Non-Anegadians secretly acquired lands while ancestral residents wait
Generations of Anegadians have struggled to get titles to their ancestral lands. But according to former Anegada Land Development Advisory Committee Chairman Darrell Ruan Jr, a number of non-Anegadians have managed to acquire land on the island.
Land ownership has been a longstanding and deeply contentious issue on Anegada. For decades, residents have been unable to obtain legal title to lands their families have occupied for generations.
During a recent appearance on the Honestly Speaking radio programme, host Claude Skelton Cline asked Ruan directly: “So there are people in government… who are non-Anegadians, but have received Anegada lands through this process?”
“Yes sir,” Ruan responded. He said that for decades, Anegadians have questioned how persons without ties to Anegada were able to obtain land, leases or even expired leases. He added that some of those persons have even served in government, adding that companies in the financial services industry have been used to hide the identities of the non-Anegadian landowners.
“If you now want to hide who you are, you could put it in a company, and unless you’ve got an insider to track, you would never know who owns Company XYZ,” Ruan claimed. But he emphasised that the cases he was discussing predate the current elected leadership and said he could not confirm whether the practice continues today.
“We noticed this pattern in the past. We ain’t saying it happening now, but put systems are in place that this pattern won’t ever happen again,” Ruan said.
According to Ruan, the process involves several layers of government. Documents can move through the ministry, the Permanent Secretary and Attorney General’s Chambers before reaching Cabinet and ultimately the Governor for final sign-off.
Ruan did not identify the individuals or companies he was referring to. He said the committee’s concern was not about punishing people over past decisions, but putting safeguards in place to prevent questionable land allocations from happening again.
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if he’s implying they fraudulently received land from the programme the gov can easily acquire the beneficiaries, trustees of the trust. anegadians not having deeds to lands they occupied for generation(s) isnt the same as those that got land from the programme. Lets not praise the gov as giving this land from the kindness of their hearts it was to push their plan of commercializing Anegada.
I agree with you 1000%! At this point this man either looking attention or he’s actually telling the truth! Either way, an audit should be done and made public! How long these people waiting on this land so?
It really looking like a cover-up and the government hindering Anegadians from getting their deeds.
I used to follow this story from this guy, but i realized he will come to the media then he will get some hush money and when he seems to need something he then pops back up, and for Ms. Lorna who he is now praising, I personally heard her say from her own lips that that land situation will never be sorted because of the greedy Anegada people.
You could say many things about Wow but NEVER THAT! My cousin is no thief and no sellout! This man sacrifice more for us than anyone! That whole committee ain’t get paid mustless hush money! Stop staining this man character over things you don’t know!
You need to start asking why the government don’t investigate who get this land! It’s because people high in government is who get the land under the table!
You are selling the land for big money. The records are public.
Stop while your ahead. This young man is speaking the absolute truth!
then he should go to the governor not the talk shows to get those that fraudulently obtained crown land investigated.
Being free for all is the problem this will never get fix.
The Gentleman Is Speaking Plain Truth And Its Not Just Happening In Anegada. They Will Come Hold Meetings With Residents And Tell Them That The Average Citizen If At All Maybe Entitled To Purchasing One Piece Of Crown Lands When People In Government At The Highest Level Got Three And Four Pieces. Let Anyone Do An Investigation Or Call for Another COI, Then It Will Be Exposed.
ALSO, there have been many Non-Belonger Land Holding Licence Application approved in Anegada taking up prime land, while generations of Anegadians are waiting DECADES for their family land deeds. This is an outrage!!!