Lands Ministry on Demolition Exercise…

Thousands Left Homeless at No. 2

By Mohamed Kamara

Thousands have been rendered homeless at No. 2 community as the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning officials accompanied by security personnel on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday demolished over 900 homes at the Guma Valley Water Dam vicinities.

A Lands Ministry official (who pleaded anonymity) told this medium that the residents have been frequently notified over the years and advised to relocate elsewhere. He said their occupation of this area does not only have a great repercussion on the supply of water but equally poses a great danger to the lives and properties of residents and that in this case, it was government’s prerogative to remove them by force.

But Moses Mambo, Executive Officer of the Civil Society Consortium on Community Accountability and Services, condemned the demolition which he said has caused serious financial challenges for the victims.

He promised to organize a one-thousand-man march to protest against the action. Mr. Joseph Jalloh, Headman for the community said it was the same Ministry of Lands officials who processed the legal documents giving residents the right to build in the area and to stay in their homes. He said they have now turned their backs pretending as if they were not the ones that issued documents to the occupants.

Most of the victims interviewed condemned the act and noted that they should have either been taken to Court or issued with a legal notice rather than taking such a unilateral action.      

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