By Nasratu Kargbo
Debating in Parliament on the National Land Commission Act 2021, Independent Member of Parliament Shiaka Musa Sama from constituency 104 in Pujehun district called on President Julius Maada Bio to fulfill his promise to resolve the crisis in Sahn Malen chiefdom
Whilst making his contribution on the 26th of July 2022, Sama explained that the president during his campaign promised the people in the chiefdom that if voted into, he will help resolve the crisis. The MP highlighted that the people voted for the president massively because they felt betrayed by the then government of Ernest Bai Koroma.
He noted that when president Bio won, Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh went there to serve as a mediator between the community people and the company. However he said since the VP left in 2019 “the mediation has died a natural death”.
The Independent MP noted that he has mixed feelings about the bill, explaining that he is happy that such a bill caters for the poor, but said his people are suffering currently as a result of bad laws.
Sama stated that there are many landless ‘landlords’ in his constituency, having lost their lands, their names omitted in all the land documents, because they refused to lease their land.
The MP explained that he is informed that there will be land registration, adding that their fear is that the wrong people will be registered. He, therefore, called on the necessary authorities to ensure that the crisis is resolved before the lands are registered.
Constituency 059 in Kambia district Parliamentarian, Abdul Karim Kamara heaped praises on the bill but drew attention to the issue in Sahn Malen. He stated that even though economic empowerment is essential, yet the community people should not be deprived of utilizing their lands.
“I have been to Sahn Malen three times officially and I want to say that the people of Sahn Malen are under imprisonment as far as land management is concerned,” said Kamara.
Speaking to Politico, Aminata Fabba a resident of Sahn Malen also called on President Bio to intervene and address the matter in the Chiefdom.
Fabba expressed delight over the proposed Land bills but however lamented that it will not be beneficial to her and some members of the community because they are no longer land owners.
She explained that their lands have been taken away from them by Socfin Agricultural Company, and that they do not have documents for them. She noted that the only way the bill will be beneficial to them is when issues related to them are settled.
“If you do not have land, and a land bill is passed into law, it will not benefit you because you are not a landowner,” said Fabba. She added: “I am appealing to the president, just as he promised us, let him please solve our problem”.
She explained that if half of what is supposed to be given had been made available, it would have been far better. “We do not chase companies away, but what they are supposed to do for us in relation to our land should be done”.
Fabba explained that the law can only be beneficial to them if lands are surveyed, demarcated and the documents given to them.
Socfin has got a long-standing dispute with most of the locals in their operational chiefdom of Sahn Malen over the process and use of the land they are occupying. Land rights campaigners have argued that the process of acquiring the said land lacked pre, prior and informed consent, hence the continued disagreement.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (01/08/22)
