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Momodou
Denmark
11744 Posts |
 Posted - 30 Jun 2007 : 23:07:01
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LAND DISPUTE AT SAMI VILLAGE, LOWER NUIMI
By Ousman Jallow
According to Jonyie Sonko she has inherited land from her mother which belonged to her great grand mother, Suntukung Jammeh.
She claimed that she used to go to the rice field with her grandmother at the age 8 to 11 years. That as far back as 1945 her grandmother used to allow some women farmers to farm on the land on an annual basis.
Jonyie Sonko claims that she has a list of farmers who borrowed plots from her land for rice cultivation. She claimed that some people have been gradually transforming the farm land into personal properties because of the illegal sale of the land by land grabbers.
She said that she has asked his son Dodou Sanyang to write to the Governor, North Bank Region and the district authorities to put a stop to illegal sale of the land. She said that she cannot understand why anyone had authority to sell her farm land. Dodou Sonko showed the reporter the letter addressed to the Chief and copied to the Permanent Secretary, Department of State for Local Government and Lands by the Governor NBR requesting for an investigation into the matter. This reporter went to see the Chief, the Alkalo of Sami and the Alkalo of Essau to get their opinion.
The Alkalo Of Essau
He claims that he is not aware of any land owned by Dodou Sanyang’s mother; that parents from Essau have had links with Sami and their children may not be able to determine ownership of the land after the death of their parents.
The Alkalo of Sami
According to the Alkalo of Sami, Mr. Amaa Joof, his father had very close ties with the family of Dodou Sanyang’s mother and what transpired between them is in documents that are stamped. He said he became the Alkalo of Sami after the death of his father in 2003.
The Views of the Chief
According to district Chief, Tabora Manneh, he cannot know the owners of all the lands in Sami; that as chief any aggrieved person may file a case for redress and the case will be heard judiciously; that he cannot decide on a land case unless the matter is taken up with his court.
Observation
The reason why states have developed court systems is to prevent people from taking the law into their own hands. Once people know that they can find redress in courts without delay, they will become enthusiastic in taking up their grievances before such courts.
Suffice it to say that the greatest enemy of justice is poverty. When people do not have the financial means to get legal counsels, their grievances will remain unaddressed. Until there is an alternative dispute resolution measure that does not incur heavy cost the poor will not have justice.
This is why the Chief Justice should call for a special study of the district tribunal system with the view to bring it under the total and exclusive jurisdiction of the judiciary. The members of district tribunals could deliver speedy and quality justice without much cost if they are made completely independent and adequately remunerated to conduct their duties without fear or favour, affection or ill will. This is the way forward if all the growing land disputes are to be satisfactorily settled according to the dictates of law and justice.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 75/2007, 29 June – 1 July 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11744 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jul 2007 : 02:05:14
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LAND CRISIS AT SAMI
By Ousman M.M. Jallow
Amaa Joof, the Alkalo of Sami village, has vehemently denied allegations that he sold plots of land belonging to one Jonie Sonko.
Joof’s denial came in the wake of allegations that he sold Jonie Sonko’s land to one Amadou Jeng, a resident of Sami. Amaa said the plot of land he sold to Amadou Jeng belongs to him, noting that he acquired the piece of land in 1998. He said he is the one who sold the land to Amadou Jeng.
For his part, Amadou Jeng said he purchased the plot of land from Amaa Joof about three years ago. He said he purchased it at seven thousand dalasi, and that he has a witness who can corroborate his statements. He said the Alkalo had appended his signature to a document he (the Alkalo) gave him.
Readers could recall that one Dodou Sanyang had accused Amaa Joof of selling his mother’s (Jonie’s) land to different people. Dodou Sanyang had also claimed that his mother lent the land to some women who used it for farming purposes.
One Naffie Sonko, a resident of Essau, said she was permitted to use a piece of land at Sami by Jonie Sonko for farming purposes. She said she has been cultivating rice on the land for some years now. Asked whether somebody, not Jonie Sonko, had ever approached her claiming to be the rightful owner of the land, she responded in the negative.
One Fatou Njie Keita said Jonie had allowed her to use a piece of land at Sami for farming. She said she had used the piece of land for two years.
She said she was later beleaguered by ill health and that Jonie asked her (Fatou Njie) daughter, Borry Sonko, to use the land for rice cultivation in a bid to feed her family. She said Jonie does not sell her land at Sami. Instead she does allow people to farm on it.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 77/2007, July 4 – 5 2007 |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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