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Momodou
Denmark
11744 Posts |
 Posted - 12 May 2011 : 19:47:01
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Lands Commission adjourned for last sitting As more witnesses give evidence
by Sanna Jawara
Monday, May 09, 2011
Justice Mahoney, chairman of the ongoing Lands Commission at the High Court in Banjul, yesterday adjourned sittings of the Commission to Tuesday, 10th May 2011. The adjournment date will be the last sitting of the Commission.
The High Court judge’s decision followed a day-long sitting which should have marked the end of hearing of evidences from witnesses, but owing to time constraint coupled with the number of witnesses who lined up to testify before the Commission, proceedings had to be adjourned for the last time so as to accommodate the remaining witnesses. “We adjourn the sitting to Tuesday, 10th May 2011 for the last time so as to hear from the rest. We are supposed to finish it today, but we cannot, due to time constraint; it’s just after 4: 00pm,” the Lands Commission chairman told the court.
Before the decision to adjourn the Commission was announced, five witnesses had already given their evidences. The five witnesses were Jali Saikou Saho, a renowned cultural griot and a kora player; Ousainou Taal from Brufut; Yankuba Sano, son of the late alkalo of Burufut, Kalifa Sano; Malamin Bojang, Alkalo of Wulingkama Village in Kombo South and Malamin Jatta, director of Lands & Survey.
Jali Saikou Saho
The griot was the first to mount the witness box where he informed the Commission about issues relating to his land acquisition in Salaji Layout. According to him, when he returned from Europe in 1995, he first made a request for land at the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC), after he made the same request at The Gambia Tourism Authority (GTA) and later at the Department of Lands and Survey. “I filled an application form for allocation of land with report of my intention as an artist working for the promotion of arts and culture of The Gambia, Africa and the world at large. My application was based on my experience in Europe where I conducted series of activities. I was later allocated land at the Salaji Layout as honour to me,” Jali Saikou Saho explained to the Lands Commission.
Asked when was the said land allocated to him, he replied that it must be five years ago and the land was leased. He went on to state that when he attempted to develop the land, he was stopped from developing it but he did not complain because the land was given to him by the state, and that if the same state asks him to stop developing it, he should stop.
Further responding to the Commission, the Kora player said he first visited the land about three years ago after it was allocated to him, but he went further to reveal that during the said visit, he found the land fenced and this made him to conclude that somebody must have interest in the land. According to him, he reported the matter to the land authorities but they told him to keep possession of the land since they were the ones who allocated it to him. He also revealed that his land is located near a youth centre at the layout and it is not far from the highway. Still responding to series of questions posed to him by the Lands Commission, Jali Saikou Saho said he submitted his application with a project proposal indicating details of his mission for applying for a land, but when pressed to say whether he got any financial backing for the project, Saho replied in the affirmative and said as an artist, he gets certain people who are always ready to give him support and that whenever he requests for their support to develop the land they will do so. He then mentioned certain names and institutions as those who already donated money to him.
Ousainou Taal
Ousainou Taal was the second witness to give evidence for the day. He identified himself as a businessman, who got a land in Brufut Height through his aunt. According to him, his aunt bought the land from the Bojang Kabilo (clan) in Brufut through one Malamin Bojang and she later assigned the said land to him, but he could not tell how the said aunt acquired the land. The witness revealed that the land was leased and he started developing it in 2007 and completed it in 2009, with his family now residing in the said compound. Asked who surveyed the land, he replied that it was the officials of the Department of Lands and Survey.
Yankuba Sano
Yankuba Sano mounted the witness box as the third witness and identified himself as the son of Kalifa Sano, the late Alkalo of Brufut. The witness said his late father was not literate in English language; as such he, the witness served as his secretary responsible for writing and reading all his official correspondence. According to this witness, the land area covering the Brufut Height towards the seaside were all under Brufut Village and his family is part of the founding members of Brufut village.
He recalled that a portion of land within the Brufut Height area came under the possession of Bojang Kunda Kabilo for the purpose of farming. According to him, before the demise of his father, the minister of Local Government at the time informed him that certain lands within the Brufut Height are part of a reserved land which falls under the Tourism Development Area (TDA); as such he should not sell the land in question. “My father complied with the information given to him by the minister; he did not sell any land within the said reserved land. Our people were farming on the land, but to our surprise, some people later started selling lands in the said reserved land, which prompted my father to write a letter to different offices and the matter was taken to the district tribunal, but there was no ruling. Some time later an investigation was conducted into the case leading to arrest of some people, including Alieu Jallow, a British couple, Morrow Fatty, Omar Jallow among others,” Yankuba Sano explained to the Commission.
