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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 10 Nov 2011 : 15:00:14
All very true, what will happen about this? I will tell you,NOTHING ,why ?TOO MANY BIG PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED,
who are they? I have no idea,to me it appears so obvious,if there was no problem in finding who is behind rip off schemes the problem would have been solved long, long ago.Will anyone on bantaba in cyberspace add input to what I have written,I doubt it,why? because they may have been ripped off themselves and want to save face,or they know so much about who is involved in this scandal that they dare not write about it.Cynical, you bet.
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/land-land-land
Land! land! land!
africa » gambia
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
It was not long ago when we stated on these pages that the number of issues pertaining to land in The Gambia is growing day by day.
We have poor coordination, false possession, and people charging high prices for what does not belong to them, to name but a few problems.
One thing that must be understood is that the physical land of The Gambia is for all of us, but possession of land has been beset with problems in recent times.
The next question that must be asked is - who to blame?
Do we lay the blame at the doors of alkalos, surveyors, or the relevant government institutions such as the Department of Physical Planning and the Department of Lands and Surveys?
Whoever is to blame for the problems related to land, the reality is that genuine people who wish to invest their hard-earned money in a piece of property, are increasingly afraid to risk getting involved in land deals.
It is hard to blame them. If you have worked hard and saved money diligently, the last thing you want is for that money to be lost in a dubious land deal.
Unfortunately, the issue of land is becoming a problem in many parts of Africa, so we in Gambia are not alone in our plight.
This said, we should waste no time in addressing the problem. Land in The Gambia now is a burning issue, and people need help, as they are suffering.
We hear of demolitions with time ebbing away in the run up to the rains. What are people to do? If they receive a small compensation, they cannot afford to buy a new house. If they have to build from scratch, they will find themselves and their families without a roof over their heads when the rainy season strikes. We cannot allow this to happen to any of our people.
The Government should make laws and introduce regulations that would ensure this kind of thing does not happen. If there is proper legislation introduced which covers every possible eventuality, it will ensure that no loophole exists to be exploited by anybody.
Along with this action, victims of demolitions must be compensated fully and relocated. Time is running out and the situation is worsening. If swift action is not taken, this terrible trend will worsen before it gets better.
Also prospective investors in land need to remind themselves of the importance of obtaining reliable confirmation and transfer documents from alkalos, and proper advice and guidance from lawyers.
Meanwhile, the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) should take another look at its policies, and make land affordable to public servants, the majority of whom cannot afford D100,000 for an empty plot of land, and the further cost of developing the land.
For example, it may be easier for SSHFC to construct houses and then pass them to owner-occupiers on mortgage, as obtains in other countries.
“Men sooner forget the death of their fathers than the loss of their possessions.”
Machiavelli
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| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 16 Aug 2022 : 09:39:50
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https://foroyaa.net/category/editorial/
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August 11, 2022
Some people are claiming ownership of land in Salagi while the Physical Planning Department maintains that the land is reserved land which has been given to NAWEC for a project.
Foroyaa had requested for an interview with the ministry of regional government and lands to clarify matters more than a fortnight ago but that interview is yet to be granted. Foroyaa wanted to know the requirements of the law for declaring a reserved land, whether those procedures were adhered to, the right of the owners to compensation for the loss of their property and so on.
Now, all that is done is the serving of notices for a demolition exercise and defiance by people in the community.
Civil servants need to be transparent in the performance of their duties. They should always be pleased whenever they have the opportunity to speak to the media in order to sell their agenda rather than running away from the media.
We hope the ministry will grant an interview to Foroyaa as soon as possible and even other media so that the public in general and the stakeholders of the Salagi land dispute will be properly informed. |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 22 Jul 2022 : 17:37:51
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https://foroyaa.net/physical-planning-director-land-allocated-to-nawec-in-salagi-is-reserved-land/
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By Mustapha Jallow on July 22nd 2022.
