By Alpha Abu
A group calling itself the Sierra Leone Land Alliance (SLLA) has urged the government of Sierra Leone to publish the report of the Land Complaints and Dispute Resolution Committee. The committee submitted its report to President Julius Maada Bio on Thursday 7 October 2021 but its contents are yet to be made public.
The Alliance in a Press Release confirmed its participation in the committee’s operations and of even ensuring some communities present their complaints to the committee during sittings at the bank complex in Kingtom. The committee which was set up by Lands, Housing and Country Planning Minister Dr.Turad Senesie began looking into the numerous disputes surrounding state lands in March this year, in a bid to address the often violent and acrimonious confrontations over ownership of the lands particularly in the Western Area.
The alliance stated: “We believe that the Committee did a great job in listening to and investigating various complaints brought forward by individuals and communities.
We believe that the findings in the Land Complaints and Dispute Resolution Committee report should result in public debate on the way forward to the development of a comprehensive land policy and land administrative system in Sierra Leone”.
The Director of the alliance, John Paul Bai said the committee’s “report should be made public before being pronounced as blueprint to guide successive government because it will enhance national discussion on the issue of land for the first time”.
He said the document should not be restricted to the president alone but be “published for public consumption’’ as was done in past ministerial commissions of inquiry.
“Our demand for the publication of the Report is based on the fact that since independence over 60 years ago, Sierra Leoneans have never had an opportunity to debate publicly, the issue of land reform with the aim of defining the parameters of an effective and just land policy that will enable fair land use and distribution. It is worth noting that Sierra Leone’s land tenure system and land administration is obsolete and in urgent need for overhaul”, the alliance’s release pointed out.
They called for the involvement of the public in debating and endorsing the conclusions of the report that could eventually serve as a blueprint and guide to future land policies and actions.
The release quoted Amnesty International Director Solomon Sogbandi saying: “This report should inform part of the discussions on our national constitutional and governance framework in the context of the constitutional review. Other stakeholders including Members of Parliament and Cabinet should commit themselves to working together in pursuit of having the report recommendations and conclusions thoroughly debated and implemented.”
The land complaints committee sat for nearly seven months and addressed hundreds of cases emanating from April 2018 to January 2021. The nine-man committee including a Secretary was headed by Alhaji Murtada Sesay.
Minister Senesie had to contend with the chaotic land cases he inherited from his predecessor Dr. Dennis Sandy who was sacked early this year.
Copyright © Politico Online 01/11/21