He insisted that his father did not sell any land within the reserved land, but recalled a land located near the reserve being sold to one Musa Joof by his father and the said land is now a subject of dispute before a court in Brikama. Further giving his evidence, the witness said the land in question was alleged by officials of the Ministry of Local Government and Lands to be a reserved land which falls under the TDA, while Bojang Kunda Kabilo claimed the land is their their property. Mr Sano informed the Lands Commission about the conviction and sentencing of Alieu Jallow by the court to serve eight months imprisonment, after he was found guilty of illegal selling of lands within the reserved area.
The Wulingkama Alkalo
Malamin Bojang, Alkalo of Wulingkama Village in Kombo South of the West Coast Region confirmed that his kabilo has some landed properties located at the Brufut Height, adding that he inherited them from his grand parents. The Wulingkama Alkalo explained that different Kabilos in Brufut; such as Bojang Kunda, Manneh Kunda, Sano Kunda among others have their own lands for farming purposes. He then gave a detailed description of where each of the kabilo’s lands are located across the village of Brufut. According to him, the remaining elderly person in his kabilo is one Madou Bojang. The Alkalo further informed the Commission that before he assumed the office of Alkalo, he was given the responsibility of selling the kabilo’s lands on behalf of the kabilo and he still sells land as an Alkalo, but he cannot remember the exact number of plots he sold.
Asked as to who gave lands to his Kabilo, he replied that it was the Local Government, after series of dispute between his kabilo and the late Kalifa Sano, who was selling land without the consent of the Bojang Kunda Kabilo. “The late Alkalo Kalifa Sano and my late brother were involved in dispute because Kalifa Sano was selling our lands without our consent. The case was taken to the court, where Lawyer Darboe and Fafa Mbaye stood for Bojang Kunda Kabilo, but the Ministry of Local Government later demarcated the land and gave some to the Bojang Kunda Kabilo and some to the AMRC. The Kabilo’s land was given to me to sell on their behalf. The land was empty and it was used for agricultural purpose. The first land I gave out was a gift to Yaya Drammeh and Kebba Darboe based on the fact that their parents contributed to the clearing of the land,” Bojang told the Commission.
When asked to explain the procedure used in selling lands, especially those located inside Brufut village and those located on the Brufut Height, he said different methods were used based on the advice given to the kabilo by the Ministry of Local Government and Lands. According to him, they were advised to sell lands within the Brufut Height given to the Kabilo by the ministry by contacting the Department of Lands and Survey for paper transfer. However, lands in Brufut village are sold through the normal Alkalo stamping and issuing of documents.
Further responding to the Lands Commission, Bojang said the land in question is now fully developed. He then gave names of persons he allocated lands to; like Aja Aminata and her sister, Sherrifo Kuyateh, Momodou Lamin Jatta among others. According to him, he normally sells lands for the sum of D60,000, D80,000, but the highest sum was when he sold a land located at Brufut Height near Bijilo for D500,000, but some time later, he said that land became a subject of inquiries. Asked about a certain forgery case involving him, he replied that the case involved one person who was alleged to have forged a document of Alkalo and he was taken to the court, where he was prosecuted but that the evidence of the said person did not involve him (Alkalo); as such he was not involved in the case.
Malamin Jatta
The director of Lands and Survey, Malamin Jatta was again recalled to clear doubts about certain issues before the Commission. He was later given a map to identify the borders of the TDA and traditional lands located at the Brufut Height and its environment. Mr Jatta, with the aid of the map, gave a detailed explanation locating borders of the TDA and traditional lands belonging to the people of Brufut. He recalled a decision made for removal of the TDA within certain areas of Brufut due to the trend of development within the area. The decision was made by the Ministry of Local Government and Lands and the area was given to the ministry for development purposes. The Lands and Survey director recalled a dispute between Bojang Kunda Kabilo and Kalifa Sano over an area of land; the matter was taken to the court and it was later settled out of court. “The land was demarcated, a portion was given to the Bojang Kabilo and another portion was given to the AMRC as a compensation for their land located in Bijilo, which was part of the Bijilo layout,” Jatta said.