Mamudou Manjang, Director of the Department of Physical Planning and Housing, on Thursday clarified that the Sukuta-Salagi land is a reserved place for the government, which is now allocated for NAWEC.
Manjang made this assertion at his office in Banjul, while responding to accusations and claims made by Ousman Bojang that he is the rightful owner of the said land used as a market.
He indicated that Ousman Bojang has no authority to allocate a market or canteens in reserved areas.
He said a place has since been identified for residents by the government to use it as a market. In fact, he said the residents are currently developing the area.
“Bojang had sold some part of these reserved areas. So, we had to also demolish the structure because this is government property,” he added.
According to him, there were due processes that were followed to acquire the places and documents were also shown to them so that they can understand that the place they are claiming ownership is a government reserved land.
“Those claiming ownership were all compensated. So, if they said they were not compensated, they should visit the lands ministry to get their compensation because the ministry is ready to engage them,” Manjang said.
After so many allegations against physical planning, he explained that the police mounted an investigation into the matter. Upon completing the investigation, he said the police came up with recommendations and one of them was that families must be compensated which was done. Manjang urged Ousman to desist from occupying government’s reserved lands, while noting that the women vendors selling in the area don’t know anything about the land.
“Instead, they are there to only give power to Ousman in order for him to gain control of the reserved land.
“The reason why we made the demolition was because they refused to move after time was given for them to relocate and in fact, we were also helping them to move their belongings but they did not,” he narrated.
According to the physical planning director, the place is an approved layout and their presence was to ensure the protection of the reserved land.
“It’s approved layout, which has been allocated to NAWEC by the lands ministry. So, there is a place identified for Salagi residents to use as a market. Therefore, an individual does not have the right to allocate or build a market for his people without involving relevant authorities,” he said.
Nonetheless, Mr Manjang referred our reporter to lands ministry for further information. The permanent secretary of the aforesaid ministry asked the reporter to write a letter to them first, before he grants him an interview.
Meanwhile, it was on Wednesday when women vendors and claimants of land at Sukuta-Salagi market expressed their anger and concerns over the demolished market by officials from the Department of Physical Planning.
They claimed to inherit the land in question from their forefathers and ancestors. But the physical planning director dismissed those claims, saying Ousman does not own the land, but it’s a reserved government property.
When our reporter visited the disputed land, he observed that the market, where mothers and other young women make little income to pay for their children’s school fees, rent, fish-money, and daily needs, was demolished. No structure or canteen was spared during the demolition.
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 07 May 2021 : 13:27:12
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https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/editorial/beware-of-illegal-land-dealers
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The Point: Editorial
Beware of illegal land dealers!
May 7, 2021
Dispute land continues to be a major problem in The Gambia these days. Land issues have become so serious that most of these disputes end up in our courts.
It is a fact that more and more families in the provinces are migrating to the urban and peri-urban centres on a number of factors. And most farmlands in the urban and peri-urban centers are now turning into settlements.
However, that should not be a basis for unscrupulous land dealers to sell properties that doesn’t belongs to them.
It is the news that residents of Sotokoi in the Kombo North over the weekend convened a press conference over the issue of multiple lands being unlawfully sold.
Already, some who purchased a plot have started developing their area by building houses.
It is high time government through the Ministry of Local Government and Lands do something to avert what could result to looming disaster. Disputes over land in most cases result to fatalities. It is such an explosive issues that need to be addressed immediately. Past experiences have taught us how serious land issues could turn into.
Therefore, residents of this Kombo North settlement called on the government to immediately address the issue before it goes out of control. Also, authorities need to look into the activities of some of the estate agencies and unscrupulous land grabbers in the country. Until then, the issue of grabbing and illegal sale of land will be an issue in years to come.
Certainly, most of the estate agencies operating in the country are ‘masking’ to be real estate developers while in the real sense they are exploiting people. Authorities including the Department of Physical Planning need to do a lot before endorsing some of these land developers. A thorough ‘fact and background check’ must be done to ascertain whether they are in fact genuine in their activities. If not any Tom, Dick and Harry could just appear from nowhere and pretend to be a genuine estate dealer.
