By Nasratu Kargbo
The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Ibrahim Tawa Conteh has highlighted increased in land disputes in the Western Area of Sierra Leone, saying that most of such cases are ignited by staff at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning.
Conteh, who is also the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, on the 1st July 2024 at a public hearing on the Auditor General’s Report stated that issues of land have become a matter of life and death and survival of the fittest where the strongest takes the largest share, adding that “In recent times the fight and disputes over land doubled if not quadrupled and there are new techniques now and most of them emanate from the Ministry”.
The MP explained that there are staff in the ministry who provide information to persons who will use the information to claim lands that are already possessed by other people, stressing that staff of the ministry are conspiring to instigate these issues.
Conteh highlighted one of such cases in his constituency where five people are fighting over a single land, stating that they all have titles to the land that are signed, verified and authenticated by the ministry. He also mentioned an issue at Black Johnson where a certain family is claiming over three hundred acres of land and have dislodged people who have built houses there over seven to ten years now. The MP noted that documents they are using to claim ownership have been sent to the ministry of lands but they however cannot confirm the authenticity of the documents.
He also mentioned other issues such as demarcation and encroachment of protected areas, issues of documentation and granting usage for right of way.
“These are all problems we should look at. These are things we should not be proud of; these are things that are setting families apart, these are things that are destroying people. The Ministry of Lands should work for the interest of Sierra Leone and for Sierra Leoneans” he stated.
Conteh said the problem is infectious and is rapidly spreading and has migrated to the provinces, in areas such as Bo and Tonkolili.
He advised the representatives of the ministry to ensure that when a land is titled to an individual, it should not be shifted to another person.
Speaking on Land Banks, Conteh said President Julius Maada Bio had promised to establish land banks for ease of investment rollout, but is yet to fulfill that due to the ministry being unable to give details of what they were able to acquire as sovereign land banks.
He said for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, due to rising concerns relating to land matters, he sees the ministry as an impediment to government’s success and that he believes it would be better to have a new set of employees with new attitude that will lead to growth of the ministry and reduce land disputes.
Representatives from the ministry revealed that some of their staff found wanting of surreptitious activities have been sacked and suspended for certain issues they’re involved in.
The Director of Surveys and Professional Head at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning Tamba Dauda said they are constrained, noting that they are not funded which has made their outreach difficult to undertake.
Speaking on Land Banks, he said some persons are illegally occupying state lands and that without proof they will use the Unoccupied Lands Act to reclaim those lands to develop land banks and improve them. He also mentioned that people are attempting to build on lands that have been allocated as land banks.
Dauda said after the Auditor General’s Report was published, they issued a public notice informing all those who have leases to pay, or the ministry will reclaim the lands.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (03/07/24)
