During yesterday’s press conference, the Lands Ministry stated that several interventions have been made to curb those “illegal developments” from time of their inception through dialogue with the traditional lands’ owners, field inspections to stop the illegal developments, execution of demolitions on encroachments, press conferences and sensitisation.
The Lands Ministry justified that public spaces reserved for specific purposes were demarcated by individuals and sold as residential plots by private individuals.
“Access roads were blocked and sold within the layout as residential plots by private individuals.”
However, speaking to the press, Mariama Bojang, a single parent with seven children, a victim of the demolition said the press conference was a way to fool the public.
“I inherited the land and started constructing four years ago. I have spent approximately D900,000 to build my house which was almost completed. And suddenly physical planning showed up, stating I am occupying a government reserved land and they have to demolish it.”
“If the land was a reserve land why was I given documents to embark on construction,” she asked.
“I was given my authentic house documents and the same physical planning gave me the go ahead to build, and suddenly I am occupying a reserve land. For the entire four years that I have been constructing no one informed me that the land was a reserve, this is devastating,” she complained.
“I was given only five days notice, no chance to plead our case," she lamented.
“Tears welling in her eyes as she surveyed the wreckage of her family home. "My home was already complete and everything was demolished by physical planning. Coming to this press conference I was expecting tangible information.”
Molly Cham, another victim said: “They said it's about reclaiming public space, but this is our space too," as he voice shook with indignation. "We've built our lives here, raised our families here. Now, they're tearing it all down without a second thought."
“If I had known what they wanted to say at this press conference I wouldn’t have come. We know some many physical planning officials who reside in these areas; however, they are not affected.
“Is Sukuta to the parliament the only visible residence for layouts for government? Sukuta is occupied with layouts and this is injustice,” he laments.
Cherno B. Cham, another victim said that the process of turning lands to government reserve requires laws and steps to follow. He added that the Physical Planning and the Lands Ministry consulted nobody when making these places layouts.
“Because the time they claimed these were done, my father was the Alkalo then, and he never informed us or the community about this. If this was done, we demand them to produce these documents to prove that this was consented to by the community leaders,” he challenged.
Series of victims expressed similar sentiments and demanded the government to return their lands.
