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Momodou
Denmark
11634 Posts |
 Posted - 01 Sep 2010 : 14:50:28
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A Mammoth Task
kissy-kissy Mansa
With Saihou Jammeh
President jammeh has acted out of necessity and established the lands Enquiry Commission mandated to look into The gambia's chronic and problem. But this commission has mammoth task as the President himselff may come under fire. kissy-kissy mansa explains
“If you know of a corrupt land purchase deal in The Gambia or have been a victim yourself …
“If you have lost money and/or land then we would hope to help clear up the matter and where possible get back your money, the land or get some sort of compensation, but apart from that …” This information was published on Gambia Tourism Support’s website in 2004, providing warning as well as guiding on land purchases. It came in the wake of several complaints that disputes over land are abound even after acquiring it following the formal procedure.
Indeed, the trend of land grabbing, including wrongful allocation and sale of land, which the commission is tasked to look into, is getting worst by the day.
This, as some would argue is obvious in a bustling country like ours, but the complexity of it is unprecedented.
To give an insight of land problem in The Gambia, generally, not limiting to illegal allocation and sale, in May this year, a looming land dispute between two villages – Perai and Wally-Ba Kunda in the Tumana district - prompted me to travel about 350 km to investigate a dispute that is older than the current dwellers.
However it reached a climax and the villagers could in any minute exchange blows, if not for our intervention that forced the authorities to act.
While there, I was tempted to move ahead to other places as reports abound of similar situations through-out that area.
A week after I returned Choya and Sare Bakary villages this time in the Niamina district clashed over a strip of land.
During the same week, I covered a land dispute case at Kombo north district tribunal.
Sitting there on that faithful day from morning at 10 to 4 pm, all the cases dealt with were land disputes.
In June this year, a group of paramilitary officers demolished houses in Babylon village, also in Kombo north.
This action follows that of the 2008 demolition, which was deadly.
Moreover, sometime last year, over a hundred residents in Kotu Quarry were evicted and their houses were demolished. It was disheartening seeing octogenarians, teenagers and women spending nights without roofs covering them, guarding what was left of their household belongings thrown out by the officers.
This was done without “notification.” Some of them are now picking up the pieces.
One of the most recent scenarios was the one between Jiboro and Jeddah where villagers confronted each other in the bush with weapons.
The greater Banjul is not spared either, as well as the government.
In March 2010 the local government ministry gave an ultimatum to those who bought land from the ministry from 2005 to provide full information of particulars of those acquisitions to the ministry within 25 days otherwise have their acquisitions confiscated.
Referring to this move, Foroyaa newspaper said: “The mere issuing of the threat gives the impression that all is not well with the system of allocating State lands.”
Meanwhile, it must be noted here that customary land tenure arrangement is recognised by law.
In The Gambia in 1946 the Land Act was passed with the intention of preserving the existing customary rights.
The subsequent legislation regarding land administration was in 1990, though critics say, this act has vested wide powers on the local government minister.
And the former regime stands accused of massive corruption including grabbing of land by the rich few denying the majority poor.
No wonder when president Jammeh took over in 1994 with the promise to correct these wrongs, he was applauded.
A commission was set-up, properties were forfeited from officials of the former regime.
Accordingly, the 1997 constitution provides for the establishment of a lands commission to take charge of land administration in the country, but it was not until 2007, when the bill was passed.
The then local government and lands minister Ismaila Sambou in laying the motion said it sought to reduce land disputes. “As the need for housing and other land related issues increase, due to population growth and rapid urbanization, land utilization activities correspondingly increase, necessitating a new regulatory framework.
But since then, land disputes have been escalating due to what many decried as lack of a lands commission.
While both customary and formal legal structures exist and constantly interact in land administration, the trend of land grabbing, including wrongful land allocation and sale of land in The Gambia, which the commission is tasked to look into, is getting worst by day.
Some would argue that such a scenario is apparent in a fast growing nation, but an editor of a Gambian online newspaper editor Baboucarr Sanneh differs
“This [land grabbing] is not due to the simple economic principle that land appreciates in value over time,” he wrote. “More than just that. Players in the land game have kept both demand and prices growing higher and higher. It emerged that there is a new breed of land grabbers in the corridors of power.”
And his view was amplified by the Gambian president himself at the swearing in ceremony of the commission members, chaired by Justice Almamy Fanding Taal, a high court judge, last week Monday at statehouse.
“There is the need to put an end to malpractices,” Daily Observer quoted the president as saying.
According to the Observer, the president has described the trend of land grabbing as corruption and has vowed to uproot it.
However, the massive land acquisition by an individual, which the president has promised to fight against in 1994, is what his regime could be found guilty of. As a commentator says, it is one of ironies of his reasons for taking over.
In today’s Gambia, it is as if he only points a finger and a land is given.
Some villagers said they have given land to him as a gesture for his benevolence.
In a case, this has led to a dispute. A case in point is that of the sacked ninety-year-old Alkali of Jalambang Njobo Bah who was sentenced to a ten thousand dalasi fine D10, 000 for criminal trespass on a land given to the president.
At the swearing, the president placed emphasis on the fact that the commission was not out to witch-hunt, but rather to ensure justice, beats one’s imagination.
Nonetheless, while strengthening the president’s call for people to take advantage of the afforded opportunity in order to seek redress, it is fitting to note that the commission has a mammoth task if the chairperson’s promise of leaving no stone unturned is to be fulfilled. It would be even more daunting since it is not a witch-hunting exercise. But, after all, innocent citizens have been witch-hunted.
Source: Dailynews
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 01 Sep 2010 : 19:20:34
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| A very clear and concise report by the reporter, it is the case that in The Gambia things that require quick action are often left or put into the hands of an "enquiry " that can take years to report,it would really interest me if anything comes out of this,why do I think that,because its all about greed and money, land has been sold sometimes 3 times over to different people and there is big money to be had just by stringing folks along and telling them that this person or that person can help your purchase if you give them a gift (that's right folks corruption ) endemic in all walks of life in the Gambia, will it change ? No,will anything change ? No. Is The Gambia a great place to visit on holiday, Yes ! |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 01 Sep 2010 20:42:26 |
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