By Newman Anthony Levey in Bo
An industrious disable organization in Bo City is among several victims of a court order that led to the eviction of tenants of a building last week.
A bailiff on Thursday, August 13, executed the order, under the watch of armed police officers headed by James Musa, LUC Bo West, leaving many of the tenants in confusion.
The building, which is located along Mattru Road in Bo City, was the subject of a contention between the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation (SLRTC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, both of which claimed ownership of it. The colonial era built structure at one time housed the Office for the National Electoral Commission in the city.
The building had however been under the control of the Ministry of Agriculture since after the end of the civil war, according to sources. The sources said the Agriculture Ministry had handed it over to organizations which work in the agricultural sector.
SLRTC went to court to seek a ruling to remove the organizations from the building which it said it wanted to make use of.
According to court officials, the Ministry of Agriculture failed to turn up, leading to a ruling by Magistrate Isata Sellu Tucker of Court Number One in Bo on March 24, in favor of SLRTC.
In her ruling, Magistrate Tucker ordered that the building be cleared off its occupants.
Bailiff Duada Bangura, who supervised the eviction process, told Politico they had served the parties a summon to attend court hearing but that they never turned up, noting that they had also been served a notice about the court’s decision before the eviction.
Nabieu Kassoh, Coordinator for the National Federation of Farmers, one of the institutions that shared a space within the building, expressed disappointment over the manner in which they were asked out of it, describing it as unprofessional.
Kossoh acknowledged receipt of a copy of a letter from the court notifying them about the magistrate’s decision. He however said that the letter was sent to the relevant authorities in Freetown two months ago for necessary action.
“They could have engaged the Ministry of Agriculture and let them discuss the issue further,” Kossoh said.
According to him, there were up to 12 organizations working in the building. One of them was the disabled organization - Disable Rights Movement - which produces farm tools, which they sell to support their livelihoods.
Sudie Combay, one of the disable organization’s members, explained what happened on the day of the eviction.
”We usually come here very early to open business, but when I arrived, I saw police officers standing all over the place. I asked one of the police officers why they were here and he replied that no one should go in as the court had decided a matter. They brought street boys who took out our properties outside the building, and some have got missing, while others have been destroyed," Ms Combay lamented.
She explained that the place was given to them by the former District Agriculture Officer.
Muada Boizze, another physically challenged person, said he had worked there with the organization for over 10 years. Boizze said the court’s action has left him hopeless in life, noting that he would rather return to his village to die there, than stay in Bo to die from the effect of the “embarrassment” they have been subjected to.
“The Ministry of Agriculture gave us this place because they felt sorry for us, but for a court decision to come and send us this way, is bad. We don't want to join others in the street. We decided to enroll in some vocational institutions to learn something for our own betterment and we don't want to ever beg,” Boizze said.
Memunatu Morovia, another member of the disable organization, called on the government of Sierra Leone to intervene in their situation and prevent them from going into the street.
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