Land issues especially in the Kombos are not taken lightly. Let’s be aware of unscrupulous land dealer. Each one, teach one. Together we will totally eradicate it in our society.
"The wise young man or wage earner of today invests his money in real estate."
Andrew Carnegie
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 07 May 2021 : 13:22:49
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https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/sotokoi-residents-ask-govt-to-address-land-disputes
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Sotokoi residents ask gov’t to address land disputes
The Point: May 7, 2021
By: Adama Tine
Residents of Kombo Sotokoi including the alkalo, kabilos, imam and other relevant personnel of the village over the weekend conveyed a press conference over the issue of multiple lands being unlawfully sold.
Already, some built houses in the area have demolished by a Sudanese national called Abdou Majid, owner of Unity Properties Estate Agency.
Residents of Kombo Sotokoi have called on the government to address the land dispute before it goes out of control, adding that land disputes have become a cause for concern for most Gambians today.
Haddijatou Njie, a victim of land grabbing said, her land has been demolished and now she is calling on the government to address the land disputes in the country.
“I saw all our properties have been demolished,” Haddijatou Njie said. “I asked who demolished our properties and for what reason, then I was told it was Omar Bojang, a native of Brufut who claimed ownership of the lands.”
However, Madam Njie said, if they (victims) contact Omar Bojang and Abdou Magid, they would tell us “get out there, you don’t have anything there.”
She questioned how “a native of Brusubi claim ownership of our lands in Sotokoi?” She added Omar Bojang claimed ownership for about 450 meters land that belongs to them.
Madam Njie said: “We bought our lands from Lamin Gaye the owner of the land.”
“We have started building our lands,” Haddijatou Njie said. “I believe the country has laws and how can someone demolish our lands without giving us any information?”
She said, Omar Bojang demolished their lands and sold them to Abdou Magid the owner of Unity Properties Estate.
She added: If that is the case, I believe they should have informed us because none of us acquired a land illegally.”
“It is very sad! If you go to the Physical Planning they will tell you everything was based on law,” Madam Njie said. “We want Bojang to take us to court if he really believes he is the right owner of the properties he claimed.”
Haddijatou Njie said she is not moving from her property and she is ready to challenge the matter at the court.
Abdoulie Manneh, another land owner whose building was also demolished said they are ready to do anything to get their lands back.
He said the land that Omar Bojang sold to Abdou Magid of Unity Properties, the documents were never issued by the alkalo of Sotokoi but he provided documents from Brusubi.
He said how can someone buy a land in Sotokoi and get the documents in Brusubi? We have spoken to the kabilo and the alkalo before we would start to take any action,” Abdoulie Manneh said.
He added that some of them bought their lands for over two decades. “Now Bojang is claiming ownership of our lands and he started demolishing our lands,” Abdou Manneh said.
Dodou Bojang, a member of Jawara Kunda Council of elders, attested Lamin Gaye was given the land in the 1980s by the village elders for cashew plantation.
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 02 May 2021 : 16:06:33
SNIPPET:
"Police PRO Njie said Momodou Dahaba would appear in court on Monday."
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https://www.chronicle.gm/9621-2/
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Gambia’s Police spokesperson Superintendent Lamin Njie has told The Standard Newspaper that top NPP’s trumpet blower, Momodou Dahaba, has been arrested and charged with “obtaining money by pretense.” Mr. Dahaba allegedly took D600,000 from a woman in exchange for a plot of land he never owned in Bijilo.
Momodou Dahaba, now a staunch defender of President Adama Barrow’s party, was a diehard supporter of former Dictator Yahya Jammeh and his party, the APRC.
