By Anthony Newman Levey
Paramount Chiefs across Sierra Leone have in a meeting held in the Southern City of Bo expressed dissatisfaction over certain bills in the house of parliament awaiting to be passed into law.
The Paramount Chiefs fear that the National Land Commission Bill, the Customary Land Rights Bill and the 2021 Paramount Chieftaincy Act will undermine their powers and therefore not good for them.
Speaking at the meeting of the Council of Paramount Chiefs held on Saturday 5th March 2022, PC Skeku S. Fasuluku called on his colleagues to discuss and bring out a position paper on the said bills. He said as paramount chiefs, they’re the custodian of the land but taking land arrangements away from them is not good for them as chiefs. He urged his members to take themselves seriously before the government will take them seriously.
Speaking at the meeting, PC Boima of Kakua chiefdom, Bo district said that if they're not involved in land arrangements it will be disrespectful to them. He narrated his experience of buying land in Freetown at a “very expensive” rate and under difficult circumstances, noting that the situation in the provinces is different as it is cheaper.
“As Paramount chiefs we will not accept today, tomorrow, and forever in taking away from us land issues," he said.
He stated that the Sahn Malen land saga was not caused by PC Brima Kebbie but the government of Sierra Leone and that the issue of PC Kebbie was highly political. He said that people sit in Freetown and make decisions without going to the ground to see for themselves.
He mentioned that the coronavirus and the Census were accepted by their people because of the involvement of Paramount Chiefs.
PC Alimany Umaru Jalloh the 3rd of Kalian chiefdom, Koinadugu district reiterated that the government should not bring the proposed land bill that will bring problems. He called on the government to rethink and maintain a good relationship with them, noting that whosoever is behind the new land bill is going against Paramount Chiefs in the country.
In his statement, PC Lahai Sowa of Sowa Chiefdom, Pujehun district, said the government wants to redundant them while they're alive.
However, Sonkita Conteh Esq, Director, NAMATI, a Legal Empowerment organization, allayed the fears of the Paramount Chiefs, saying that the new national land commission bill is aimed at solving the problems or confusion on land issues. Lawyer Conteh said the new bill will have the Chiefdom Land Committee, Village Land Committee among others. He noted that Paramount Chiefs will also have a say.
He stated that the new bill when approved will focus more on landowners and the community.
Lawyer Conteh said the process started in 2019 and they have been consulting different stakeholders.
He maintained that the Paramount Chiefs have not been excluded in the arrangements. He expressed hope that the government will look into the concerns raised by the Council of Paramount Chiefs.
The council will be meeting again in Bombali district on the 15th March this year to finalize their decision and subsequently engage the relevant authorities.
Copyright © Politico Online 07/03/22)