Further commenting on the land dispute, Malamin Jatta explained among other things that the ministry approached the Bojang Kabilo about demarcation of the land and compensation to the AMRC, but the Bojang Kabilo complained that Kalifa Sano was selling their lands without their consent. He further said when they approached late Kalifa Sano to explain why he was selling land to people when the said land was under review, he denied the allegation. “Kalifa Sano said he knew that the land was a reserved one; as such he did not sell any land to any person. He said the land was not even under his kabilo; so he could not sell it,” Malamin Jatta told the Commission. According to the Lands director, compensation of one Makalo and Kebba Khan were not within the Salaji Layout, instead their compensation falls outside the layout. He said the same thing was applicable to Malamin Bojang, Alkalo of Wulingkama, who was compensated for the remaining land outside the Salaji layout.
Still responding to series of questions from the Lands Commission with respect to Jabang, he confirmed that Jabang has never been part of any industrial zones, yet there are some industries located there. He said these were based on the approval of the minister of Local Government and Lands. However, the Lands director said people who lost their earnings must be compensated, because they used such lands for their survival.
About the Old Jeshwang land complaints
The Lands and Survey director responding to the Commission chairman’s question of the rational behind complaints over certain lands in Old Jeshwang, especially where the petrol station is, he started his explanation with reference to what he called construction of the new and Old Jeswang-Banjul-Serekunda Highway. According to Jatta, the construction of Old Jeshwang-Banjul-Serekunda Highway left some space on the way and some people were also ordered to vacate their lands and they were compensated. He went on to state that after the compensation, some people located near the space left made request for extension of their plots, but their requests were turned down, including Alkalo Karamo Bojang of Old Jeshwang. “Karamo Bojang complained of the rejection his extension request to where the petrol station is located. The former minister of Local Government and Lands allocated 18 plots to him (Karamo Bojang) as compensation for lands located around the petrol station; yet he is complaining. In fact the land he is complaining about is far less than what he was compensated with,” the Lands and Survey director explained.
At that juncture he was shown a file for identification, he identified the file and started calling names of people for whom he did construction works, as he claimed to be a contractor. Some of the names mentioned are not currently residing in the country, but some are still here.
Source: Daily Observer |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11744 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2011 : 19:53:21
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Permanent secretary testifies at Lands Commission
By Publisher
11-05-11
Mr.Abdoulie Manneh, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Local Government and Lands yesterday testified before the Lands Commission. He told the commission under the stewardship of Justice Basiru Mahoney that there was a dispute over a piece of land opposite Brufut Gamtel Highway.
The dispute, he said, was between the family of the late Brufut Alkalo and another family.
As a result, the matter was taken to court, he said.
On the outcome of the case, the Permanent Secretary added he was not sure of the court’s decision, but that he heard the matter was settled out of court.
He also confirmed that the two families disputed over a land considered part of the Tourism Development Area.
At this stage, Mr.Manneh was shown two documents. He told the commission that there is a slight difference between the two documents in question.
He also told the commission that he could not remember any intervention by the office of the vice president in the dispute between the two families in Brufut.
On whether Mr.Karamo Ceesay who used to own a piece of land in Old Jeshwang was compensated or not, the Permanent Secretary said Mr.Ceesay was compensated.
According to him, Mr.Ceesay was given a number of plots in Old Yundum.
He also told the commission that there was no industrial zone in Jabang, saying the allocations there were only piece meal.
Source: Foroyaa |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11744 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2011 : 19:58:58
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Lands Commission ends sitting As PS Manneh, others testify
by Sanna Jawara
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The Lands Commission chaired by Justice Mahoney wrapped-up its sittings Tuesday, with Abdoulie Manneh, permanent secretary No. 2 at the Ministry of Local Government and Lands returning to give evidence with regards to certain issues relating to lands located on the Brufut Height, Bijilo and Salajie among others. PS Manneh together with Kebba Ceesay, former director of Physical Planning and Housing and Abdoulie Tamba, managing director of AMRC came to clear doubts over the aforementioned issues.