Momodou Dahaba was a police detective until he fell in disgrace with Yahya Jammeh’s regime in 2015. He fled The Gambia for Guinea Bissau and Senegal, claiming to fear for his life. But Dahaba abruptly returned to The Gambia and renewed his allegiance to Yahya Jammeh in July 2015 after he obtained guarantees that he would not be arrested.
Early 2019, Dahaba abandoned APRC for the newly created NPP of President Adama Barrow. Videos of Dahaba praising Adama Barrow went viral on social media after the regime gave him bags of rice and sugar, and other commodities shortly before the nationwide distribution of the Covid relief package. In the videos, Momodou Dahaba could be seen and heard saying Adama Barrow’s NPP regime is sweeter than Yahya Jammeh’s APRC.
Police PRO Njie said Momodou Dahaba would appear in court on Monday. |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 06 Oct 2020 : 12:14:51
https://foroyaa.net/permanent-secretary-buba-sanyang-briefs-parliamentarians-on-salagi-land-dispute-others/
By: Kebba AF Touray on October 5, 2020
Permanent Secretary Buba Sanyang on Monday in Banjul briefed Parliamentarians on how his Ministry settled some of the land disputes in the West Coast Region.
Buba Sanyang, Permanent Secretary 1, at the Land Ministry, dilating on Salaji Land Dispute, informed the committee that Salajai is a government set out layout and the arrangement at the time, was to compensate the land owners in the area in kind(giving part of the land to them) within the layout.
He said the last demolition exercise conducted by the Ministry, was as a result of government’s inaccessibility to the ‘Educational Facility’ within the layout, for a contractor, who has been for one year awarded and given advance payment by the government to start construction works at the primary school therein.
He said that the Ministry felt that there was need to provide access to the contractor to facilitate the construction work of building the school, adding that some youth were trying to block the construction process of that land allocation. He said the youth in turn wanted to reallocate the said land to other people, some of whom also decided to start developing on those lands.
He said: “The Ministry embarked on the demolition to enable the contractor to start the construction of the school, as well as to clear some of the public spaces for some people who have been allocated land by the government within the layout”.
On Yundum land matter, he explained the area was owned by one Mr. Jagne an erstwhile commissioner of the West Coast Region, who acquired the land from the local people, but after the change of government in 1994, the commission at the time felt that they abused their office and that land was forfeited from them and given back to the state at the time.
He added: “the state at the time, handed over the land to AMRC and AMRC in return put this particular land on an open tender and one Mr. Gaye, who was the highest bidder at the time, bought the land from AMRC, with all the transfer papers were done in his name. AMRC along the road got interested in the land because it appreciated value, on grounds that Mr. Gaye is selling the land without the change of use”.
He said a taskforce was set up, to investigate into the matter, which recommended inter alia that the said property can be confiscated and the decision at the time was that the land was taken from Mr. Gaye.
He said after the change of government in 2016, Mr. Gaye challenged the decision of the task force in the court and the court set aside the report of the taskforce and referred the land back to Mr. Gaye, and the Ministry engaged Mr. Gaye that he (Gaye) has a title over the land, but was then agricultural.
He said AMRC sold part of this land to Mr. Gaye and as a Ministry, they engaged Mr. Gaye by allowing him to go through the change of use process and based on that Mr. Gaye forfeited 40 percent of the land and that was done and Mr. Gaye got his 60 percent.
He said: “but in order to bailout AMRC, the state returned back another 20 percent to Mr. Gaye to drop the charges against AMRC, for having sold about 20 percent of his land. So the state gave him 20 percent back from the 40 percent, and Mr. Gaye consented to this and was given clearance to work on his part of the land and the government set up a mini layout on its remaining 20 percent and this is where some National Assembly and some Gambians are allocated in Old Yundum”.
He said: “the state does not enter into this matter to take the land from the rightful owners, but to return the land to its rightful owner”.
