By Mohamed Foday Conteh
People living in houses built on land belonging to the Lumley Hospital in the West of Freetown., are to be evicted to pave way for an annex building complex to be constructed that will be a children’s teaching hospital.
This new development was unveiled when the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) formally launched the construction of the ultramodern facility. According to the MoHS it will be a 152 bed capacity that will be completed by 2023. The project is a $23.8 million dollar grant by the Japanese government through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
“We have a responsibility to ensure equitable access to land and a maximum utilisation of land,” said Tamba Dauda, Director of Surveys and Lands. He said the Ministry is charged with the responsibility of ensuring lands in the country are properly utilised.
Dauda noted that the country and Freetown in particular is experiencing a population explosion with Lumley community lacking a health infrastructure. He said a study they did indicated that there was a need of an expansion of that facility. He said encroachment on state lands is not something anew and that people encroach on such lands with the hope that they will be compensated in the future. He said that his ministry only negotiate with legitimate property owners.
Member of Parliament for Constituency 123, Ibrahim Tawa Conteh commended the Chief Medical Superintendent, Dr. Nathaniel Williams for his engagement with local leaders at the community. He said the Freetown City Council are also aware of the current status quo. “The number of people that are to benefit of this project far outweighs those that will be victims,” the Member of Parliament said. He added that his constituency has a total number of 65,000 (sixty-five thousand) people.
He said as a constituency they intend to prioritise saving the lives of community people and describe the project as a blessing to him and the community. He noted of envious that had been of other communities that has good health facilities. He said Lumley will soon become a ‘centre of excellence’ for a quality health facility in the next two years.
The local Chief, Francis Kandeh said the eviction should have taken place a long time ago but that politics hindered the process..
He stated that 40 households will be affected and admitted to have heard that those families mainly tenants will be compensated with a sum of 15 million Leones per family. The local chief pleaded with government to consider property owners by drawing reference from previous compensations to property owners who had encroached on the right of way areas.
He said the community people have no intention of challenging the government, and believed the new hospital will be of immense benefit to the community and the nation as a whole.
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