PS Abdoulie Manneh
Abdoulie Manneh, the third and last witness of the day, was asked to explain issues relating to a portion of land located within the Brufut Heights from the Gamtel House towards the sea with specific reference to relationship between customary land and TDA land. He replied by making reference to what he called recommendations made by a particular commission which empowered the Secretary Of State at the time to look into issues of illegal developments and make appropriate decisions, as a result of which Bijilo, Brufut and Tanji layouts came into being.
PS Manneh told the Commission that the Bijilo layout was created between the long strip of land from Bijilo towards Brufut and that was how the AMRC was compensated land within the said strip of land. He recalled that from 2001-2002, there was a land dispute between two kabilos in Brufut over an area of land and the matter was taken to the court. He however said he has no idea as to how the matter ended up at court. He also said that sometime last year he got information about the said being settled out of court, but he did not know the exact circumstances that led the matter being settled out of court. Questioned whether he knows the procedure used by traditional land owners within the said Brufut Height when selling their lands, Mr Manneh replied in the negative, saying he did not know because such procedure never came before him.
This answer made the Lands Commission chairman, Justice Mahoney to give PS Manneh a document for identification on the ground that the individual concerned in it alleged that she bought a land in the said area from one Malamin Bojang, the alkalo of Wulingkama and that the purchase was followed by leasing of the land. The Local Government and Lands PS, after a thorough examination of the document said that based on what he knows about a normal transfer document, this one right in his hands was short, because it has to go through a normal procedure starting from the area council, before a lease could be granted.
He was then given another document for identification and he replied that the letter in his hand was a different one, because the person concerned may have applied for a lease, which was granted and the person decided to sell the land and in such cases, the individual has to apply to the director of Lands for transferred of lease to the purchaser. He explained that such a situation cannot prevent both parties from effecting their local transfer of ownership. The Commission then informed the PS that the alkalo of Wulingkama himself said he did not effect any local transfer of ownership, but instead went straight to the Department of Lands and Survey for the transfer. PS Manneh replied that the alkalo should not have done that, but should have done the local transfer before going to the Lands Department. Again questioned whether a lease will be granted for a file where local transfer was not done, he said no, such a lease will not be granted.
About the AMRC Bijilo land
When asked to explain issues relating to a land belonging to the AMRC in Bijilo, and a piece of land given to the African Centre, the PS replied that this was a very long time issue, but based on his understanding the land was in connection to the Bijilo compensation for the AMRC.
Old Jeshwang land
The PS was also questioned in connection to a land where Elton Oil Company is presently occupying. When asked if the land in question is reserved or Zone area, PS Manneh replied that it is a Zone area and he accepted the land was indeed allocated to the Elton Oil Company. He was then asked to explain what happened to the customary land owners, prompting him to make an extensive reference to what he called customary ownership and the Lands Administration Act. According to him, places like Brufut, Tanji and others were covered by the Lands Administration act, but Old Jeshwang has never been covered by the said act and as such he (PS Manneh) could not understand how customary owners could claim ownership of the land in question.
PS Manneh accepted comments made by the Commission that every one has a constitutional right to be compensated whenever his/ her land have been taken away. The Lands Commission chairman further gave another document to PS Manneh for identification and explanation as to whether allocation of land could be made outside of a layout. He replied in the negative, saying one cannot make allocation outside the layout. The PS said Salajie layout was divided into two, such as the main Salajie and the extension, but the whole area is called Salajie area. AMRC’s Abdoulie Tamba was the first to mount the witness box, where he was asked to explain land allocated to the AMRC somewhere in Brufut.
Tamba replied that the land in question is located in Bijilo instead of Brufut and he explained among other things that, the land in question was forfeited by the 1998 Lands Commission and it was given to the AMRC. He added that the land in connection to the African Centre was also given to the AMRC, but the AMRC was later compensated with another land Bijilo, but this particular compensation process was not completed and the land was later sold to Arab Gambia Islamic Bank (AGIB) by the lands Sales Committee.
Asked by the commission as to whether there was any document in connection to the said land, Tamba said the matter was investigated, but the AMRC was never compensated.
According to the AMRC boss, the second land allocated to them was to some extent overlapped with the health centre in Bijilo. He confirmed that the second land allocated to the AMRC is where AGIB is located. This explanation made the Commission to produce a document for the AMRC boss to identify the exact location of the land in question. He explained the exact location of the land. When asked if the AMRC kept a list of lands sold, Tamba replied in the affirmative and said they have a list of lands sold and some of the lands are located around the African Centre.
