With growing concerns for the sacking of incompetent and underperforming Ministers, perceived as undermining the Presidency for their selfish gains, many Sierra Leoneans are calling on President Bio to sack the Minister of Lands, Dr Turad Senessie, whose abysmal performance had been characterized by seizure of legitimately acquired lands of many peaceful Sierra Leoneans, both at home and in the diaspora, under the pretext of State Land Reclamation, an enterprise that many in the Ministry, have benefited from, allegedly with his blessings.
Since his assumption of office as Lands Minister, the selling of state land in the country has become a very lucrative business. The reclamation of private citizen’s property is now the order of the day, albeit under the watchful eyes of Turad Senesie. Under such exercise, many citizens have been disadvantaged, and their lands and properties taken away from them with impunity. One such individual that has suffered this persecution is Alpha Conteh, a Sierra Leonean based in United States. The Alpha Conteh purchased a 4 acre land at Tokeh Village, which he had earlier verified at the Ministry of Lands that it is the private property of Alhaji Slowe, Former Headman of Tokeh Village. All documentary verification was done before the transaction for the land was made by the Conteh Family.
Fast forward, the land was given to the Conteh family after all transactions and verification of documentation. The Conteh family erected a perimeter fence to protect the property, But few years later, the Ministry of lands under Turad Senesie, destroyed the perimeter fence of the land, reclaimed it as state property. Prior to that incident, Noah Fornah, the Minister’s ‘blue eye boy’, who has now been indicted by the ACC for corruption, contacted Alpha to give him a portion of the property as a compromise for a freehold of the land. Noah prevailed on Alpha to meet him in a hotel so that they could strike a compromise. Alpha refused to heed to that arrangement, and as a result of his refusal, the Minister of Lands, Turad Senesie was prevailed upon by Noah for directive to order a bulldozer to demolish the perimeter fence of the property of the Conteh family situated at Tokeh Village.
Alpha Conteh, in his bid to show ownership of the said property, tendered all documentation for the land, including documents from the very ministry authenticating his ownership, but the Minister refused to countenance him, and instead, stated that “all lands in Sierra Leone are state lands”. The Minister went ahead to dish out the Conteh property to the highest bidders, as report emanated that the property was sold at a colossal amount of money to interested buyers, while part of the property was given to people connected to the seat of power.
Since the ACC has indicted Noah Alpha Fornah on four counts of corruption offenses, many people are curious to know who is backing Noah Fornah to take advantage on people, and what gave Noah the guts to do what he has been doing with impunity?
Reports gathered by this press revealed that Noah has been enjoying a field day, soliciting money from people desirous of buying land or those that have been disadvantaged over land issues, tapping on the protection he has from some people in high places.
