The Real News

*AS CAR WASH LAND DISPUTE BECOMES THREAT IN BRIMA LANE COMMUNITY...PRESIDENT BIO MUST INTERVENE*
By:Alimamy Jalloh

Few weeks ago in 2021,a Youths and Car Wash project acquisition land erupted with fierce conflict of interest between Hawa Jabbie Bah and the Member of Parliament of constituency 116,Emmanuel Sahr Gbeke along the Bai Bureh new road,in the Brima Lane community,east of Freetown.The land acquisition according to the other parties involved said the Honourable of constituency 116,grabbed the land illegally for a two car wash projects lobbied by him with an estimated project cost she alleged, of the sum of eight hundred million leones bid from the government through the Ministry of Youth Affairs in Sierra Leone.
Based on the views of other stakeholders in the community,a three storey building flats owned by the husband of Hawa Jabbie Bah and another party Mr. Jalloh,at Calaba town,East of Freetown, was demolished in 2006, during the period of the late former President of Sierra Leone,Dr. Ahmed Tejan Kabbah. The then Land Minister, Bobson Sesay prior to that time, in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Road Transport Authority(SLRA),however paved the way for the demolition of the three storey building flats.According to other reliable sources and the different parties involved in the conflict of the Land, such as Hawa Jabbie Bah and MP Emmanuel Sahr Gbeke,noted that,SLRA noted to them that,it was a right of way,for the main road.
But ,other stakeholders in the community also vent out their views that, since the land had been noted as the right of way,leaving a (piece)ton of land, three feets beyond, why should another structure be built in the right of way of the land.
In an exclusive with the wife of Mr. Mohamed Bah,Hawa Jabbie Bah,disclosed that ,the land was acquired or bought ,during the period of the late President Kabbah's regime in 2005.She further stated that..."I and my husband were trying to complete the structure of three storey flats and almost a complete furnishing was going on.She disclosed,that was the period SLRA and Land Ministry told my Father-in-Law including my husband and her, that the construction of their building has entered a three feets to the right of way, along the Baibureh road in the east of Freetown".Hawa Jabbie Bah added that ,later SLRA and Land Ministry during that period in 2006 requested for 20 million leones for the three feets of their structure which they had violated.According to her statement,they paid the sum of money requested for by SLRA and Lands Ministry.But, despite the financial payment made to them for the three feets of the SLRA right of way and the purpose,the three storey buliding was demolished,leaving a one ton of a piece of land after the three feet demarcated close to the road side along Brima Lane.
As she felt traumatize with her leg recently fractured leg due to the land dispute in 2021,on Sunday with no way to work upright and under treatment, she accused the MP for pushing her to a gutter and also injured her nephew,a military officer who is presently responding to treatment at the 34 Military hospital,Wilberforce in Freetown, because of her Land.
She said... "If den build de ten times,ar go broke de ten times".
Responding to these allegations from Hawa Jabbie Bah,the Honourable of Constituency 116,Emmanuel Sahr Gbeke(SLPP),said the essence of the project ,title:'YOUTH CAR WASH PROJECT' is an agenda of the President Retired Brigadier Dr.Julius Maada Bio, brought by lobbying and bidding from the Ministry of Youths Affairs in the country. "The normally say the youths must not be left idle but should engage themselves in development and skill work" said MP Gbeke.
Because of these projects ,he had proposed and which is presently going on,a woman, by the name Hawa Jabbie Bah came and told him that ,she was the owner of the Brima Lane community piece of Land.MP Gbeke continued that,because of that, he asked the Woman three questions, as to how she managed to acquire the land including if she has a proper documents for it."Late Minister of Lands,Bobson Sesay and the Late Vice President of Sierra Leone,Solomon Ekuma Berewa gave order to demolish the Brima Lane Land" Honourable Gbeke disclosed. He went further to dismiss all the allegations raised against him as baseless and noted that though he did not know the cost of the said Car Wash projects,but ,he was the only individual that was given two projects to fulfill from the Ministry of Youth Affairs in the country.
Madam Bah in her statements,revealed that the Honourable of the constituency was not told to grab their land illegally and she is also citizens. But, to her,the land is a bonafide property of her and including her husband ,which would not be grabbed she affirmed."Commonly called Hawa Bongu many years of the SLPP and I am currently a Chairlady of the First membership of the party and now".