By Joseph Sivalie
Police in Bonthe district on Tuesday declared a night-time curfew at Luawa town in the Jong chiefdom forcing several young people to spend the night in nearby bushes.
The police Local Unit Commander, Asst Superintendent of Police Bakarr Mansaray says 23 people were arrested for alleged riotous conduct and taken to Bo yesterday by a special paramilitary squad sent to the area.
It followed a confrontation between police and some youth in the area amid a dispute over the use of the abandoned Gambia-Mattru oil palm plantation.
The sticky point is that while some landowners of the 46-year-old plantation prefer private investors to take it over, others favour the bid by a $ 15-million Islamic Development Bank project to be implemented by government.
Over the weekend, the disagreement brought to Mattru senior government officials including the State House Chief of Staff Dr Richard Konteh, Presidential Adviser Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo and the Assistant Inspector General of Police in the South.
Some landowners have even threatened to destroy the crops if the plantation was invested on without prior agreement.
According to the project coordinator, Alusine Kallon, attacks and threats to the workers had forced them to apply for security through the minister of agriculture who were deployed in Luawa, Bissao, Blama and Gambia.
This created tension especially after the arrest on allegations of incitement of one Bobson Katta in the chiefdom headquarter town of Luawa at 8:00 PM. The youths gathered and demanded his release. They later blocked the main roads leading into Luawa sparking off confrontation with the OSD personnel.
The police used tear gas to disperse the crowd, and allegedly broke into many houses.
The chairman of the Bonthe District Council, Rita Savage yesterday convened an emergency meeting with district stakeholders on the issue but details of the meeting were not disclosed.
The disputed Gambia-Mattru oil palm plantation is said to be the second largest in West Africa.
(C) Politico 22/05/14
