Lands Minister in another Land Scandal Scam
By Thaimu Thullah
Fresh evidence now in possession of The Times SL Newspaper can confirm that Lands Minister Dr. Turad Senessie has again been implicated in another land scandal within the western rural district.
Following the continuous exposition of the media on the undue advantage taken over Alpha Conteh by the same Lands Minister regarding a four -acre private land at Tokeh Village, there are growing concerns from other aggrieved Sierra Leoneans who have suffered similar fate in the hands of the same man.
Alpha Conteh whose land documents for the 4-acre of land purchased at Tokeh stands to be legal and authentic has been crying for justice ever since Dr. Turad Senessie became Minister of Lands.
In his desperation to unlawfully take possession of the land, Dr. Turad Senessie used alleged cynical approaches with the help of one Noah Fofana now under the net of the Anti-corruption Commission in Makeni on corruption allegation surrounding land matters to unlawfully dispossessed Conteh of his 4-acre of land at Tokeh.
Though Alpha Conteh was able to provide relevant and authentic documents at the ministry, Minister Turad Senessie who already had a made up mind decided to turn a blind eye on those documents and went ahead embarking on a decision which amounts to ‘’corporate bully’’.
Today, Alpha Conteh has almost knock most the doors of authority’s concern crying for justice but it appears Minister Senessie is allegedly using political influence to suppress justice. From the Office of Anti-corruption Commission to Sierra Leone Judiciary and lately Sierra Leone Parliament, Conteh is yet to get justice.
This has been the case of other aggrieved Sierra Leoneans who bitterly complained the Lands Minister of the same thing at Angola town, Goderich and the latest is in Tombo.
What makes the story more interesting is the one in Boyor Fakai, Tombo Village which appears to be a land sold by the colonial masters through public auction with a government notice N0. 559 published in the Royal Gazette No. 3616 dated 30th July, 1942.
Despite evidence of proof to show ownership of the said land just like in the case of Alpha Conteh, Minister Turad Senessie has again instructed a team of land officials with a bulldozer to bring down structures and properties of the real owner laying claims that the land in question is a state land.
Sierra Leoneans does not deserve this kind of inhumane treatment by a cabinet minister who thinks he can just do anything outside the law.
Therefore, President Julius Maada Bio must intervene to save his image and that of his government before things get out of hands. Retaining Dr. Turad Senessie will be a regrettable mistake by President Julius Maada Bio.
In our next edition, we will bring out more evidence of ownership of the land purchased by Alpha Conteh at Tokeh , and that of Filo Jones at Tombo.