By Saio Marrah
Member of Parliament, Khadijatu Davies, of constituency 110, Western Area Rural District, has raised alarm of the possible deprivation of landowners of the Black Johnson for the construction of the Modern Fish Harbour.
Ms. Davies made this observation at the house of parliament when the Minister of Land, Housing and Country Planning, Dr. Turad Senesie, brought the survey report to the house of parliament for approval before the compensation of the landowners can be commenced.
She also raised a concern that as the people’s representative “ When issues like this come up I believe I should be the first point of contact because if it does not go down well with the people more so at Black Johnson I will be pressured from all angle irrespective of our opinion as parliamentarians,” She said.
Mis. Davies also worried about the issue of compulsory acquisition of land, she said “In Black Johnson, people have their private properties. We should take in to consideration the deprivation of those people not only to access their private properties but also depriving them access to the beach that they will be making use of,” She noted.
She added that let there be due process in terms of compensation because according to her, in as much as it is a developmental issue, but let it not be at the detriment of poor people by making them homeless.
She also questioned the 252 acres of land being acquired for the project, which she said is too much.
The Minister of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, Turad Senesie, after highlighting the critical role of his ministry in the implementation of all government agendas, he said according to the Part 116, section three of the Public Finance Ordinance Act of the 1896, the Minister of Land can authorize any person to enter the land from time to time to conduct survey and do such other acts that is necessary in the view of taking or appropriating such land. He the minister should present that survey report to parliament for ratification.
He said based on that law, for the government to acquire a land for the Modern Fish Harbour that was the reason this ministry conducted the survey and presented it to parliament for approval before the commencement of the compensation.
Member of Parliament, Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella (KKY), Constituency 062 Kambia District, said the issue of the Modern Fish Harbour couple with its location and environmental footprint has always been a subject of controversy.
He raised a concern about a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which he said he was expecting to have brought to parliament before the survey report so that some of them as MPs with huge knowledge on environmental issues, to make salient inputs.
But according to an independent Candidate, Quintin Konneh Salia, of constituency 007 Kailahun District, Said he is with the believe that the ministry will not go ahead with such projects without due process are being followed in regard to a thoroughness of EIA. While highlighting the huge benefit the country is stands to make from the project, he called on the Minister to make sure the property owners are well compensated.
Another MP, Joseph Lamin Williams, of constituency 081, Bo District, after applauding the projects for its immense profits Sierra Leoneans will gain and the good approach that is being used for the compensation of the landowners, he however called on the implementing, ministry of the Modern Fish Harbour project, Ministry of Fishries and Marine Resources, to make sure the affected people are prioritized when it comes to employment and other benefit from the projects.
The leader of government business in parliament, Mattew Sahr Nyuma of constituency 019, Kenema District, said hence it is just the ratification of the survey report, he said the ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resource has already made it clear to him that thoroughness will be done in terms of EIA, once the land has been acquired. He also called on the two ministries to take into consideration the concern of the various MPs.
In his response to the concerns to the various MPs, Dr. Turad Senesie said before his ministry was embarking on the survey, he made sure visibility study was conducted. He said the visibility study report submitted to him discovered that a comprehensive studies was carried out and that all technical experts that include environmentalists were involved.
He said environmental and suitability issues were highlighted. Dr. Seneise said enough was done in terms of approach and the mythology that was used to conduct the research.
He said at the implementation strategy there is a provision for adequate compensation for those with legitimate ownership of the properties.
The minister said the size of the proposed project design dictates the size of the quantity of the 252 acres of land. He said the design of the project makes provision of a whole production entity, as well as raffias to vessels at the same particular site.
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