By Vernon Daley,
Staff Reporter
AT LEAST three organisations are planning to fight the University of the West Indies (UWI) in court to stop it from giving up land to accommodate squatters from Mona Commons, St. Andrew.
The Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre, which caters to the disabled, is preparing to file a court injunction to stop the university from going ahead. The Elletson Flats Citizens Association and the West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT), which represents university lecturers, have secured the services of well-known constitutional lawyer, Dr. Lloyd Barnett to provide legal advice, a source told The Gleaner.
The two groups which have both strongly opposed the relocation are to hold a joint meeting on Wednesday where they will also map out a legal plan of action to challenge the resettlement proposal.
"All the stakeholders will be involved with the court action," said the source last Friday.
Removing the squatters from in front of the University Hospital to the proposed site, which sits adjacent to the rehab centre, would pose a serious security problem for the disabled patients, said Major General Robert Neish, chairman of the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre.
"If the squatters are causing a problem where they are...then moving them from near one hospital and putting them in front of another, which accommodates physically disabled persons, is an inappropriate move," he said.
Two weeks ago the UWI gave approval for the use of the land to build 144 apartments and studios to accommodate some of the more than 700 squatters now living at Mona Commons. The Government has been pushing for the relocation to take place, arguing that the continued existence of the squatter community in front of the hospital could lead to the facility being decertified as a teaching institution.
The Gleaner was unable to get a comment from the principals of the WIGUT and the Elletson Flats Citizens. How-ever, it is understood that they will be trying to secure the support of the squatters in their battle with the Government.
Some of squatters have indicated they would not want to live on the UWI lands, fearing they would not be welcomed by the surrounding communities and institutions.
Some persons have also argued that the squatters have lived on the Mona Commons land for more than 40 years and as such are legally entitled to the property.
Opponents of the relocation, which include the UWI Guild of Students and the Jamaica School of Hope, have cited the security risk that the development would pose to residents of adjacent communities and students of the university as well as its impact on the environment.
They have also accused the Member of Parliament for the area, Colin Campbell, of wanting to retain the squatters in the constituency to ensure a political advantage for the governing People's National Party (PNP). Residents of Mona Commons, have traditionally voted for the PNP.
Mr. Campbell has shrugged off the charges, accusing the persons who oppose the move of being socially prejudiced.
