Mom/children sleep in different homes; belongings stored in three separate houses

One of the house the family seeks shelter

On Tuesday last, Oliver Anton a father of three children all below the ages of ten was killed on the spot in the Guyana National Stadium Providence where he along with others were installing poles to mount CCTVs for the Government’s Safe City Project.

Anton and a 17 year old were killed while two others were injured as the metal pole they were planting came into contact with a live high tension wire manned by the Guyana Power and Light.

Electrocuted: Oliver Anton

On Sunday BIG Smith Crime Watch visited a home at lot 661 Cummings Street, Buxton, East Coast Demerara, of the three places the now dead man, his wife and five children would usually seek lodging.

30 year old Wendetta Anton the widow of Oliver Anton told BIG Smith Crime Watch that she and her now dead husband were married for more than six years but shared a relationship prior, they have five children together with the eldest being a special needs child.

Where we met the woman and her children is not the house they call home, in fact, they have no place that they call home as they have been staying at relative for some time.

The woman explained BIG Smith Crime Watch that their clothing and other bits of belongings are stored at three separate houses in the community and at nights, after the children are finish being put to bed at one house, she and her now dead husband would go over to one of the other two places to rest their heads.

“We staying here because we don’t have anywhere to live, our stuff is at three different locations and this is where my mom lives and me and kids are here for now, at time when we finish putting the children to sleep we will go at a house further up the street and sleep, all three of the houses are right in this same area” the woman who turned a widow on Tuesday, told BIG Smith Crime this morning.

Also on Sunday, Minister of Youth Affairs Simona Broomes and some close friends of her visited the home of the woman where they related to the minister, the plight that they have been going through over the year.

Youth Minister Simona Broomes sits with the Mrs. Anton and her children

Moved by the details, Minster Broomes immediately made a few calls to ensure that a process is initiated to assist the family with the offsetting of their funeral expenses even as she and her friends also contributed on the spot to the initiative.

Brooms in her interaction with the family Minister Broomes was told that the employer of Oliver Anton offered the family $150,000 as a form of assistance for his death.

Contacted, the businessman who said he owes the now dead man no money indicated that the man was only working with him for a period of three weeks and that he was also advised by his lawyer that he owes the family of the nothing.

Further as it relates to the monies which he offered to assist the family with, the family has not yet agreed to accept the funds as they feel it is tremendously insufficient to assist the widow in burying her husband and caring for her five children alone, going forward.

The businessman indicated that he was also advised that he should not venture into Buxton to meet the family and as such invited the grieving woman to his place, when they woman’s relative protested against that request the man then suggested a mutual; meeting place.

It was also on Wednesday that both the businessman who Oliver worked with as well as the other businessman who contracted Oliver’s businessman were summoned to a meeting at the Department of Labour after they reportedly failed to report the incident on Tuesday.

Mr and Mrs Anton with two of their children in happier times

The Department of Labour only learnt of the development through the press. Further to that, questions have since been raised as to why an official at the department entertained a conversation with the employers about financial assistance to the families of the dead and injured with the relatives of those persons being present.