By: Audrey Raymonda John
Stakeholders in the Charlotte community have voiced serious concerns over ongoing land grabbing that is threatening the village’s historical sites and development lands. The community alleges that an interlocutory injunction issued by the court protecting Charlotte’s land has been violated, with particular accusations directed at the village headman, Saidu Sesay.
Charlotte, a village rich in heritage and historical significance, is reportedly facing severe degradation, leaving local residents vulnerable to environmental and social risks. Denis Valcasel, a representative of one of the landowning families, accused Headman Sesay of illegally selling community lands, calling his actions irresponsible and harmful.
Valcasel described Sesay as a “stranger” who was imposed on the community and lacks the legitimacy to govern the village. “We are not happy because the historical sites of the village have been grabbed and sold,” he stated. “The current headman is hostile, disrespectful to elders, and ignores the wishes of the landowners who elected him,” he added.
Valcasel highlighted the damaging effects of erosion exacerbated by the ongoing land disputes. He emphasized that the injunction issued by the Sierra Leone court is being flagrantly disregarded. Key community assets such as the primary school, technical school, the historic Anne Walsh Secondary School, and cemetery lands—designated for tourism development have allegedly been grabbed and sold by the headman.
The situation has reportedly become volatile, with the headman and a group of outsiders allegedly causing destruction in the community. Valcasel lamented the destruction of valleys and tourist sites, leaving the village “at the mercy of God” with little hope for recovery.
“As landowning family members, we are disappointed because, even after the court’s injunction, the headman behaves as if he is above the law,” Valcasel said. He stressed that what should have been a thriving, green community is now disaster-prone due to these actions.
Valcasel also claimed to be the community’s focal person and confirmed that complaints have been made to relevant authorities, but no action has been taken to stop the land looting and damage.
He explained that Charlotte historically hosted the smaller Motem and Mortham communities, but with the growth of the neighboring Mortem and Morgegba populations, Charlotte stakeholders now seek government support to divide the communities, allowing Charlotte to govern itself peacefully.
The stakeholders are calling on the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the government of President Julius Maada Bio, and the Waterloo District Council to intervene urgently to stop the land grabbing and protect the community.
A worrying development is the reported daily presence of military personnel patrolling the area, purportedly protecting the interests of land grabbers. This has created fear and panic among residents. “Some of these armed guards have set up what they call Benghazi, where they allegedly torture landowners who oppose their paymasters,” Valcasel asserted.
“We don’t want to lose the historical sites of this village,” he concluded.
In response, Chief Saidu Sesay denied all allegations of land grabbing or illegal sales. “All the lands Denis Valcasel is referring to are government lands. I am working directly with officials from the Ministry of Lands,” Sesay told this medium in an interview last year.