OPINION > One Thing & Another The Minister of Lands, the Environment and Country Planning Must Respect Laid Down Rules Posted by on Aug 11, 2009, 01:01

“The Minister of Lands, the Environment and Country Planning should sit down, learn the procedures, rules and regulations that dictate land management in Sierra Leone, as his routine electronic talk shows interspersed with an avowed desire to mix up issues about land acquisition in Sierra Leone will only help to expose his ignorance about what obtains within the ministry he professes to head, which has now landed him in disgrace”.

These are the exact words of a fuming landowner in Freetown, ably supported by many residents in the Western Area who take great exception to the skewed manner the Minister of Lands, Environment and Country Planning goes about making untenable threats to would-be landowners in this country. A critical and an unbiased look at the functions of the Ministry of Lands, Environment and Country Planning in Sierra Leone has undoubtedly unveil that the aforementioned ministry is a mere agent of the Government of Sierra Leone. 

And by extension, it reads that the Ministry of Lands does not sell lands other than allocating such lands to whosoever desire same in observation of laid down rules that must be procedurally addressed. Citing the Surveys Act of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Lands is empowered to do one or all of the followings: allocating, leasing or granting land depending on the importance and exigencies of an application from a Sierra Leonean who desire to acquire land.  With the granting of such a lease and fulfillment of the requirements of that lease, the entire transaction becomes a contract between the Ministry of Lands and or the Government of Sierra Leone. 

Where that is the case, no minister or any government official is empowered to take such a land from a Sierra Leonean, including even a foreigner that has transparently leased a piece of land. This observation is the result of a conscious perusal of the Sierra Leone Survey’s Act which, unfortunately, has been overlooked by Dr Dennis Sandy. The Sierra Leone’s Minister of Lands in the person of Dr Dennis Sandy, who largely boasts of a doctorate degree, has been engrossed in unpardonable tirades, pointing accusing fingers at Councilors, Members of Parliament, the Judiciary, past ministers, past and current permanent secretaries of engaging in the illegal sale of lands in this country. 

Not only that, Dr Dennis Sandy has unilaterally arrogated himself the duty of issuing out offer letters relating to land acquisition in Sierra Leone as his many radio talks in the not too far past indicate.  With all due respect to him, it would appear that he is alien to his functions as a minister heading a very sensitive ministry in this country. Just for the sake of curiosity. Suppose he were to leave office today, the next day or thereafter, does he expect the incoming minister to accuse him of being a salesman of government or state land, referencing his defined posture of being the one and only one to issue out letters of offer? 

So, does he still have to always court the wires even when he cannot make the wood for the trees as he sets about discharging his functions as a minister? Already, landowners within the vicinity of Freetown and other areas in the Western Area are having second thoughts about his diction when ever he is using the electronic media.  Besides, his failure to do his homework regarding perusing and recognizing what is contained in the Survey’s Act has further exposed his ignorance and intellectual short-sightedness. The minister should advise himself thoroughly as he sets about reviewing land issues which have been even before his birth. 

Anything to the contrary will be met with the utmost resistance by many landowners who are only waiting to swoop on him. The contention is still that the present Lands Minister does not have an iota of understanding of the functions of his own ministry, or else the radio talks and singularity in painting devils out of his many predecessors would not have been an option.  To continue to act and behave in the way he does, does not portend well for a man who claims to have the wherewithal in all matters pertaining to land acquisition in the country, specifically the western area of Freetown. 

In this case he would have to contend with innumerable litigations as many worthy landowners see him as man determined to unduly dispossess them of their legally acquired lands.  To them, this is unprecedented taking into consideration his present position. The case of the Majority Leader in Parliament, Hon. Eddie Turay is just the starting point for him to take caution about how he goes around degrading people and calling some of them names that he would call any of his close friends.

Now that the investigation against Hon Eddie Turay has concluded and exonerated him, it would be decent for the Minister of Lands to openly, like he did to him in the past to apologize openly to him for smearing his good name. Hon. Eddie Turay has never been a thief or land thief in his lifetime, but the pronouncement of Dr. Sandy changed the perception of the people about the Sanda son of the soil. As a man of God, Hon. Eddie Turay played Christ and said over the UN Radio that he was asking the people of this nation to forgive the minister for he knows not what he was saying and doing.

Indeed, it is now evident that Dr. Sandy was, perhaps under a spell to do what he did to somebody who has maintained a distinguished and decent character in his private life. His determination was to embarrass Hon. Eddie Turay and succeeded in doing so, but now that his action has slapped him on his face he should be courageous enough to say “I AM SORRY” which should be done via the same medium.