State Land Winners in Dilemma as Government Issues Ultimatum

On the 12th of May 2022 five hundred Sierra Leoneans drawn across five sectors; Civil Servants, security forces, medical staff, Teaching field, and Journalism won 1000 plots of land located along the Freetown peninsula axis through a raffle draw.

The minister of Lands Housing and Country Planning Dr. Turad Senesie in a well-attended handing-over ceremony in September 2022 presented the land offer letters and site plans to their respective owners.

However, two clauses in their letters have been seriously challenging to date. First, a lease payment of Le2500 must be paid across three years which will cumulate to Le7500, and then in the second clause a tangible structure must be developed within the same three-year period.

However, in almost the second full year since the land was offered, less than ten owners are yet to develop any physical property on their lands, few have resorted to putting up makeshift structures like “Pan Body” some have erected giants’ beacons, with the vast majority not even visiting their sites for brushing or clearing works, citing economic challenges, inflation and high cost of living they are currently faced with.