Lands Country Planning and the Environment Minister, Dennis Sandy has named the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Eddie Turay and two other MPs, Hon Dauda Dumbuya and Hon Raymond Jones of involving in the alleged sale of Lands.
The Lands Minister was re- invited in Parliament yesterday to give the names and present documents after claiming that some MPs in the Western Area have for some time been involved in the sale of lands.
Before he spoke, the Speaker reminded him that he was to produce evidence in the form of documents and names of MPs in the Western Area involved in the sale of lands. The Minister said he was ready and started by making reference to psalm 128 and stated that when he and his deputy took over on March 20th, 2009, their goal was to transform the ministry by moving away from the bad image the ministry was engulfed in. To follow up with that, he said they conducted on the spot inspections and opened the doors to the public and also made trips to the provinces.
He explained that in the execution of their responsibilities and to move forward and transform the ministry, they needed to take things by their names and call a spade a spade. He agreed that the problems of the ministry were in two fold, the external and internal for which the officials of the lands ministry have engaged themselves in unprofessional behavior for which some have been suspended.
Dr. Sandy confessed to have observed that land use in the country was a very power game in which people of note have involved in corrupt acts in the Ministry of Lands. He further explained that some headmen especially in the Western Area sign documents with the support of people, some being MPs from the Western Area. “It would be interesting to note Mr. Speaker that when Hon. Eddie Turay moved that motion last week saying documents indicating MPs or some MPs with their signatures on it, I smiled but I want to tell you Mr. Speaker that evidences of courses go more than that and I am ready this morning again to provide these evidences” he emphasized.
He further reiterated that land was God’s own property and his ministry was the peoples’ ministry and if that was the case, he stressed something should be done to satisfy the peoples’ desire. As he spoke, he bowed to open up his big black bag containing the land documents.
“When I say some MPs over the past few years have illegally involved themselves in State Land transactions, most of us misconstrued the spirit of my statement. Its just an indication or a signal for all of us present that if we really meant well for this country, why can’t we for just one moment change to our normal ways of doing things” the minister said.
Dr. Sandy continued “ Mr. Speaker, I did not enter politics to enrich myself nor did I enter politics to make enemies. I entered politics for the best of God to see how best I can contribute towards the development of my country”.
He took out a brown envelop opened it and uttered “ Mr. Speaker, the first name I have here is Hon. Dauda Dumbuya (The Parliamentary oversight committee chairman for Lands and Country Planning). Mr. Speaker, the other Honorable member I have is Hon. Eddie Turay (The majority Leader and leader of government Business). These are the two names I would like to present. I would have loved Mr. Speaker if we had brought in more space for illegal, for misconstruing and misinforming our people about community land, then I would have added Hon. Raymond Jones”. The documents were handed as exhibits to Parliament for custody as the Speaker said it was left with Parliament to take appropriate action.