By Saio Marrah
After a presentation of the Customary Land Commission Bill of 2021, which many have described as progressive, Members of Parliament have expressed appreciation and confidence in the ability of the current Lands and Country Planning Minister, Dr. Turad Senesie to bring radical and progressive reforms in the country’s land sector.
The proposed Customary Land Right Bill of 2021 has ten parts and if passed into law, will address gender equality in terms of land ownership, eliminate discrimination of Sierra Leoneans to own land across the country, and enhance the conservation of ecologically sensitive areas, among others.
During the pre-legislative hearing of the bill on Monday 25th July, the main opposition Member of Parliament, Daniel Koroma, representing constituency 046 in Koinadugu District, commended the minister’s presentation of the bill, saying that over his nine years as lawmaker in parliament, he had never listened to such a persuasive presentation.
He admitted that the minister has a vision saying“by the end of his presentation I see the possibility of Sierra Leone being self-sustainable in terms of running the affairs of government. And this is just in the backyard.”
Speaking on the effective utilisation of the available land, he noted that oil palm plantation alone can start giving commercial production within five to six years.
In his presentation, minister Senesie urged those in possession of unutilised lands across the country to release them which he said will usher in development in the country once they are effectively utilised.
He said the most crucial asset of any nation is land and which if managed well will cretae sustained development, but that the contrary will always lead to a short-run development.
The minister said that from the research he conducted especially within the context of Africa “the only sustained approach to our national development has to do with agriculture other than that no way.”
He noted that Sierra Leone needs only 400 million dollars yearly to turn around its economy.
The minister said the country has 5.4 million hectares of arable land and that three hundred thousand of that alone can go into cash crop farming.
He added: “Take for example oil palm plantation in three years, we should be having a return of six hundred million dollars, far exceeding what is needed by the country’s yearly economic undertakings.”
He said this is because one hectare of oil palm today will give in terms of production two thousand dollars per hectare. Therefore, he said the review of the land legislation that will support that process is very important to Sierra Leoneans.
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