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Mile 13 residents have called on the relevant authorities to intervene in an ongoing land dispute with the Guma Valley Water Company (GVWCo).
The dispute arises from the company’s claim that it owns certain lands in the area, a claim the residents strongly refute.
According to Pa Momoh, one of the oldest residents of Mile 13, families in the area have owned the land long before Sierra Leone gained independence. He further explained that their forefathers willingly gave a portion of the land to GVWCo for the construction of staff quarters.
However, he argues that the land currently in question is located nine miles away from the GVWCo dam and does not pose any threat to the water facility.
GVWCo’s Managing Director, Maada Kpenge, mentioned that the land belongs to the company and that the residents are encroaching on it. He further alleged that their presence poses a threat to the dam and its operations. He also claimed that at one point, encroachers set fire near the water pipes supplying Greater Freetown.
Furthermore, Pa Brima, one of the affected residents, dismissed the accusations, stating that no one could have set fire near the water pipes since military personnel have been deployed to the land. He also questioned why previous GVWCo directors never raised ownership issues regarding the land, suggesting that the current director may have a hidden agenda.
Following growing tensions, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara (Hon. AKK), has stepped in, urging both parties to remain calm. He has invited GVWCo, the Mile 13 residents, and the Ministry of Lands to appear before Parliament with their respective land documents for a thorough investigation into the matter.
As the dispute continues, all eyes are on Parliament to mediate and determine the rightful ownership of the contested land.