Kebba Ceesay
Kebba Ceesay was the second witness to mount the witness box, where he was also told to shed light on certain allocated issues in his capacity as the former director of Physical Planning and Housing. He then handed a document to identify customary and reserve lands located within the Brufut Height. The former Physical Planning and Housing boss responded that he could see the area in question right from the document he was holding, but has no idea on how a portion of the area falls under the Tourism Development Area (TDA).
“As the director, I found certain areas from the Brufut Height towards Kartong falls under the Tourism Development Area (TDA), but I don’t know how a portion of the area in question came under the TDA, as such I cannot tell as to how the area came under the TDA,” he said. When told to explain what procedure customary landowners will use whenever they wanted to sell lands located within the said area, Ceesay replied that he would expect them to go to the area council for transfer of ownership. At that juncture he was shown a transfer of ownership document for identification. He identified the document and said the procedure used in it is different from what he just explained. The Lands Commission chairman Justice Mahoney then asked the witness to explain the reason why the document is different from what he said. The witness replied that the document in question was done by the minister. He added that the minister has a right to do so. When further asked if he would expect the area council do such, he replied in the affirmative.
Further responding to series of questions posed to him from the Lands Commission, Kebba Ceesay denied knowing a portion of land located on the Brufut Height was given back to the traditional owners. According to him, such decision was not done during his tenure of office. He said: “I have no idea as to when a portion of land located on the Brufut Height was given back to the traditional owners. It may be done before I came to the office, but I have no idea about such and I have no idea as to when a portion of land located within the Brufut Height was removed from the TDA. Well I cannot remember the exact date or month, but I remember when Taf started development the area, TDA was reduced from the area in questioned.”
But when he was asked if he has any idea about the Bijilo Extension A and B, Ceesay replied in the affirmative. This made the Commission chairman to again ask the witness how come he knows about Bijilo extension A and B, but knows nothing about the Brufut Height. Ceesay replied with detailed explanation from the document he was holding. He spoke about allocation of lands in Bijilo area and one allocated near the Bijilo Beach. Still dwelling on the sell of customary lands, the former Physical Planning and Housing director insisted that customary landowners sell their land through transfer of ownership obtained from the area council.
Industrial layout
The Lands Commission chairman, Justice Mahoney, asked the former director of Physical Planning and Housing if he was aware of any industrial layout in Jabang. Ceesay replied in the negative, but he said an area was identified for a layout purpose, which was approved by the cabinet and that the alkalo of the Village was informed about it.
According to the witness, the first allottee in the proposed Jabang layout was Julakay and he was informed. Again the Commission asked whether it is possible to allocate an industry where there is no industrial layout. The former Physical Planning and Housing director said whereas there is no existing industrial layout and an application for industrial allocation came in within a period where there is a reserve land, they have the privilege to allocate the industry within the said layout or reserve land.
The SSHFC Jabang land
The Lands Commission requested that Kebba Ceesay explain how Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) acquired the land in Jabang. Ceesay said SSHFC applied for the land and it was allocated to them. According to him, he could remember a land located in Jabang forfeited by the state and allocated to SSHFC. When asked if he (Kebba Ceesay) was at one point involved in the demarcation of the Salajie Layout, he replied in the negative, saying he has nothing to do with land demarcation, because that is the duty of the Lands Department.
The former Physical Planning director emphasised that he has nothing to do with the demarcation of the Salajie layout, but he was involved in identification of the said layout. At that juncture he was given a document to identify whether a portion of land indicated on it was part of the Salajie Layout or not. He replied with detailed explanation that Salajie layout has been divided into three such as the main layout, extension and A and B. He also identified a community health centre within the layout.
Source: Daly Observer |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11744 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jun 2011 : 18:16:50
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Plans to set up permanent anti-GRaft commission on gov’t’s agenda Says President Jammeh as Lands Enquiry Commission presents report
By Hatab Fadera
Friday, June 24, 2011
 The Gambian leader has reiterated his government’s never-ending commitment to stamp out the menace of corruption in all its manifestations in all spheres of the country, while disclosing plans to set up a permanent anti-corruption commission in the future.
