GPSU building recreational facility on Thomas Lands property

The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) is in the process of building a multi-purpose recreational facility on its land at the corner of Irving Street and Thomas Lands.

The land, located opposite the Guyana Defence Force base camp Ayanganna, was the subject of a dispute in 2009 between the then Bharrat Jagdeo-led PPP/C government and the GPSU.

Shortly after it assumed power in 2015, the APNU+AFC administration said that it was moving to rescind a lease that was granted by the Jagdeo administration to Ed Ahmad in 2008 to build a 150-room hotel and casino on the land.

While Minister of State Joseph Harmon had said that the lease would be rescinded since Ahmad defaulted on agreed annual lease payments of $500,000 after the first year, former president Jagdeo claimed that the land had been given back to his government since 2009.

In addition, these exchanges did not address whether the land belongs to the government or to the GPSU.

GPSU General Secretary Kempton Alexander speaking with Stabroek News recently explained that the union is developing the land and renovating the building located there to facilitate recreational and sporting activities of its members.

“We hope to install a track around the field to facilitate jogging and to develop things such as a football field,” he said. Asked how the union was funding the developmental works, Alexander said they were using union dues and were completing the project in phases based on the availability of funds. As such he could not state when the project would be completed.