A high powered delegation from Bathurst community in the Western Area Rural District headed by the village headman Mr. Theophilius Johnson on Saturday March 2nd 2024 presented a letter of protest to the Resident Minister, Adekinlay King Esq, of Western Region.
The letter was presented at a grand meeting held at Bathurst Junction.
The letter of complaint which was dated 2nd March 2024 appealed to both the Resident Ministers West and the Chairman of the Western Rural district Mr. Casho Holland Cole to play an active part to prevent land grabbers from possessing a particular piece of land.
The land in question is a parcel of land which had been identified as a market place for the community after a tarmac was constructed in 2013 by a Chinese road company.
In a related development, the Chairman for the business community Pa. Alimamy Kamara Chairman for the business community Pa. Alimamy Kamara, had presented a letter by the Western Rural District Council dated 20th September 2020.
The letter claims to have given the community the right to construct a shop/store for a lease rent of five hundred thousand Leones (Le 500,000) payable to the Council at the beginning of each financial year.
The letter laid emphasis on the said land which can only be used for the purpose requested to build a shop or store.
The letter also warned that the said land shall not be sold or transfer ownership to another person.
The Council wrote that its decision to grant permission to the applicants is in relation to the local government Act 2004 which gave the Council the authority to allocate the 25ft by 24ft piece of land to erect a temporary structure as a shop.
The Chairman said on the contrary, a formal resident of Gloucester Village, had on several occasions showed up in the community along with a team of military and police officers threatening to demolish the structures.
The woman is said to have currently claimed ownership of the land having reported to have bought it from undisclosed sources.
The chairman said both the SLRA and lands Ministry when contracted have denied her claims.
In his reply, the minister thanked the Residents of the village for being law abiding in difficult times.
He said he would ensure that he exploits all available means to meet the needs of the residents of Bathurst community.
Other speakers include the youth leader, Mr. Foday Kamara, Community Coordinator Mr. Elvins Samai, the Okada Chairman Amidu Bi Songo.
Mr. Dennis Valearechy a grandson of the land owners informed the community members that the children and grandchildren of the late land owners of Bathurst village have unanimously given their consent for the land in question to be used as a market place in order to case the socio-economic burden of the residents in the community.