Double attributions, non-satisfaction of the residents of the non-distributed…. : What the PDS of Arrondissement 7 de Bobo told us

In this interview, the President of the Special Delegation of Arrondissement 7 de Bobo, Souleymane Sanou, talks about the difficulties related to land management in his territorial jurisdiction and the measures that have been taken to overcome them. Read !

Mr. PDS, you just held a Borough Council meeting on Friday, May 19. The main subject was related to the land issue. Why this as an essential menu on the agenda?

The main subject of the extraordinary session of Friday, May 19 was related to the question of land because following the installation of the municipal ad ‘hoc commission, an ad ‘hoc district commission was needed to diagnose the land problems of the Arrondissement in order to transfer them to the level of the municipal ad hoc commission. Something that could not be done without taking a deliberation.

What difficulties do you encounter in land management?

The difficulties are as follows:

• Double attributions;
• The lack of satisfaction of the residents of the spontaneous habitat zones which means that the beneficiaries are unable to build on their plots;
• Burials on the plots of people at the level of the cemetery of Belle-ville;
• The proliferation of real estate companies.

On the occasion of the last borough council meeting, an ad ‘hoc commission was set up. What is its mission, and the duration of its mandate?

The mission of the ad ‘hoc commission set up during the last session of the Arrondissement is to monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the report on land issues in Arrondissement n°7. Its mandate is forty-five (45) days from the date of the first meeting of its members.

What is its composition?

Its composition is as follows:

Supervisor : the President of the Special Delegation;

President : the 2^th Vice-President of the Special Delegation of Arrondissement n°7, in charge of land affairs;

Vice-president : the Chairman of the Territorial Development and Land Management Commission.

The rapporteurs :

• the Secretary General of the Town Hall of Arrondissement n°7;
• the Receiver of Domains and Land Advertising of Bobo III or his representative;
• the representative of the Regional Department of Town Planning, Land Affairs and Housing of Hauts-Bassins, member of the Special Delegation of Arrondissement N°7;
• the Head of the State Affairs Section of the town hall of Arrondissement N°7.

The members :

• the 1^is Vice-President of the Special Delegation of Arrondissement N°7;
• the Head of the Hauts-Bassins Cadastre and Land Works Department or his representative;
• a representative of the High Commissioner of the Province of Houet;
• a representative of the President of the Special Delegation of the Municipality of Bobo-Dioulasso;
• the Director of the Single Window for Land in Bobo-Dioulasso or his representative;
• the representative of the Police of the District of Konsa, member of the Special Delegation of the District N°7;
• the Chief of Staff of the President of the Special Delegation of Arrondissement N°7;
• the Head of the Municipal Technical Services Section of the town hall of Arrondissement N°7;
• the Head of the Social Action Service of the town hall of Arrondissement N°7;
• the Director of the Municipal Police or his representative;
• the representative of the City Brigade Gendarmerie, member of the Special Delegation of Arrondissement N°7;
• the representative of the Customary Authorities, member of the Special Delegation;
• the President of the General, Social and Cultural Affairs Commission;
• the President of the Environment and Local Development Commission;
• the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Affairs Commission.

Observers:

• Ten (10) representatives of residents of disputed subdivided areas of sectors 22 and 29;
• A representative of BARRO Boubacar et Frères Establishments (economic housing) in sector 29;
• Three (03) representatives of landowners.

An ad ‘hoc commission on the same subject at the level of the Municipal Delegation and whose members were installed on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Is there not a risk of overlap between this municipal commission and the district 7?

No, there cannot be an overlap as long as it is the reports of the different Arrondissements which will be compiled by the municipal commission to make a single report. So in this term, the Arrondissement commission appears as a sub-commission of the municipal commission.

The head of Nasso issued a statement in which he complained about land grabbing in his locality. Do you know ? How does it happen ?

Yes, we have been informed by the village in relation to the press release. The statement in question, according to them, aims to stop speculation on their rural land and to allow close monitoring of the use of their land.

Interview conducted by

Aly Konaté