was a matter that had to do with principles of sustainable development and had nothing to do with whether persons in the university community liked or disliked the residents of Mona Commons.
However, yesterday, Colin Campbell, Member of Parliament for the area, dismissed suggestions that the relocation plan was motivated by politics.
"If you are going to relocate a community, you have to find somewhere that is proximate to where the people live, earn their living, and where their kids go to school," he said.
Monica Taylor, president of WIGUT, told The Gleaner that yesterday's meeting was called because the group recently received official information from the University Finance and General Purposes Committee about plans to give up for the project, 3.2 acres of UWI lands which sit near the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre. She said the plans to build one-bedroom housing for the over 300 residents to be relocated, was a recipe for the creation of a slum.
The relocation of the community forms part of Government's Relocation 2000 project, which is being spearheaded by the National Housing Trust. It involves the relocation of three squatter communities -- Mona Commons which is opposite to the University Hospital; Seville, St. Ann; and Railway Lane and Barracks Road, St. James.
Mr. Campbell, however, suggested that opposition to relocation was really influenced by prejudice.
"I do not accept that because Mona Common people are poor people you have to put them in the bush and hide them," he said.
Residents of the middle-income community of Elletson Flats, located near the proposed development are also against the plans. Heather Little, president of the citizens' association, told The Gleaner yesterday that she would be calling a meeting of her association today to renew their calls to stop the plan.
"We are prepared to fight hands and gloves against this," she said.
