Alpha Conteh urges Parliament to Intervene

By Thaimu Thullah

Alpha Conteh, a Sierra Leonean living in the United States of America, has bitterly complained the Ministry of Lands to the House of Legislators, through the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Lands.

In a letter dated 3^rd June 2024 and addressed to the Chairman, Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Lands, Conteh clearly explained how his property, legally acquired at Tokeh Village (4 acres), was ‘‘illegally and unlawfully dispossessed’’ from him and his family by the Ministry of Lands, accusing the current Minister to have played an active role in the process. He expressed that the land in question was legally acquired some 12 years ago through due process, and that since then, he has been paying all taxes to government.

Conteh disappointedly explained in the letter how he was frustrated to later learn that the Ministry of Lands, under the leadership of the current Minister, Dr. Turad Senessie ‘‘forcefully and illegally ‘’ dispossessed him of his property under the pretext of state land reclamation, though there are enough evidence to show that the property is a private land and was legally acquired, with all relevant documents available for verification.

In that light, the young man, who felt to have been cheated, bullied and oppressed by government officials, has been crying for justice ever since the matter was taken to court. He maintained that even though he took the matter to court by way of seeking redress, yet the Ministry of Lands has deliberately failed to show up on different court hearings, leading to continuous adjournments, which, to him, is a case of delaying justice.

In his quest to seek justice, Conteh later took the matter to the Sierra Leone House of Parliament through the Chairman of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Lands, Hon. Quintin Salia -Konneh. Disappointedly again, since the matter was reported to Parliament, Conteh said he is yet to hear from the Committee. Very recently, the Committee on Lands gave a ruling on the Brookfields Hotel Land saga. It is also understood that the same matter is presently before the Anti-Corruption Commission, but that the commission is working at a snail’s pace to investigate and bring the Minister and others for questioning.

For ease of reference see the letter addressed to Parliament verbatim….

ALPHA CONTEH, MBA, CMA                                             

E-mail: alphaconteh@yahoo.com

3^rd June, 2024

The Chairman

Parliamentary Committee on Lands

Housing and Country Planning

Parliament Building

OAU Drive

Tower Hill Freetown

Dear Sir,

I, Alpha Conteh, a Sierra Leonean residing at the above address in the United State of America, have the following grievance against the Ministry of Land, and specifically the Minister of Land, Turad Senesie. I am very bitter about the Minister of Land illegally grabbing my four acres of land at Tokeh Village.

I bought this 4-acre piece of land along the peninsular road in Tokeh about 12 years ago, legally and rightfully, from the Tokeh headman, one Alhaji Slowe. The last time I checked the records, the lands were registered in my family’s names at the ministry of Lands with documentation signed by the director and minister – LS2012/19, LS2013/19, LS2014/19, LS3559/12 – each one of these LS numbers are one-acre properties. This land was protected by cement fense around the property with a gate and housed two different caretakers in two pan-body structures. I subsequently sold one acre (LS3559/12) to some people who wanted to build a school.

About a year and half ago, I was first contacted by the ministry of lands and they told me that the land was too big for one person to possess and that I should give them half of the land. After I refused, I was told that the land is government property without any proof or documentation. They have not produced any evidence to me in writing to show that my property is government land.  In fact their story keeps changing every time. When we went to inquire about this claim, one Mr. Noah Fornah wanted to meet at a private hotel, instead of the office of the ministry, and wanted to negotiate again so that we would give them half of the property. When we refused again, ‘the ministry’ ran a bulldozer and destroyed all of my cement fence (costing about $30,000), which enclosed the entire property, with a gate.  They also created several access roads across the property.  They have since sold and distributed the entire property to several individuals, some of whom started putting up protective structures. One of these individuals is said to be the relative of the First Lady Fatima Bio, one Mohamed Jabbie, who was allocated about 7 town lots.  Another is said to be the wife a minister.

I live in New York but went to Sierra Leone to try to straighten things out in March 2023.  I was able to see the minister.  Without even looking at my papers to ascertain ownership, he told me that the ministry had the right to destroy and take my property because “all land in Sierra Leone is government property unless it was granted to you by the government”. I told him that I went to the ministry to vet the property before buying it and the ministry gave me the green light to say that the property was okay to buy.  So, I bought it and paid taxes on it and the final documents were approved and signed two different directors of Lands, one of which still works at the ministry. The minister told me to write him a letter and he will consider allocating to me a different one town lot (only) somewhere else.

I have since taken the matter to court.  The case is continually being postponed because the ministry does not show up in court to answer the charges and the judge does not want to make a ruling in their absence.  Since the matter is not moving in the judiciary, I have taken my complaint to the public by publicizing my issue in the newspapers. Still, the ministry and minister have contacted several journalists and tried to negotiate them out of publicizing my story.

This is an unlawful and illegal grabbing of my property.  I am seeking all the help that I can get to fight and repossess my property.  This land was purchased to secure my family and to make future investments in not only the Tokeh Village, but also in Mama Salone as a whole. I  feel my right to own property as a Sierra Leonean is being trampled upon and as a law-abiding citizen, I require the intervention of the committee on this issue.

I am attaching the following documents:

1. The conveyances
2. Police report
3. Ministry charting room picture that shows that my property is not a government property and is surrounded by other private properties.
4. An encroachment report done by an independent surveyor.
5. The return receipt or logbook that shows the registration of 3 of the acres.

Thank you very much in advance for your help.

Warm regards,

Sincerely,