He said the Bufut Land dispute, was caused by the allocation of a portion of a plot of land to the CSC Company, to use as warehouse and that during the Janneh Commission, the families of Bojang Kunda and Sanneh Kunda wrote to the commission, each claiming ownership of the land, but the commission wrote to them that such matter was not in its mandate.
He said “Then they wrote to the Ministry which invited the Alkalo and representatives of the two families of the villages and during the engagement, it was proven to them that the said area belongs to the Bojang family and the state did not hesitate to return the land to the Bojang Kunda Family”.
Earlier the Chairperson of the Committee, Musa Amul Nyass, explained that the interface aims to bring the committee and its line Ministry and Land Commission to discuss and provide update to the committee on the issue of land disputes in the country.
Sitting continues tomorrow with the Area Councils at the National Assembly in Banjul
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 24 Sep 2020 : 16:38:51
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https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/national-news/land-issues-is-yet-to-be-addressed-by-authorities-brikama-south-mp
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Sep 24, 2020, 1:06 PM | Article By: Ismaila Sonko
The National Assembly Member for Brikama South has said that the issue of the land dispute in the country is yet to be addressed by the government of The Gambia.
Lamin J. Sanneh was speaking recently during debate on the State Of Nation Address by president Adama Barrow at the National Assembly in Banjul.
The Brikama South lawmaker called on the government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government to come with a policy that will protect the lands in the country as well as control Real Estate developers in the country.
"We have a lot of lands problem in the country and the government of The Gambia is not doing much to come with a solution that will solve these land crises," he said.
According to him, in his constituency there are two villages namely, Darsilami and Dimbayaa that are currently facing a lot of challenges on land crises between them and Senegalese, claiming the ownership of the same land. The matter, he went on, was reported to the authorities concerned to remedy the situation.
“But still now nothing has been done to solve the problem”.
Also weighing on the debate, Sidia S. Jatta, member for Wuli West challenged government of the Gambia through the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government to come with a solution that will end the land dispute in the country.
Hon. Jatta noted that land crisis is a serious problem that people in many communities are dealing with.
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 24 Sep 2020 : 16:24:38
Nothing changes ,THIS POLITICIAN has been at this since an article posted on Foroyaa: January 4, 2019 scroll back in this topic to read that article
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https://foroyaa.net/sedia-jatta-tasks-govt-to-address-land-conflicts-jeopardizing-relations-friendships/
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By Kebba AF Touray on September 23, 2020
Sidia S Jatta, the Member for Wuli West, has tasked President the Adama Barrow-led Government to address the issue of land conflicts in The Gambia which has jeopardized the relations and friendships among families and communities in various part of the country.
Speaking at the debate on State of the Nation Address delivered by President Barrow recently, Mr. Jatta pointed out that development cannot take place in the midst of land conflict, noting that it is a big issue in almost every constituency in the Gambia.
“It has jeopardized relations and friendships, creating enmity between friends and relatives. That is why the government must address the issue in a comprehensive and conclusive ways so that we can move ahead with development. No development can take place in an area where this issue is prevailing and they are numerous,” Jatta said on Wednesday at the national assembly in Banjul.
He added: “We cannot sit by and look at it, because this is a conflict between the people and communities who are living together. There have been some situation in my constituency for over two to three years and these issues are not addressed and are affecting people who are living together.”
Jatta said the issue of land conflicts is prevailing everywhere in the country, but the country is silent about it, and that serious efforts need to be developed, so as to address the situation, otherwise it will bring big problem to those who are supposed to live in harmony
He said agriculture is the only area that can address the issues of unemployment, poverty eradication, revenue generation and becoming economically independent.
He said: “Which means that we must invest into the sector. Supposed we empower the sector with the ability to invest and provide fishing vessels and we do the fishing ourselves. This will create job opportunities for lot of young people and generate revenue for the country”.
He said: “we can do without taking money from anywhere in the world. We can do our development without indebting ourselves to a point that we cannot move forward. We have been here for 55 years and under development has been torturing us because we are bent on taking and paying loans”.
