September 7, 2021
By Ilyasa Baa
The management of Fourah Bay College has resolved to recover acres of land encroached by lecturers as well as other people.
A-Z investigation indicates that for the past ten years, vast areas of land had been encroached upon with the erection of permanent structures.
FBC was initially allocated over 468 acres but the size dwindled to 462.7 acres ten years down the line and the Ministry of Lands conducted a survey and presented a report indicting some lecturers as part and parcel of the grabbing of the college land.
The Ministry’s finding was that a good number of houses in upper Leicester Road especially the Tree Planting area were built on FBC land.
The Director of Surveys at the Ministry of Lands and Country Planning, Tamba Dauda has issued stern warning to the encroachers that the time has come for their removal from the college land.
He stressed that the land was reserved for future development of the university noting that the encroachment would not be taken lightly by the authorities. He informed that over 2 acres of land was given to the Leicester community after several engagements with relevant authorities.
The Spokesman of FBC, Dr. Tonia Musa has described the Leicester Road community as being hostile towards the land reclamation issue. He said plan is underway to raise resources for the fencing of the entire college land. He stressed the need for community sensitization which he said would help ease the looming tension between the community members and the college administration. He said the issue of compensation will come after reclaiming all the land.
Residents of Tree Planting are adamant stressing that the land was rightfully acquired. Abu Sesay told this medium that his father acquired the land they live on now decades ago when the family came from the provinces. He said as for them, they have documents to the effect for the one town lot the family of twelve are currently residing on.
The reclamation of FBC land has been lauded by several quarters so that the university would have the required space to boost the human capital development President Bio is yearning for. The issue of land grabbing has been a challenge in the Western Area because there is mad rush for land as the population expands.