August 27, 2021
BY MOHAMED M. SESAY
Chairman of the Complaints Committee on Land Disputes in the Western Area Alhaji Murtada Mohamed Sesay, has yesterday the 25th of August, informed journalists that the committee has received three hundred and five cases of land disputes in the Western Area since its formation.
The Chairman disclosed that the committee has also proffered one hundred and eighteen recommendations out of the three hundred and five complaints received.
Briefing journalists at the Ministry of Lands Conference Hall, Alhija Murtada Sesay disclosed that the purpose of the presser was to update the media on the committee’s work so far as they have just come to the end of their assignment given to them by government.
He said that they are now working towards the finalization of the report for onwards submission and consideration by the government in the next couple of days.
Since the committee was set up by government, Alhaji Murtada Sesay noted that there has been a moratorium on the routine issuance of approvals for leases, freeholds, and other related lands documentation. He added that the moratorium has understandably created some urgency in the need to provide the Minister of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, with an interim but credible information to guide his decision making going forward in the Lands Ministry.
For the interest of public information and transparency as to which methodology that was used by the committee, Murtada Sesay also intimated that all complaints received were processed in order to create serially numbered case files which were replicated for each of the nine members of the committee. Upon receipt of each complaint, he said complainants were given an acknowledgement slip bearing the case number and record of all documents received.
He also disclosed that they invited all complainants to the hearing sessions for more clarification and in the process, they identified and listened to many persons of interest involved in the disputes. He added that their work has involved site visitation for better understanding of cases which has been helpful to the committee in their investigations.
“We have had several sessions all under oath in the presence of senior officials of the MLHCP, complainants and together with persons of interest including the director of planning, the permanent Secretary, director of survey and lands”, he said.
Alhaji Murtada Sesay continued that they also had the opportunity to interview the Secretary to the Vice President in his formal capacity as Permanent Secretary of both the Ministry of Lands and the Ministry of Tourism.
He furthered that the committee also invited and heard from the General Manager of Sierra Leone Housing Cooperation (SALHOC), the Director of Environmental Protection Agency all of whom he said, contributed extensively in understanding the problem that they have been requesting to address.
He concluded by stating that the 40% of cases that the committee has examined, has helped them identify the entrenched systemic-related issues which can and must be addressed as a matter of priority. He assured the public that all cases will be looked into as soon as possible and that, the committee is particularly committed to working with the MLHCP upon completion and implementation of the recommendations emanating for the committee.