This pronouncement came Thursday as the members of the Lands Enquiry Commission presented their report to the Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, at State House in Banjul. It would be recalled that the 10-member Lands Commission was set up by the Gambian leader in August 2011 and began sittings in October of the same year.
The Commission, chaired by Justice Basirou Vassili Portier Mahoney of the High Court was tasked with the responsibility to look into matters of land allocations in the country vis-à-vis the illegal allocations, and illegal sales and administration of lands in the country. The Commission’s report that was presented in three volumes Thursday embodied the findings and recommendations of the eight-month spell of enquiry and investigations into land matters in open sessions at the High Court of The Gambia, as well as visits to all the regions and layouts in the country.
Speaking after receiving what has been described as a comprehensive report, the Gambian leader commended the members of the Commission as well as the public for what he described as a “very important milestone in our efforts to stamp out corruption in whatever form in this country”. He said: “The Anti-Corruption Commission Bill was passed, I think, last year. We are going to transform this Commission [Lands Commission] to a permanent anti-corruption commission. Some of us have to be soldiers, put our lives on the line, so that the independence of this country will be guaranteed. It’s not easy but I think that will help curb corruption. We are also going to look at our laws to make them more stringent just like we did for drug dealers because it is necessary to put an end to corruption. We have to fight corruption tooth and nail if we want to achieve the Vision 2020 and beyond and sustain it.”
The president stressed that “Little Gambia” cannot afford to condone corruption in whatever form with its meager resources, saying “when I said we have to fight corruption, I mean it”. This menace, he posited is even haram [condemned] religious wise. President Jammeh stressed that the nation’s meager resources must be jealously guarded for the benefit of all, warning that stringent legislations will be put in place to curb the devastating menace.
Comprehensive report
President Jammeh hailed the efforts put in by the commission members, and for their courage and resilience, noting that despite all what they had gone through, they have produced a thorough and comprehensive report. He opined that for almost 16 years of his stint in power, he had never received a most comprehensive, or thorough commission report as the one presented by the Lands Commission. He stressed that the Lands Commission, was by no means a “witch hunting”, but a body “hunting the corrupt elements”.
He continued: “Looking at some of the pages of the report, it is very funny and interesting as well – that you can have a building as beautiful as these pictures [contained in the report] and still nobody came to claim for them. It is very strange that a house as beautiful as this [contained in the report] has no owner. But what is important is that when the Commission was inaugurated, I stated that there are buildings whose owners [would] not be traced, but I am clearly vindicated with these report. There could only be one reason for the so-called owners not showing up – the buildings were corruptly obtained illegally, and built illegally.”
The Gambian leader, while warning that the government under his watchful eyes will stamp out corruption in the most prudent way possible, concluded by stressing that the recommendations in the Lands Commission Report will be upheld to the letter, and that those found wanting will be prosecuted accordingly.
Speaking earlier, the vice president and minister of Women’s Affairs, Her Excellency Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, underscored the importance of the Commission, pointing out that when a sector of the society are unhappy, it is the responsibility of the government to look at the cause of that unhappiness. “For the government to avoid being accused of taking sides, it usually sets up an independent body or commission that is composed of independent people who look at these issues critically so that there is no bias in the final analysis as regard the recommendations,” she stated.
Dr Njie-Saidy, while commending President Jammeh for the foresight in establishing the Commission, equally hailed the commission members for coming up with the report in three volumes. Noting that land is a resource that can be a source of conflict since people use it for a variety of purposes, the VP stressed that it is an issue that must be looked into by the government particularly when there is an outcry. The Basic and Secondary Education minister, Fatou Lamin Faye, joined VP in underscoring the importance of the Commission, while pointing out that issues or problems relating to land are potential threats to peace and stability.
The ministers of Works, Construction and Infrastructure, Youth and Sports, the Interior, and the deputy minister of Petroleum, Dr Njogu Bah, Sheriff Gomez, Ousman Sonko and Teneng Ba-Jaiteh respectively, all took turns to harp on the significance of the Commission in addressing land administration in the country. They all hailed the president for the foresight in setting up the Commission, as well as the commission members for their output. The ministers expressed hope that the implementation of the recommendations forwarded by the Commission will go a long way in addressing the issue.