He said COVID-19 is one of the factors that is confronting the whole world, and that he was looking forward to a concrete report on the country’s current state of the pandemic.
He said that a lot of things have been done and that the Health Ministry and the frontline workers need to be applauded for their courage and determination in confronting the terrible pandemic that is threatening the whole world.
He said despite the country’s limited resources, it started the fight against the pandemic with determination, courage with the limited resources, which has made the Gambia to register lesser death cases as a result of the pandemic compared to other countries.
He said: “I think the Health Ministry must provides a concrete report on this particular situation to the National Assembly. This will highlight the challenges, what have been accomplished and what is still needed to be done. We still need resources to empower the Ministry in all aspects to be able to confront this deadly disease”.
Jatta underscored that education is a sector without which the world cannot move, and has not been spared by the pandemic, in view of the closure of schools for almost 7 months, thus holds the view that the schools need to re-open, but that the country must be prepared for it.
He proffered: “I think there is need for all the Principals of High Schools to create a think- tank and plan on what the re-opening of the schools will be. Upper and Lower Basic Schools Principals should do likewise. We must plan but we cannot continue to close these schools”.
He said this would mean that the country is fettering the development of knowledge and the development of instruments that are required for the development of the country.
He lamented: “We have learnt to live with high blood pressure and all types of diseases and COVI-19 should be part of them. We must plan to live with it, but it must not deter and fetter our survival. Human beings have the capacity to overcome any difficulties but this must be prepared”.
He cited lack of public transport as the saddest thing in the country, stating that the current public service transport is inadequate, ineffective making people stand along the road for long time without getting transport.
He advised: “Everything that we do must be critically examined and the purpose for which it is done. The address is not a mere formality and if one views it from that aspect, it would be wrong. It is fundamentally important because it is the yard stick that he provides to measure what is being provided against what is being done for the citizenry”.
He said the fact that the address covers all the sectors of the government, it means that the sectors are consuming the taxpayer’s money and as such they need to know what the taxpayers are providing for the sectors and whether or not the sectors are yielding.
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 03 May 2020 : 16:20:45
https://foroyaa.net/an-alternative-policy-to-land-grabbing/
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The current trend of selling Kabilo land to promote real estate business is not sustainable. Family disputes are increasing and extended families are selling farmland and other estates to share the money only to become landless. They are depriving their children and grandchildren land to live on.
These landless family members will one day condemn those who fail to secure their birth right,
The type of real estate business that is sustainable is to build low cost housing for families in exchange for land to build more low-cost housing for sale at reasonable prices. This would help to reduce housing shortage and stop the trend towards land grabbing. Public enterprises could also contribute to building low cost housing for employees who would pay monthly to sustain such schemes. Farmers’ cooperatives could also do the same for their members in the rural area. |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 03 May 2020 : 16:13:20
https://foroyaa.net/real-estate-companies-should-cleanse-their-ranks/
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Unfortunately, Foroyaa is beginning to get another picture of infiltration of the business by swindlers who take money from people without delivering on their promise. Millions of dalasis in hard-earned money is going into the pockets of those who do not mind pocketing ill-gotten gain.
Foroyaa strongly recommends that those who are engaged in the business prevail on their colleagues to hold consumer Parliaments on air to have regard for COVID-19. Each will be invited to appear on air and answer questions from the public. Those who have the courage to do so should be trusted. Those who do not have the courage would expose themselves |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 28 Feb 2019 : 08:55:16
February 27, 2019
Frightening developments are beginning to emerge as the Kombo area moves towards development where small land owners are being threatened with eviction under the pretext that their ancestors were just allowed to stay on the land but not to own it.
