New Yundum Alkalo Seeks Gov’t Intervention In Addressing Rongo’s False Of Land Claims
The (Alkalo) leader of New Yundum village, Mr. Ousman Bojnag has urged the Gambia government to effectively intervene in the long and ongoing false claims uttered by Momodou Lamin Jarju alias (Rongo) that his grandfather is the indigenous owner of villages, namely Lamin Village, New Yundum, Busumballa, Mandinary, Daranka, Kubariko, Kerewan and Makumbaya village.
Mr Bojang made this appeal during a communities’ press conference organized by (Alkalos) leaders of eight villages and elders from various communities held on Sunday at Lamin Town Bantaba to strongly deny and condemn Rongo’s overdue and unrest false claims.
He said that the leaders and elders of these communities have been quite for some time, but they have confidently and collective come out to urge the central government to intervene by putting an end to these disturbing false claims of land ownership by Rongoto allow peace to rain before it gets out of control.
He stated that whoever touches Lamin village means that it has a direct impact on Yundum village hence Lamin village was settled under Yundum which indicates that they are of one people.
“How could someone just come and claimed that his grandfather is the indigenous owner of these villages? Where did your grandfather come from and how did he acquire this place?” he questioned.
“The Gambia government should please intervene by immediately foiling the situation before it goes out of control. We have seen land disputes in other communities and what it has caused them,” he noted.
He revealed that a community called Jola Kunda Misirang-nding has never existed in the history of Lamin village neither in Kombo as claimed by Rongo. He added that Yundum and Busumbala village were the ones that established around earlier.
He further noted that since the family of Bojang Kunda came to settle in the area of Lamin village, they found or knew no other village or settlement and there, they settled and lived with their neighboring village, Busumbala.
As he further dipped into history, he revealed that Lamin village was settled under Yundum while Makumbaya, Kubariko and Mandinary were all received and settled under Yundum village in those years.
He recalled that there were 19 leaders years ago in Yundum, whereas when the leader happened to be in Busumbala, his assistant will be in Yundum which ensured a peaceful coexistence between the two villages and their surroundings.
However, he stated that the history of the Gambia is in the hands or knowledge of the government, adding that the government knows how all these villages came into existence.
“Just one individual cannot come and claim all these communities that they belong to his grandfather. How is that possible? If one individual gets up from somewhere to falsely claim ownership of these villages, this can lead to serious crimes” he noted.
As he reflected back to history, he noted that Gambia was first colonized by the Portuguese then the British.
He stated that they are aware that Rongo has been going to court on this issue, however he urged the Gambia government to take steps on this for peaceful coexistence in the communities.“In as much we need peace, we don’t want anyone to undermine or disrespect or put shame on the elders or Kombo,” he concludes.
