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Momodou
Denmark
11804 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Mar 2010 : 18:59:41
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Businessman Cries Foul over “Wrongful” Eviction
By Saikou Jammeh
Depressed Mr. Kassim Fadera, a resident of Jarra Soma on Tuesday 9th March 2010 stormed The Daily News’ office, alleging that he was forcefully evicted from his building materials shop which serves as the sole source of income for him and his family.
He added that he was unlawfully detained by state security agents for 2 and 5 days at the Mansa Konko Police Station and the National Intelligence Agency headquarters in Banjul respectively. His family was forced to remove his goods from the shop while he was in detention at the NIA headquarters. The shop itself was "unlawfully" demolished, he further said.
This according to him, is the making of Chief Yahya Jarjusey of Jarra West, the ex-Governor of the Lower River Region Momodou Soma Jobe, and Chief Executive Officer of the Mansa Konko Area Council Babading ding Jobarteh, who were aided by agents of the National Intelligence Agency and members of the Police "to frighten" him to give-up his canteen.
He said he has been living in terror after clashing with the said authorities, while his life has been living miserable since the incident. Moreover, he claimed to have incurred "maximum economic loss" after his eviction. "It took me almost four months to secure a place to continue my business", he said. Worst still, he said "a friend who was aiding" him to be steadfast in the struggle against authorities has also been in custody with him at a cell in Mansa Konko Police Station, but later succumbed to death.
Mr. Fadera at this juncture, could not hold back his tears, as he went on narrating his ordeal. "Falai Bah (his friend) could not sleep the night we were detained", he said amid sobs. "He kept on asking how he could be humiliated in such a manner without offending anyone".
In an effort to seek further clarification, The Daily News contacted the late Mr. Bah’s wife, Mrs. Musu Njie. In a telephone interview, the widow could not say much. "I took breakfast to my husband when he was detained, but he refused to eat", she said. "When he was released, he complained of heart problems and kept mourning about his arrest and detention… we have lost him", the woman went on crying on the phone before hanging up.
According to Mr. Fadera, he acquired the said canteen in 1989 when the then Commissioner Lamin Waa Juwara of Lower River (then Division) declared to provide land for those interested in doing business to put up permanent structures.
He admitted that he and six others were allowed to put up structures, but would vacate anytime the State needed it for public use. He said on the contrary, the land was given to an individual (name with held). "I was doing my business there until on a certain day in June 2007, when we saw Chief Yahya Jarjusey accompany an individual to the site and was showing him the area’s demarcations", Mr. Kassim said.
To his surprise, on the 13th June 2007 the Council gave them notice to vacate the place because government was going to put up a Bank, which "is more of national interest than their canteens" in a letter from the Area Council. But because their findings later revealed that the area was instead given to an individual, they decided to challenge the Council’s decision, he said.
However when we contacted Mr. Juwara (the current Governor) on the issue, he said, "Mr. Fadera has got it all wrong." According to Juwara who was the then Commissioner of the area, "there were structures at the said area before Mr. Fadera and others were given the land. But those structures were demolished to give [way] to Fadera and others to put up standard buildings", Mr. Juwara said, adding that if the Council wanted it back to put up a more standard building, they could reclaim it.
The Daily News also contacted Mr. Momodou Soma Jobe, the Governor of the Region at the time of the saga, but he refused to comment, while Mr. Yahya Jarjusey, the Chief, was unreachable.
Meanwhile Mr. Kassim also said he was arrested by NIA operatives (names withheld). He said they came to arrest him around 2:00 am at his home and when he refused to open the door for them, they forced their way in. "I tried to run and I jumped over my fence, which is about three and a half meters high, during which I sustained injuries." Nonetheless the said operatives chased and apprehend him and took him to the Soma Police Station where he was detained till the following day. He said he was taken to Mansa Konko police station and finally taken to Banjul at NIA Headquarters where he was further detained.
"Mr. Fadera are you willing to give-up your canteen or not?" he said an NIA operative quizzed him. And his response according to him was: "Now we have passed that stage. Since you have forcefully whisked me from my compound, my family and brought me here under this condition, I have given-up my canteen. And if you happen to take me back to Soma and give me a 20 litre gallon of petrol to set my family on fire I will because my life is being threatened. I am afraid".
He said he was given a blank sheet of paper to sign his consent for eviction, which he did. He said he was further detained for 5 days, before he was returned to Mansakonko where he was again detained for another night.
Source: [url?"http://www.dailynews.gm/index.php?id=dn_home&tx_wecdiscussion[single]=1020281
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