Residents of Kotu Quarry Ordered to Vacate Their Homes

FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)

Bakary Y. Jammeh

29 April 2011

Residents of Kotu Quarry were ordered to vacate their homes before the 30 of April 2011. A demolition notice was dispatched to the affected compound heads on the 20 September 2010, which states that they are illegally settling in the Kotu Quarry. The notice ordered them to remove or demolish the building/fence before 4 October 2010.

A second notice was subsequently dispatched dated 19 January 2011, ordering them to remove or demolish building/fence before the 3 February 2011.

Many residents who spoke to this reporter expressed fear and frustration over the short period given to them to vacate a place where they have economic, social, cultural roots and shrines they inherited from their grandparents which they cannot leave behind. They added that some of them were offered plots at Mariama Kunda in Kombo South, but that the plots are empty and they need adequate resources to enable them to construct their houses to relocate their families. They lamented that their school going children will be affected. Speaking to one Ebrima Njie, he said when he received the notice from the physical planning; he was very disappointed as he expected that they would be relocated to a better place before their current residents are demolished.

“When the president visited the area I was the first to speak” says Njie. He asserted that by then his compound was like a river and the president asked who owned the said compound. He said the president was about to pass his gate, but when he took a glance at the name of the compound written on his fence, Njie Kunda the president asked his whereabouts. He added that when he was called by the neighbours to answer the president, he thought that the president would order him to leave the said compound.

Mr. Njie said when he approached the president who asked him whether he (Njie) was in the said place for fishing purposes. He said he told the president that the place was not for fishing purpose but for living as he is a poor man and the place was given to him free of charge to settle their with his family. Asked how many children he has, he said he has an extended family and that there are about 18 people who are under his responsibility. Asked who gave him the said compound, he said it was given to him by one Ebrima Gomez.

An old man who preferred to remain anonymous, said when he received the notice from the physical planning ordering him to vacate the compound he is living, he thought that his life would come to an end due to the hardship and difficulties that is about to add on to his poverty. Asked how he got his compound, he said he got it from Ebrima Gomez whose grandfather was the founder of Kotu.

Asked how much he gave to get the land from Ebrima Gomez, the old man said he got it free of charge and added that he offered Mr Gomez D1000, but the said offer was refused by him; adding that he was further told that he was only interested in the development of Kotu. He said he is finding it difficult to afford the daily meals of his family since he is living below the poverty line.

He added that the physical planning has allocated an empty plot at Mariama Kunda. “The question is how to construct a house there to relocate my family” said the old man.

Below is the full text of the letter dispatched to the affected compound owners dated 11 April 2011.

Notice to vacate premise you are currently occupying.

I wish to inform you that you are to vacate the premise you are occupying on or before 30 April 2011. The above decision was reached after the following was fulfilled.

You have been served with a first demolition notice, on the 20 September 2010, which states that you are illegally settling in the Kotu Quarry and ordered you to remove or demolish the building/fence before the 3 February 2011.

A meeting of the task force committee (coordinating the relocation of the residents of Kotu quarry) and the community of Kotu Quarry on the 15 January 2011 was convened, during which the entire community was informed of the government’s plan to relocate the settlement.

Failure on your part to comply with this notice, the planning authorities will arrange for the building/fence to be removed or demolished and charge the cost of such removal or demolition to you.

Your co-operation on this matter is highly solicited.

Signed and stamped by the Director of Physical Planning Momodou F.K Kolley, Director.

The residents are crossing their fingers in anticipation that they would be allowed to construct a house in their plots before being asked to relocate.

Ebrima Gomez who said his grandfather settled in Kotu during the Colonial days when the said place was a thick forest. “My grand father was the founder of Kotu Quarry” said Ebrima Gomez the grand child of Antony Gomez who is said to be the founder of Kotu. Mr. Gomez said his grandfather was the one who cleared the said place.

He added that the place was given to him as a farm land by the chief of Bakau. Mr. Gomez noted that the name Kotu was given by his grandfather and the word Kotu is from the Manjago language.

AllAfrica – All the Time