Having invested all their lives on such land with a traditional land tenure system under which the first to clear the forest are considered to be the owners, how could a state allow such people just to be evicted and become landless families overnight. The state cannot be aloof. It should intervene to create a win-win situation. It could develop a compensation scheme for those with claims to avoid conflict. It should protect those who have settled to avoid conflict. This is the way forward.
http://foroyaa.gm/will-a-good-government-stand-idly-by-and-allow-people-to-become-landless-in-broad-daylight/ |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 15 Jan 2019 : 20:15:30
January 15, 2019
Members of the Land Commission were sworn in since 17th September 2018. The members are as follows: Justice Raymond Sock as chairperson, Buba Barry, Nancy Nyang, Momodou S. Jobe, and Kemo Conteh as members.
We are yet to see any invitation for press coverage regarding the inauguration of the Commission. Land is a major source of conflict. The Land Commission is one tool that should enable the country to manage and solve land conflicts. The CRC is up and running. What is holding the Land Commission? Foroyaa will approach the Commission for an answer.
http://foroyaa.gm/what-is-happening-to-the-lands-commission/
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 09 Jan 2019 : 16:58:29
Inflammatory language such as "“We continue to deceive our people that we are representing them. If things continue as they are in this National Assembly, there will be a revolt. I will lead it and we will succeed. We will drive everyone out and people will become free, because that is what they have fought for. They want to be free and we still want to continue deceiving them in this National Assembly speaking in a language that is foreign," is unnecessary and unconsidered.
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A glaring FACT remains in that there are VAST numbers of the Gambian population who can neither READ nor Write,therefore to cloud this lands issue with the use of local language MUST be a total non starter.
ENGLISH is the OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF GAMBIA,NOT French, Wollof, Jola,Arabic,Mandinka.
FIRST THINGS FIRST. POLITICAL ACTION MUST BE STARTED NOW !
A discussion open to the GENERAL PUBLIC by the FULL MEMBERSHIP OF THE NA and not only a committee.
Stop going around in circles TAKE ACTION & DO SOMETHING.
quote:
Originally posted by Momodou
Sidia Jatta Calls On Government To Address Land Disputes
Foroyaa: January 4, 2019
By Yankuba Jallow
http://foroyaa.gm/sidia-jatta-calls-on-government-to-address-land-disputes/
Sidia S. Jatta, the National Assembly Member for Wuli West, has called on the Government of the Gambia to address the issue of land disputes in the country.
Jatta said this during the National Assembly Adjournment Debate held on Thursday December 27th 2018.
Sidia told Deputies that the country is faced with land disputes. He said this has brought about hatred among people and the Government is doing nothing about it. The Wuli West Deputy said the issue is becoming serious to the extent that joining two communities for social services, is becoming difficult; that Government cannot provide each and every village with a borehole, and found it useful to join communities to share a borehole. He said the issue is now proving difficult because of land disputes.
Sidia said there is need to amend Section 191 of the Constitution.
Sidia also said there cannot be meaningful development, in the absence of the usage of our local languages for communication. “We continue to deceive our people that we are representing them. If things continue as they are in this National Assembly, there will be a revolt. I will lead it and we will succeed. We will drive everyone out and people will become free, because that is what they have fought for. They want to be free and we still want to continue deceiving them in this National Assembly speaking in a language that is foreign,” he said.
He called on the Minister of Information and Communication to open up to people, so that they can use the GRTS to teach people in their own languages, and that he is ready to take up that responsibility. “Allocate time, every week 3 hours and we will use it to educate people in their own languages, and then we will move forward with development. If we do not do that, we will move nowhere with development,” he said. Sidia told Deputies that it is the people who matter, when it comes to development and that representatives, make decisions for the people.
“You make a decision and they do not know what you decided for them. Yet we want them to be part of the development process. Is this possible? They must be part and parcel of development. They must conceive development and you cannot do that when you do not take this strange language away,” Jatta said. Jatta said he has colleagues who can do and will be committed to teaching people in their native languages.
“That is what we meant by freedom. Speak your language. We are here promoting English,” he said.
He said the people they are representing need to know what they are saying in the National Assembly. He said the majority of the masses in the country cannot understand English and they are not included in the events at the National Assembly.
