By Ragan M. Conteh

This medium was dumb-founded when its reporter saw Imams, residential property owners and many Sierra Leoneans residents of Hastings were profusely crying over intense demolition activity of their homes at Hastings. The place was around the airfield at Hastings community.

People have lived there for two or more decades since the war ended in 2002.

They have accustomed to the place as their lives are tied in a land that hopes their grandsons and daughters will inherit. But such longing hopes have been cut short. No place to sleep in the rainy season at this year’s very downpours means for thousands of Hastings suffering and disappointments in the government.

Residents said they were only given short notice to evaquate the community.

Osman Lahai Simbo, who has been in the community for a decade said they are sure to face excruciating challenges during this rainy season due to the abrupt demolition of their homes they used to call home. But now in perils.

“We were told last week to vacate the area without any court order. We have our land documents from the Ministry of lands. This is a worrisome situation for us especially so when we have our little children. Where are we to go now,” Simbo said.

That is a question for Simbo. But it is not a question for authorities in this part of the world where law enforcers may do their doing and live you to think your thinking.

Simbo said the government should have provided them with alternative to relocate them instead of authorities imposing on them dismal injectment notice.

Adama Sillah, who has 4 rooms which was reduced down to earth told this medium that, “this is the worst experience she has had as a women with single parent.”

“How can a government that claima to seek the welfare of its people would behave as such to. We were not consulted neither given earliest notice. They only informed us last week and today our houses that we’ve spent millions of leones on have been demolished at once, ” she narrated.

Sillah accused a former Minister of Lands to be aware of their staying in Hastings community. But that cannot be of profit to her and others.

She added that it seems as if the demolition exercise was by segregation because others houses were spared.

One of the officers during the demolition exercise reacted through this medium that, the demolition was as a result of the planned ECOMOC military deployment in the country. They West African soldiers are expected soon.

He said in the next couple of weeks, the ECOWAS will deploy military personnel in the country.

When asked what is the reason for ECOWAS military deployment in Sierra Leone, he said, the first batch of the deployment are a standby force and the arrangement for their coming in the country had been in the pipeline for many years.

He added that, the deployment is also part of the ECOWAS mandate to get a stabilisation force in West Africa which will help countries to have peace.

“How can people build structures to government lands. There are many activities that government want to undertake but there should be enough land” the officer said.

He emphasized that the Hastings demolition is just the beginning and the exercise will continue to other government lands including the forest protected areas.

“This is the right time and people should be mindful of taking upon themselves to construct buildings without government approval, ” he saud.

A Stakeholder, in the Hastings Community, Momoh Foday informed this medium that, they felt disturbed by the manner in which they were treated.

“Our mosques, property worth millions have all been vandalised. We cannot fight a government or revoke their decision but we urge authorities to reconsider a swift response plan for pacify us.”

Earlier, during the Town Hall meeting organised by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education at the Bintumani Conference Centre, President Julius Maada Bio, stated that those who have encroached the green belt areas will have their houses all demolished.