By: Mark B. Dumbar
MONROVIA-The Government of Liberia under the supervision of President George M. Manneh Weah has planned to visit the land victims at Fendel Community to have a common ground between the government and the people of Findel for the Land dispute that occurred during the administration of former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Speaking via telephone on Ok FM Morning Rush, the Executive Director of the Liberia Media for Democratic Initiative (LMDI) John Kollie disclosed that President Weah and the Minister of Finance with some high delegate will visit the people of Fendel on Sunday, July 17, 2022 to settle the land dispute.
According to him, the information was given by Senator Saah Joseph to the people of Fendel Community that President Weah will visit them, has brought a total freedom and relief for the land dispute.
“It’s big news for the people of Fendel Community to reclaim their land from government and to have some compensation from the government of Liberia, John Koliee noted.”
He further narrated that the commitment made by Senator Saah Joseph from the Government of Liberia to settle the land dispute between victims of Fendel including the Government of Liberia is certain to come to fulfillment.
According to Kollie, the issues of the land dispute between the people of Fendel and the Government of Liberia started in 2016 during former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s administration, which three thousand houses were destroyed and made many poor people homeless in Findel Community.
He noted, “according to international laws that explain that even if the Government is the rightful owner to the land, they should resettle the people that are on the Land.”
He added that, according to the international laws of land, the government is only the custodian of the Land and not the rightful owner of the land; and with that, the Government of Liberia needs to settle the people of Findel land issues.
He noted, “As a government, they should not have allowed the people of Fendel to build modern houses before coming to destroy those modern and design houses after which the poor people have suffered to build.”
He further narrated that the land the government claims that it is their land from the poor people of Fendel Community had no document that could indicate that indeed the land is for the government.
However, Kollie explains that the Government of Liberia came in 2018 and criminally made a land deed, rather than what they claimed in 1962 when the government claims that they purchased the land.
He noted, “we have stood our ground and fought for the people to reclaim their land from the government, which we believed has been achieved.”
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.