The Freetown City Council (FCC) has launched a property verification process to assess its properties across the municipality, including land, recreational areas, and buildings. Starting on Thursday, November 14, 2024, the initiative aims to inventory FCC-owned assets and ensure compliance with property regulations, especially land use payments.
Led by FCC Chief Administrator Rahman Tom Farmar, the verification team includes FCC staff and metropolitan police officers. Key locations, such as Dan Street Lorry Park, Kissy Municipal School, and Dock Yard, have already been visited.
Farmar highlighted the exercise’s goal of ensuring FCC properties are properly accounted for and that businesses and individuals are fulfilling legal and financial obligations. He noted encroachment on FCC lands, which has limited the Council’s space for activities.
Farmar stated that the verification will continue until December, after which more detailed data will be available. Non-compliance will be addressed, he added, and property owners must submit documentation to confirm rightful ownership.
The verification process aims to resolve issues of unauthorized occupation and encroachment, particularly at Kissy Municipal Primary School, where headmaster Brima Kateh reported disruptions from nearby encroachers.
Some residents, like Gbassay Kamara of Kissy Dock Yard, support the process, urging others to regularize their occupancy. The Council hopes the verification will restore order and improve resource management for Freetown’s residents.
