By Sulayman Waan
The Gambia government, through Ministry of Lands and Regional Government, has defended its action in demolishing built and underbuilding homes in Salaji in Kombo North, which sparked row between people of Sukuta and officials of the Department of Physical Planning.
Weeks ago, some Sukuta youth clashed with riot police after Department of Physical Planning (DPP) started demolishing dozens of homes which it reasoned, were developed on state reserved lands.
On the contrary, the “Sukutarians” maintained the said land belongs to the community as they accused the government of playing injustice on the community over land ownership.
Speaking to journalists at a press conference on held on Tuesday, in the Gambian capital, Banjul, Permanent Secretary Mr. Buba Sanyang of the Lands Ministry indicated that the demolition exercise was founded on legal grounds.
He invoked section 22 subsection 1 (a) of the 1997 constitution [the supreme law of the land] stating, “No property of any description shall be taken possession of from deprivation compulsorily, and no right over or interest in any such property shall be acquired compulsorily in any part of The Gambia…”
Sanyang further told the presser that, acquisition of state properties can only be possible on certain conditions, adding “the taking of possession or acquisition is necessary in the interest of defense, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, town and country planning, or the development or utilization of any property in such manner as to promote the public benefit”.
The Lands Ministry’s second-in-command informed the gathered members of the media: “Someone could take public proportion on when the following condition is satisfied: The taking of possession or acquisition is necessary in the interest of defense, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, town and country planning or the development or utilization of any property in such manner as to promote the public benefit.”
PS Sanyang claimed that in 2007, the Department of Physical Planning (DPP) has addressed a letter to the Sukuta leadership informing them that the Land Ministry had instructed it (DPP) to prepare a residential layout in Sukuta village (between Old Salagi and Patehya), and that “the department advised the village head to avoid doing any lands transaction in the designated area in order to evade future conflict”.
The Lands and Regional Government senior official went on to say, the families that were affected in Salagi extension, such as the Brufut Bojang Kunda, Jamba Kunda, Bully Kunda, Tamba Kunda, Mambuna Kunda, Kenebering kunda and Mannya kunda were all compensated with plots of lands at Brusubi as indicated in the Local Government Act.
He further explained that there was a challenged in compensating the Kebba Kunda family with land, adding later on the family addressed a letter to the ministry requesting for land compensation.
According to the PS, the ministry replied to the Kebba family that: ‘We acknowledged that the ministry indicated in writing that the Kebba Kunda family will be compensated in accordance with Land Acquisition and Compensation Act [LAGA], 1991.
‘As a result, we kindly urged your client to exercise a bit of patient while we try to sort out their compensation.’
Sanyang used the press conference to enjoin all and sundry to obey the law in order to help in maintaining peace and stability in the country.
