By: Kebba AF Touray
Sidia Jatta, the National Assembly Member for Wuli West has urged that all land disputes should be addressed before this year’s rainy season, to avert any future land conflict(s). Sidia made these and other assertions yesterday during the adjournment debate at the National Assembly.
“We the members here, should make concerted efforts to ensure that before the coming rainy season, all land disputes everywhere and anywhere, are resolved. Otherwise we are going to have a lot of similar Gunjur and Berending situations in our hands. Otherwise, we will have a serious crisis,” Sidia said.
On road communication
Sidia urged that roads should be strategically constructed; that Government should avoid constructing roads for the sake of it. This he said, means wherever there is a health center, any road linking to that center is strategic; that national road construction should not be based on status.
“The road stretch from the river bank in Wuli West to Yorobawol was so bad during the last rainy season, that drivers, the Member for Wuli East and my humble self, all contributed to maintain it. But this did not solve the problem. But when the President was going there, they made it in such a way that I could not believe my eyes. This is an insult to the whole population of Wuli and Sandu,” Sidia said; that there are over four health centers on the northern bank of the Upper River Region (URR), that they have problems when travelling. And when they have patients, nobody cares about the road; but that when their employee was visiting the area, they made the road as if the residents are not human beings; that it is those people who put their monies into our coffers for these roads to be constructed, but somebody they employed to make sure the work is done, enjoys the road facility and not them.
“We are servants of the people. This is the fact, whether we behave or think in that manner. The Law says we the deputies, public trustees and the President, are all servants of the people and we cannot live above them. They employ and pay us. This is why we derive our authority from them and this authority must be exercised in their supreme interest. That is what the Law says. If that is not done, we should be kicked out from this house or anywhere this authority is to be exercised,” Sidia said.
He called for the road stretching from Yorubawol to the river bank, the road from Sare Teneng junction to Sare Ngai, and the road from Borro Kanda Kasseh to Baja Kunda, to be be constructed before the rains; that these are strategic roads; that this will show that the people have really benefited from the fruits of their taxes.
“Taxes must go back to the people in the form of services. That is what they are meant for. And if they are not doing this for them, they should not pay their taxes. If these things are not done very soon, I will start organizing my people not to pay tax to anybody, but to themselves. They will keep it and construct our roads. That is what we are going to do in this country. There is too much pain. Or we will file a suit against the Government or anybody employed by them to carry out these works,” Sidia disclosed.
