Parliamentary auditors busted village chiefs across the country charging illegal fees between two grand and five thousand dalasis for land transfers that should be free. The alkalolu also skims up to five percent off property sales, even though local government rules ban them from collecting any payment for these services.
Investigators found that two villages out of 25 sampled keep zero official records for land deals, which leaves residents vulnerable to scams and duplicate claims. Other communities use inconsistent paperwork that gets filled out by random, literate people helping the chiefs, and this setup creates openings for exploitation and mistakes.
The committee gave the lands ministry three months to crack down on these shakedowns and standardize all transfer documents nationwide. They want education programs teaching village leaders how to maintain proper records regardless of transaction volume.
Investigators found that two villages out of 25 sampled keep zero official records for land deals, which leaves residents vulnerable to scams and duplicate claims. Other communities use inconsistent paperwork that gets filled out by random, literate people helping the chiefs, and this setup creates openings for exploitation and mistakes.
The committee gave the lands ministry three months to crack down on these shakedowns and standardize all transfer documents nationwide. They want education programs teaching village leaders how to maintain proper records regardless of transaction volume.
