By Awa Sowe
The Minister of Regional Government and Religious Affairs, Hamat N.K. Bah, during a press briefing organized by the Ministry of Information revealed that the Government will act against people found wanting in illegal allocation of lands in Kamalo industrial layout. The minister expressed determination to change the narratives of land reforms.
In its quest to resolve land disagreements and encroachment on state lands, the Government, through the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs, recently constituted two task forces to investigate illegal encroachments within the Tambi Wetlands of Cape Point, Jeshwang and encroachments within the government designated layouts.
This signifies government’s commitment to implementing comprehensive reform programmes aimed at enhancing transparency, efficiency, and sustainability in land management and governance as well as address longstanding issues, streamline processes, and ensure equitable land access to all Gambians.
The Minister for Lands, Regional Government, and Religious Affairs, Honourable Hamat Bah, questioned the discrimination of laws when it comes to matters relating to land theft. He assumedthat people are charged with stealing in regards to other properties, but the case is different from those who are involved in stealing other people’s land.
“I always ask the question: Why is it that when you steal a car, you’re taken to police and charged with theft, but when you still a land and sold it, you are not charged with theft? Why is it that the situation in the same country with the same laws? No one still answered my question,” he stated.
He added that one can steal a plot of land and sell it. When caught, he will not be charged for stealing, and the buyer also will not be charged; but when one steals a car and gets caught he will be charged with stealing and anyone who buys from him.
To change the situation he affirmed that the government had an investigative report that purportedly incriminate estate agencies, defrauding Gambian citizens at a minimum tune of D200, 000,000.00 as per preliminary information received.
He said these estate agents are freely walking the streets of the country. “How can we continue with that? We can’t. This is the reason we believe these task forces will help bring an end to such frauds”.
Honorable Bah pointed out that land is public property. “Whether you are a minister, permanent secretary, director, or any other official doesn’t give any authority to defraud people of their property. Government officials are employed to manage the usage of those pieces of land. That does not give you automatic ownership of the land. Who are you to acquire ownership of land without following due processes because you are officials of the lands Ministry?” Bah queried.
Minister Bah frowned at the land allocation at Salagi and he said some government officials acquired multiple plots.
“We have seen double allocation everywhere; recently, at Salagi, and they are deliberately done by people who do not fear the law. Some people do not care whether law enforcement agents will come for them or not, or whether there are magistrates, prisons available for law breakers.
“The most dangerous thing in this is that those who are in the diaspora are coming back home claiming their father’s land and want to do mechanical farming. So, there is a need to address the land issues in the country,” he disclosed.
He further disclosed suspected fraudulent activity in recovering land belonging to former president Yahya Jammeh. He mentioned that there are several plots that are never submitted to the government and his ministry will do everything possible to recover those plots of land through the task forces.
Minister Bah unveiled that for president YahyaJammeh own 50 hectares of land in Jambur village, 51 hectares in Banduar village, 2km in Madiana-Brufut, Sanyany Santanba plot of 3 hectares, Sanyang village 1.6 hectares, and GunjurTown, and indeed 66 hectares of land in Kassa Kunda”.
He further highlighted that, these were not conveyed to the attention of the sub-committee that was working on the recovery of Jammeh’s assets. “We want to know the status of these lands in six weeks or a maximum of two months,” Bah stressed.
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government, and Religious Affairs, Mrs Saffie Dankareh-Farage disclosed that her ministry’s key areas of reform include modernizing land administration, by implementing advanced technology and systems to improve land registration, documentation and management processes among others.
She added that the government is enhancing legal and regulatory framework to update and harmonize existing laws and policies to align with current needs and international best practices, developing and implementing land use plans that balance economic development with environmental conservation and social equity and strengthening institutional capacity and increasing public participation in land matters.
She concluded that reforms are essential for fostering a more transparent, accountable, and inclusive land governance system.
Both Bai Mass Taal and Kebba Njie both assured their unwavering commitment to the cause.
The membership of the government layout task forces are: Kebba Njie as chairman; Kemo Conteh, Madi Ceesay, Yankuba Sonko, Jainaba Nyang, Inspector General of Police, Solicitor General and Director of State Intelligence Services as members.
Tambi Wetlands task force consists of Bai Mass Taal as chairman; Bolong Sonko, Pa Ousman Jarjue, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment; Inspector General of Police; Solicitor General; and Director of State Intelligence Services.
