By Mohamed Kamara
Members of the Sierra Leone Bar Association specializing in land issues, along with over a hundred professional staff from the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Country Planning, have protested against Dr. Turad Senesie, the Minister of Lands and Country Planning. The workers are upset over the Minister’s interventions that they claim undermine the professional functions of the ministry in favor of the Lands Commission and Council, a move they say violates the Lands Act of Sierra Leone.
At a meeting held at a resort in Freetown, an audio recording by the Chairman of the Lands Commission, Mr. Modupeh Taylor Pearce, and lawyer Conteh was shared with the protesting workers. The audio reveals that the proposed changes to the land management system were not the commission’s work but directives from the Minister that could not be ignored. The Minister’s plan includes the introduction of para-surveyors and paralegals, who would receive three months of training. The protesters, however, argue that the technical nature of the job requires surveyors to undergo years of training—specifically three to five years—and that the addition of para-surveyors is unnecessary.
The workers also rejected the Minister’s suggestion that committee members be selected solely based on having a degree. They argued that such positions should also consider experience and not be limited to degree holders. The Minister’s recommendation that licensed surveyors be appointed by him, in consultation with stakeholders like Paramount Chiefs and Civil Society Organizations, was also criticized. The workers insisted that the Minister, being politically motivated, lacks the necessary understanding of professional surveying and that the current system should remain intact.
The protesters also voiced concerns that the Minister is attempting to take revenge on the Director of Lands and Surveys, whom he believes has prevented him from gaining personal benefits through professional misconduct. Additionally, the workers argued that the role of licensed surveyors and the appointment of the Cadastral Index Mapping Commissioner should be determined by the Lands and Surveys Council, not the Minister.
Further demands included the establishment of an institution for training land surveyors in all districts and the provision of alternate forms of identification, such as passports or driver’s licenses, for land registration. The workers were also critical of the Minister’s past actions, including the discontinuation of an investigation into his predecessor, Dr. Dennis Sandy, which they believed was compromised for personal interests.
The protest highlights a growing concern among land professionals regarding what they see as a troubling disregard for the technical and professional integrity of the Lands Ministry.
