By Nasratu Kargbo
Members of Parliament have during their debate on the National Land Commission Act 2022 called for massive dismissals at the Ministry of Lands Housing and Country Planning.
According to the MPs, the personnel at the ministry have been the reasons for the problems in the Sector and therefore their removal is of essence for the success of the minister.
“If the Minister is to succeed, every member of the Ministry of Lands should be removed,” said the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Lands, Housing and Country Planning in Parliament Ibrahim Tawa Conteh from Constituency 132.
The MP on the 26th July 2022 during the debate commended the Minister of Lands Housing and Country Planning Dr. Turad Senesie for his effort and strides in the ministry but stressed the need to cleanse the whole system.
He explained that the personnel are neither truthful nor efficient and that they undermine the efforts of both former and present Land Ministers, reiterating that a single member should not be left.
When asked what informed that call, Conteh explained to Politico that as Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Lands Housing and Country Planning in Parliament, he has interacted with personnel in the ministry, especially civil servants, and came to the realization that all they do is to stifle the work of the minister and ordinary Sierra Leoneans.
He explained that there are so many pending cases in the ministry, noting that due to the inefficiency of the civil servants, they have not been able to make reports for some cases that have spanned two years.
Addressing the minister, Member of Parliament from Constituency 111 in Western Rural, Horace Ekuyemi Vincent said: “We have to really purge your ministry; this government has to work with you to see how you can purge that ministry”.
“I will tell you authoritatively as the member of parliament in that constituency, Devil Hole axis, 60% of the lands that have been sold in that area was done by members of your ministry,” said Vincent. He explained that surveyors and members of the ministry are the ones selling lands in that area, adding that it has led to a series of confrontations with members of the community.
The MP said with the purging of the ministry and the introduction of the Lands Commission, sanctity will be brought to the sector.
He explained that Western Area Rural has the highest number of cases that are before the minister and therefore applauded the initiative of having a commission. He believes that the commission will help solve the land issues in his constituency.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (27/07/22)