Presenting the Report, the chairman of the Lands Commission, Justice Basirou Vassili Portier Mahoney disclosed that they had a total number of 354 declarations from individuals and 81 complaints during the eight-month spell. Chairman Mahoney also informed the gathering that they enquired into the parastatals including the Assets Management and Recovery Cooperation, the Social Security and Housing Finance Cooperation, and the Gambia Tourism Authority. He said the enquiry covered all the five regions of The Gambia, disclosing further that the commission members visited the various lands offices in each region.
“We held sittings at the High Court where evidences and witnesses were taken in open court. We had sittings on 51 separate occasions and took the evidence of a total of 144 witnesses. These sessions where covered by the Observer Newspaper and the Foroyaa Newspaper. “The Commission also formed a sub-committee to inspect the various layouts and in fact 17 layouts were verified on the ground. The enquiry was held in public and I can say it was independent and transparent,” he added.
Mahoney then seized the opportunity on behalf of the commission members to express appreciation and gratitude to President Jammeh for giving them the opportunity to serve their country on such an important assignment; and also for having the confidence in them to undertake the assignment. While extending similar token of gratitude to institutions and stakeholders for their logistic support, the Lands Commission chairman expressed hope that their findings and recommendations will positively affect land administration in The Gambia.
Source: Daily oBserver |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11744 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jun 2011 : 22:38:34
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Lands Commission presents report to Jammeh
By Lamin B. Darboe
Monday, June 27, 2011
President Yahya Jammeh Thursday afternoon received members of the Lands Enquiry Commission, who were at State House to submit their report to the Gambian leader.
The 10-member Lands Commission, set up in August last year, was among others tasked with the responsibility of looking into matters of land allocations in the country focusing on key issues like illegal sales and administration of lands, and illegal allocation.
The three-volume report, presented to the Gambian leader by the chair of the Commission, Justice Basirou Vassilli Portier Mahoney of the High Court, among others covered recommendations, visits to all the regions and layouts in the country, as well as findings of the Commission.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Jammeh deplored the menace of corruption in our society, noting that The Gambia cannot afford to condone corruption in whatever form with its meager resources.
While commending the Commission and members of the public for their efforts, Jammeh expressed the need for the Commission to be transformed into a permanent anti-corruption commission.
“Some of us have to be soldiers, put our lives on the line, so that the independence of this country will be guaranteed. It’s not easy, but I think that will help curb corruption.
“We are also going to look at our laws to make them more stringent just like we did for drug dealers, because it is necessary to put an end to corruption,” he said, adding that “we have to fight corruption tooth and nail, if we want to achieve the Vision 2020 and beyond and sustain it”.
According to him, the nation’s meager resources must be jealously guarded for the benefit of all. The Gambian leader warned that stringent legislations will be put in place to curb the devastating menace.
He noted that for almost 16 years of his stint in power, he had never received a most comprehensive, or thorough commission report as the one presented by the Lands Commission.
“Looking at some of the pages of the report, it is very funny and interesting as well – that you can have a building as beautiful as these pictures contained in the report and still nobody came to claim for them.
“It is very strange that a house as beautiful as this contained in the report has no owner. But what is important is that when the Commission was inaugurated, I stated that there are buildings whose owners would not be traced, but I am clearly vindicated with this report,” he said, adding further that there could only be one reason for the so-called owners not showing up.
“The buildings were corruptly obtained illegally, and built illegally.”
Jammeh also noted that the recommendations in the Lands Commission report will be upheld to the letter, and that those found wanting will be prosecuted accordingly.
The Vice President and Minister for Women Affairs, Isatou Njie-Saidy, who also spoke at the ceremony, commended the Gambian leader for his foresight in setting up the Commission, noting that when a sector of the society is unhappy, it is the responsibility of the government to look at the cause of that unhappiness.
She stated that for the government to avoid being accused of taking sides, it usually sets up an independent body or commission that is composed of independent people who look at these issues critically, so that there is no bias in the final analysis as regards the recommendations.
According to Vice President Njie-Saidy, land is a resource that can be a source of conflict, since people use it for a variety of purposes.
In presenting the report, Justice Mahoney stated that their enquiry covered all the five regions in the country and parastatals, including the Assets Management and Recovery Corporation, the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation, and the Gambia Tourism Authority.
According to chairman Mahoney, the Commission had a total number of 354 declarations from individuals and 81 complaints during their sittings.
“The enquiry was held in public and I can say it was independent and transparent,” he stated.
Source: The Point
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