The Tribune

DNA Leader Branville McCartney is pressuring government to follow through on its promised prosecution of shanty town landowners.

In a statement issued to the media yesterday, Mr McCartney said Bahamians tend to forget about important issues such as this one.

However, he said, the DNA does not intend to let the matter go and will continue to press until the government carries out its duty to protect the nation’s sovereignty.

“On June 13, 2013, the Minister of Environment stated that the government had commenced the issuance of notices to the owners of shantytowns and that they will continue to issue such notices,” Mr McCartney said. “Subsequently, we heard in the media that one person was served with a notice and is being defended by an FNM senator who has failed to identify this person and gave every lousy excuse in the world why his client was collecting monies from mostly illegals that were on his land.

“With the exception of the aforesaid landowner, the country has not heard anything further in regards to the prosecution of other land owners and so we in the DNA are requesting the government to inform the Bahamians as to what steps have been taken by the government regarding the prosecution of other landowners.

“Will the Department of Environmental Health enforce the law of the land in particular the Building Regulations Act and the Building Regulations Rules?”

Mr McCartney said it can be taken as a certainty that a DNA government would deal in a humane way with the eradication of shantytowns and the illegal immigration problem. Unlike this administration and former administrations, we have the political will to do it. As I have mentioned on many occasions, when I was responsible for immigration in this country, we welcome foreigners to our shores. But you must come through the proper channels,” he said.

“We as Bahamians can not go to any other country and do what these illegals are doing in our land. If the shoe was on the other foot we would be incarcerated, detained or deported as soon as possible from those other countries. Other countries do not play the same game we do.

“The DNA is of the view that the PLP government is stalling on this issue because as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration said earlier this year that these shantytown landowners are elites in our society and have their protectors. We wonder if these elites are known to the PLP.”