By: Fatmata Grace Okekearu (Bo)
In a significant gathering on October 6th, 2023, Sahn Malen Chiefdom in Pujehun District convened various stakeholders to discuss the crucial matter of land mapping and titling. This inclusive meeting drew participants from diverse backgrounds, including landowners, land users, town chiefs, chiefdom authorities, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), government ministries, Socfin Management, MALOA, and HOPANDA.
The engagement, orchestrated by the Sahn Malen Agricultural Company (SAC), aimed to introduce the consultant team responsible for the upcoming land mapping and titling initiative. Facilitated by the Liaison Manager, the event featured General Manager Philip, who provided a comprehensive overview of SAC’s operations and the processes involved in land acquisition from the Sierra Leone Government.
Louis, a senior member of SAC, shed light on the steps taken during the land acquisition in 2011. According to SAC management, the total land acquired stands at 18,750 hectares, of which only 1200 hectares are currently under cultivation. Landowners have been receiving compensation for their crops annually, in accordance with the law.
The caretaker chief, who also serves as the chiefdom speaker, expressed support for the land mapping initiative. He mentioned that this initiative had been the late paramount chief’s aspiration to address land-related challenges faced by landowners and other interested parties. He explained that the process had its roots in February 2023 when the late Paramount Chief collaborated with SAC to facilitate it, with the primary goal of ensuring that genuine landowners benefit from their land dealings.
The Consultant, who also holds the position of Commissioner General of the Land Commission, Sheik Sidie Suahibu Sowa, introduced his team of experts who will oversee the entire land mapping and titling process. He outlined a participatory approach that includes the active involvement of community members at every stage. This approach involves the creation of committees in each village to identify landowners and boundaries, consisting of landowners, land users, town chiefs, women representatives, youths, and section chiefs.
The consultant team will also recruit community members and MALOA group members for training as surveyors, ensuring community ownership of the process. The mapping will encompass all the land occupied by SAC and will result in family titles endorsed by the commission, which will address ownership and value addition. The land mapping process is scheduled to commence in October 2023 and conclude in October 2024.
During the engagement, several questions were raised by participants, including concerns about the fate of land users, methods for identifying land boundaries, the scope of mapping (household or individual), potential additional compensation, issues with yearly compensation, succession in case of the family head’s death, and the status of the technical committee report. The Consultant addressed these questions as follows:
– Land users will collaborate closely with landowners during the process.
– Technical teams and village committees will address boundary identification in the field.
– The community will decide whether the mapping should be done at the household or individual level.
– Compensation matters are the responsibility of the company.
– The issue of compensation will be taken into account.
– In the event of the family head’s death, a new family head will be identified.
– The technical committee report is still relevant and will help address some of the issues raised.
The involvement of Civil Society Organizations was highlighted by Ibrahim Borgiwa Swaray, Chairman of Civil Society in Pujehun District. He commended the long-awaited demand by landowners in Malen Chiefdom for land mapping, viewing this gathering as a culmination of their efforts. He expressed the CSOs’ commitment to actively participate in the process, emphasizing the importance of community mobilization and sensitization to ensure widespread engagement and ownership of the initiative.
This significant gathering sets the stage for a comprehensive land mapping and titling exercise in Sahn Malen Chiefdom, addressing long-standing concerns and fostering community involvement in land-related matters.