FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Kebba Camara
30 June 2009
Yesterday, 23 of June, a full truck load of Police Intervention Unit (PIU) personnel, visited Daranka village and asked the residents at a particular site of the village to vacate their premises or face the consequences.
This reporter visited the scene but found out that the PIU presence prevented people, including residents, from accessing the area where the exercise was taking place. This reporter was able to visit the scene only later after the departure of the PIU.
One Alhagie Jawara, a Daranka resident, told this reporter that he was at work when he received the information that the PIU personnel were there and are about to conduct a demolition exercise on some of the buildings in the village.
"When I came, I enquired from the Police officers I met there and they told me that they have orders from the High Court to come and demolish our houses", he explained.
He said they came with other people who they hired from Tipper garage and employed some labourers to help in the demolition exercise, who then entered in their houses and forcefully removed their household belongings and placed them outside, when it was about to rain.
When asked what he thought the problem was, he noted that the Alkalo of Lamin is claiming that he owns that part of Daranka after they have already bought it from the Daranka Alkalo and built their houses there The residents told this reporter that they have their valid compound documents and they are paying tax every year to the Daranka Alkalo. According to Jawara, Last year, Lamin Sanneh told the people of Daranka that, that particular area belongs to Mbemba Bojang. Also speaking to this reporter Adama Sanneh, a resident of Daranka said that they bought that area from one Pa Saidou Ceesay and later the Lamin Alkalo claims that that area belongs to him. He said there was a push and pull and they (the residents) summoned Pa Saidou to the former chief of Kombo North, Eric Tunde Janneh who sent Pa to mile 2. He said that Tunde Janneh was later sacked and Demba Sanyang replaced him and has now taken over the problem. He said they later agreed that they would divide the place into two and give the other part to Mbemba Bojang. According to them, the problems were solved and they settled down but said to their surprise they are coming again to tell them to vacate again.
The Daranka residents do not know what to do .They have their valid compound documents and are paying tax every year.
Mr. Babai Bojang a son to the Lamin Alkalo told this reporter that his father told him that Pa Saidou Ceesay sold that particular area to those people. He said an order came from the sheriff division ordering that they should vacate.
"They are occupying my father's land and we gave them a notice that we will be coming for eviction; this is the third time we are going to the place for eviction. It is also important to note that the PIU officers only came for escort," he said.
Mr. Bojang told this reporter in a telephone conversation that they always alert the Daranka residents to vacate his father's land "But last year they said we should give them time till after the rainy season, but after the rainy season, they still continued to stay", he said.
Mr. Bojang said that all the relevant authorities are aware of the problem including the paramount chief, Demba Sanyang.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Sulayman Secka, when contacted told this reporter that he actually knew nothing about the case. He however said he enquired from the police commissioner who made him to understand that an order came from the High Court that those people should vacate the place.
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