Sidia said the country is not going to move without the use of ‘our’ local languages in the country; that the recent enactment of the Bill on Basic and Secondary Education has failed to contain the fundamental things. He pointed out that it is now established that Gambian languages should now be taught in Schools but the Bill has failed to officialise the use of our local languages in these Schools. He added that the writing system to use these languages has been established since 1979, but has never been officialised.
“There should be an Act of the National Assembly that should officialise an autograph for our languages,” he said.
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| Momodou |
Posted - 04 Jan 2019 : 21:33:54
Sidia Jatta Calls On Government To Address Land Disputes
Foroyaa: January 4, 2019
By Yankuba Jallow
http://foroyaa.gm/sidia-jatta-calls-on-government-to-address-land-disputes/
Sidia S. Jatta, the National Assembly Member for Wuli West, has called on the Government of the Gambia to address the issue of land disputes in the country.
Jatta said this during the National Assembly Adjournment Debate held on Thursday December 27th 2018.
Sidia told Deputies that the country is faced with land disputes. He said this has brought about hatred among people and the Government is doing nothing about it. The Wuli West Deputy said the issue is becoming serious to the extent that joining two communities for social services, is becoming difficult; that Government cannot provide each and every village with a borehole, and found it useful to join communities to share a borehole. He said the issue is now proving difficult because of land disputes.
Sidia said there is need to amend Section 191 of the Constitution.
Sidia also said there cannot be meaningful development, in the absence of the usage of our local languages for communication. “We continue to deceive our people that we are representing them. If things continue as they are in this National Assembly, there will be a revolt. I will lead it and we will succeed. We will drive everyone out and people will become free, because that is what they have fought for. They want to be free and we still want to continue deceiving them in this National Assembly speaking in a language that is foreign,” he said.
He called on the Minister of Information and Communication to open up to people, so that they can use the GRTS to teach people in their own languages, and that he is ready to take up that responsibility. “Allocate time, every week 3 hours and we will use it to educate people in their own languages, and then we will move forward with development. If we do not do that, we will move nowhere with development,” he said. Sidia told Deputies that it is the people who matter, when it comes to development and that representatives, make decisions for the people.
“You make a decision and they do not know what you decided for them. Yet we want them to be part of the development process. Is this possible? They must be part and parcel of development. They must conceive development and you cannot do that when you do not take this strange language away,” Jatta said. Jatta said he has colleagues who can do and will be committed to teaching people in their native languages.
“That is what we meant by freedom. Speak your language. We are here promoting English,” he said.
He said the people they are representing need to know what they are saying in the National Assembly. He said the majority of the masses in the country cannot understand English and they are not included in the events at the National Assembly.
Sidia said the country is not going to move without the use of ‘our’ local languages in the country; that the recent enactment of the Bill on Basic and Secondary Education has failed to contain the fundamental things. He pointed out that it is now established that Gambian languages should now be taught in Schools but the Bill has failed to officialise the use of our local languages in these Schools. He added that the writing system to use these languages has been established since 1979, but has never been officialised.
“There should be an Act of the National Assembly that should officialise an autograph for our languages,” he said. |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 03 Jan 2019 : 21:50:58
Foroyaa, where are you ? This is surely a Burning issue that can ONLY BE RESOLVED by some POLITICAL ACTION.
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"Dominic Mendy, a teacher and resident in one of the affected compounds, said he has seen no reason of leaving his compounds, saying he has been occupying the compound since the first republic.
“We are not moving anywhere, this is our place and we have been occupying this place with our families since the first government” he added."
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The statement above by Mr Mendy APPEARS to confirm that there is NO PAPER evidence as to the ownership of the land by the current occupants.
Land Desputes have long been a problem in Gambia
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Thursday, January 03, 2019 Author: Yusupha Jobe
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/over-60-faala-residents-served-with-eviction-order |
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