By Ragan M. Conteh

The Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) Member of Parliament from Kailahun District, Hon. Ing. Fallah Kenawah Tengbeh under Standing Order 23 raised serious concern about the manner in which Guinean authorities are behaving in their communities including land grabbing.

According to the MP, the people of Kissi Teng and Yenga communities recently witnessed the infiltration of Guinea authorities using drones and other mapping instruments in Sierra Leone.

He said such conduct of Guinean authorities on the Sierra Leone land has sparked serious threat in those communities wherein Sierra Leoneans are now facing serious and persistent intimidations.

Hon. Tengbeh therefore called on the Speaker of Parliament to ensure that such unwarranted actions by the Guinean authorities on the Sierra Leone land is addressed without further delay.

The Member of parliament has also reported that the prices of food commodities in those communities have also doubled due to bad road conditions.

According to him, the road linking the community to the cities is in a very deplorable state and therefore called on the Speaker to use his good office for the Sierra Leone Roads Authority to upgrade it so that food prices in those areas will be reduced.

He furthered that if such concerns are not addressed, there is not doubt about it that people in those communities will continue to suffer or wallow in poverty.

In his submissions, the opposition Member of Parliament, Hon. Mohamed Bangura stated that, Members of Parliament from Kailahun have severally raised this issue of Guinean military infiltration into Sierra Leone soil.

Hon. Bangura said Parliament should stand up this time around and try to address this thorny issues raised by parliamentarians from that District.

The MP has also urged the Parliament through the Speaker to summon the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense in Parliament to give status report on the Yenga issue.

Looking at the importance of the claims by the MPs, the Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas ordered the Clerk to write the Foreign Affairs and Defense ministers in the Chambers of Parliament to clearly explain to the house.

However, MPs have expressed willingness to ask questions and ready to give their input on the said alleged land grabbing by Guinean authorities.