By Africa 24 northern correspondent

Workers of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning on Thursday November 14 2024 assembled in Makeni City to protest bitterly against the Lands Commission moves to “kidnap” all related land  functions from them.

They said this ranged from functions like planning, housing, lands & survey operations.

They accused certain individuals at the Ministry of Lands that they are “hijacking” technical functions from them the workers are dedicating those functions to individuals who are not professionally competent nor are they technically equipped to carry out lands’ functions relating to surveys and planning.

According to reliable sources from workers (names withheld) the newly appointed Commission wants the Lands and Survey Sector’s functions to be directly transferred to the Commission wherein all Surveys, planning and other functions will be handled by the Commission and he in turn issue directives to those he believed

are professional personnel to perform functions and report to the Commission directly. The workers insisted that the Commission is intending to ignore the constitutional mandate of the Ministry thereby being the sole body to deal with clients on documents processing at the Ministry.

They have accused the Minister of Lands Housing and Country Planning Dr. Turad  Senesi for manipulating the process.

The workers reference the constitution of Sierra Leone that it clearly defines the functions of all Commissions appointed to oversee the operations of MDAs and the relationship between a Commission and  Management.

Adding that it is nothing in it like the Management should report to the Commission about its operations and should sit with the Board to discuss urgent or operative issues.

They told this medium that the Minister is to face Parliament for questioning and has intended to transfer functions to the Commission contrary to what the law provides.

They said it is due to a personal grudge bored against the directorate of surveys and lands in particular who has been very objective on his directives.