COMMENTARY: Why should Antiguans and Barbudans vote for the right to keep their own property?

WHY SHOULD ANTIGUANS AND BARBUDANS VOTE FOR THE RIGHT TO KEEP THEIR OWN PROPERTY?

By Yves Ephraim 

I just started reading the first few chapters of volume I of Agnes Meeker’s book entitled: “Plantations of Antigua”.

I found the book quite compelling reading and very enlightening so far.

Ms Meeker has done a great job in punching a hole into the past that allowed me to peep objectively into a very unflattering epoch of this country’s existence.

I was particularly struck by the statement in her book that:

“The chief desire of the newly emancipated people was to own a portion of land ‘in perpetuity’, but this proved to be extremely difficult”

That statement resonated with me, immediately and confirmed what I always knew to be true.

This resonated with me, precisely because having a “place” of your own is a fundamental desire of most human beings.

A “place” is land. 

Since your home does not levitate, is must be built on land.

Land ownership is foundational to survival and is absolutely required for economic success. 

Let us not forget that our fertile lands were the basis for the wealth that was generated by the sugar industry, made possible by slave labour.

Land, from an economics perspective, is one of the four factors of economic production; with capital, labour and entrepreneurship being the other three.

Access to land is perhaps the most important factor, without which, it is virtually impossible for you to live, work, do business or to even thrive.

This is why, throughout the ages land ownership has been so important.

Wars have been and continue to be fought over land ownership, either between nations, families or individuals.

During the feudal system, the king owned all lands and this gave the king power over everything and everybody.

In a democracy like ours, our constitution is influenced by a political philosophy which promotes the concept of a “free society”.  

And a free society is one where there is rule of law and the government is constrained from violating basic individual freedoms.  

At the heart of a free society is the understanding that this primordial desire of humans towards property ownership is sacrosanct.

Land and individual freedoms are inextricably linked.

If you do not have access to land, then you become homeless and subject to unimaginable abuse; the police can manhandle you and force you from idling or being an obstruction in public places when trying to find a place to rest.

However, going back to Ms Meeker’s statement, it would seem that in Antigua and Barbuda’s early days of emancipation, owning land on an individual basis was “extremely difficult”.

Fast forward to 2026, how less difficult has land ownership been for you as a descendent of former slaves?

Since 1981, why did we not see a deliberate effort by our government to ensure that the vast majority of Antiguan and Barbudan citizens were empowered with their own plot of land? 

And I am not talking about the ever recurring suggestion of land ownership at election time.

By my calculation, the landmass of Antigua alone comprises about 3.0 billion square feet. 

If each citizen of our 100,000 population were given a 5000 square-foot plot of land, this will require only 0.5 billion square feet in total, leaving 2.5 billion square feet.

I have not been able to verify this but I suspect that the total lands comprising the Syndicate Lands, would have been more than 0.5 billion square feet. You are free to correct me.

In 2026, I find it appalling that our government has been grappling with providing low income housing when it had the opportunity from the start of our independence to have empowered our citizens with land grants. 

We know of some land grants but unfortunately, they were limited to cronies at “concessionary” rates.

I would proffer that had you, as an Antiguan and Barbudan been granted a plot of land in 1981 or shortly thereafter, you would have little need to be looking for affordable housing today. 

Granting lands to ordinary citizens would be fair, seeing that you or your parents would have contributed as a taxpayer in paying off for the loan to acquire the Syndicate Lands.

I am particularly perturbed with recent actions by our government to deprive private owners of their property, all under the pretext of low income housing, by violating our inherent human ‘desire’ to have sovereignty over our own private property.

Our government’s wanton disregard for the value of the acquired Syndicate Lands, we purchased, resulted in squander: the land was doled out copiously and indiscriminately to foreign investors as if it was an infinite resource.

Now, as a result of this irresponsible management of the people’s land resource, the government has resorted to huffing lands from private citizens who paid their dues and taxes to acquire. 

How can this be right or just?

Is this act of government not a violation of your personal freedom? 

In fact, in every instance, we can safely assert that government’s overreach has always been the greatest threat to our freedoms, whether through the legalization of slavery or through the confiscation of our private property for whimsical reasons. 

As a “free economy” advocate, I frown on any administration that thinks scantily about individual sovereignty and property rights. 

If Antigua and Barbuda is indeed a free society, one of its government’s primary function is to protect private property rights and not violate them.

The protection of property rights is quintessential for the stability and growth of any economy.

Why would you want to invest in a mortgage or business where the threat of imminent forfeiture constantly looms?

Once again we are caught up in an election cycle. 

This is the ideal time for a national discussion on the TRUE aspirations of Antiguans and Barbudans.

I would challenge all Antiguans and Barbudans to vote for an administration that vows to protect your private property rights, thus ensuring a free, stable and growing economy in which you can thrive.

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