MONROVIA- The executive Mansion has instructed a three-month long intervention aimed finding a peaceful resolution to the Fendall land dispute and redress to the concerns of the victims, the Liberia Media for Democratic Initiative (LMDI) says.
The President’s instruction comes just about a month following a rare and unexpected apology by President George Manneh Weah to the victims of the wanton demolition, illegal forced eviction and mass displacement of thousands of people since April 19, 2016 by University of Liberia Administration on orders of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
In a letter dated February 13, 2016 to Reverend FESTUS LOGAN, the Executive Director of the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRC), Liberia’s lead humanitarian Agency responsible for internally displaced persons (IDP’S), the Minister of State, Mr. Nathaniel McGill instructs Reverend LOGAN and the LRRRC to liaise with the Liberia Media for Democratic Initiatives (LMDI), the only organization that has condemned the wanton destruction of homes at FENDELL.
The demolition led to the displacement of thousands of people and the LMDI has since been advocating for the restoration of their rights and dignity to work in three months to find an amicable solution to the FENDELL land saga.
A press statement from the LMDI quotes Minister Nathaniel McGill letter as further instructing the LRRRC to ensure that a solution that guarantees safety, dignity and integrity for the victims and other stakeholders in the dispute is found for the victims of the April-June 2016 FENDELL demolition.
Based on the instruction, LRRRC executive director, Rev. FESTUS LOGAN has written to the Founder and Director of the Liberia Media for Democratic Initiatives, JOHN KOLLIE to inform him about the Executive Mansion’s instruction and held an initial meeting with Mr. KOLLIE and his team at the LMDI new office at WHEDEY TOWN near Careysburg on the Kakata Monrovia Highway.
At the meeting on Tuesday, the LMDI and LRRRC agreed that a solution that guarantees quick and dignified redress to the concerns of the thousands of victims demolition victims should be the main aim of the intervention influenced by the recent apology and commitment of dialogue and redress by president GEORGE WEAH with and to the victims.
JOHN KOLLIE Director of the LMDI told the LRRC at the meeting that he and his organization’s only interest in the FENDELL land saga is to stop a precedent of wanton and illegal destruction of people’s properties and lives by a few powerful people in any regime and to ensure that Liberia lives to its international law obligations especially regarding forced eviction and demolition.
President GEORGE WEAH at a recent meeting with victims of the FENDELL demolition in response to more than two years of sustained advocacy by the Liberia Media for Democratic Initiatives (LMDI) against the wanton demolition and destruction of at least 3000 homes and 15 aboriginal villages told hundreds of the tens of thousands of the FENDELL demolition that he was deeply sorry about the destruction of their homes by the former ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF led government and saddened by the grave suffering caused by the mass destruction at FENDELL.
The president said though he took over what he called a broke government , heavily burdened by many ugly things inherited from the ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF led government, he accepts responsibility for actions of the immediate past government in the required spirit of general governance and government continuity.
President WEAH in a rather unexpected mood offered to dialogue and negotiate a peaceful way out of the FENDELL land crisis and to find ways of settling with the victims, but called on them to be reasonable and not to demand the unachievable, as doing so would undermine the urgently needed resolution of the matter.
The president spoke with the victims at the latest session of the People To People Town Hall style Interactive forum flagship platform of the Liberia Media for Democratic Initiatives ( LMDI) named and styled, “THE DIALOGUE” held on Monday January 21, 2019 near the expanded FENDELL campus of the University of Liberia, the scene of the mass demolition and displacement of the thousands of people.
The president commended LMDI director JOHN KOLLIE, calling him a great friend who has maintained his stance for human rights and concern for poor people. President WEAH and his government were virtually clueless on the FENDELL saga which he described as an unexpected inhumanity meted by a government to its own people.
“I am particularly grateful to my long time friend and former civil society and human rights advocacy colleague for giving us the clue about this and making us correct the wrongs,” the president concluded.
Earlier, VIOLA LINCOLN, the woman who chairs the committee for the victims commended president GEORGE WEAH, calling his willingness to DIALOGUE with them, an unexpected divine intervention by a greatly concerned leader. Miss LINCOLN offered to lead a reasonable negotiation with the Liberian government that will not ignore the magnanimity of the Liberian leader.
For his part, JOHN KOLLIE, the Director of the LMDI who has staunchly led the fierce advocacy told the president and the gathering that he was particularly gratified by the president’s willingness to listen to his sustained plea for justice for the thousands of victims of the FENDELL saga and felt deeply honored by the president’s action.
The LMDI through THE DIALOGUE has been the only organization running and leading the advocacy against the demolition and urging a settlement for the victims by the Liberian government.
The President’s meeting with the FENDELL victims was in fulfillment of a recent commitment to dialogue a way out of the quagmire in response to a plea by LMDI Director and Press Union of Liberia Journalist of the Year JOHN KOLLIE, at a media executives’ meeting.
In a recent frank exchange of views with JOHN KOLLIE also LMDI Founder and Director, president WEAH committed that his government will in engage in a dialogue with the thousands of the UL FENDELL campus private property destruction and negotiate a sober government to people resolution to the saga.
President WEAH said his government is one of prop-poor and does not acquiesce the destruction of the homes of poor people who have suffered to rebuild their lives after years of civil war.
The president said though the demolition was carried out by the UL authority in the regime of his predecessor, President ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF, he thinks it was ill advised and instituted against the thousands of poor people who have painstakingly suffered massive displacement by the wanton FENDELL campus private homes destruction.
President WEAH promised what he calls a pro-poor sensitive resolution that he said will relieve the victims of the pains and suffering already undergone since the destruction of their homes. He called for a direct first meeting with the leadership of the aggrieved FENDELL destruction and pleaded with LMDI Director JOHN KOLLIE to liaise with the FENDELL victims for such a meeting and other engagements to ensure that an amicable resolution is found.
JOHN KOLLIE and the LMDI have been but the only advocate against the demolition of at least 3000 private homes of Liberians ordered by former president ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF through the University of Liberia authority led then by WEADE KOLBA WUREH BOLEY.
JOHN KOLLIE has argued that the wanton bull dozing of homes of thousands of private homes and aboriginal villages of more than 40 thousand people was a violation of their fundamental human rights in keeping with the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Guidelines on forced eviction.
Between April 19—June 30, 2016, the University of Liberia influenced by and acting through its Vice President WEADE KOBLA WUREH BOLEY on orders of former president ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF instituted a wanton forced eviction of more than 40 thousand people and demolished private homes and at least 10 aboriginal homeland villages of ethnic Gola, Kpelleh and Bassa people who originally owned FENDELL.
Victims of the wanton UL destruction claim that more than 3000 homes and about 15 villages were destroyed…They put the cost of their destroyed properties at 40 million dollars. The victims have since taken their case to both Liberian and ECOWAS court for redress, but with the offered intervention of president GEORGE WEAH, the case may be withdrawn to allow for a negotiated settlement that could water down their demands.
Dealing with FENDELL saga has been seen as practically impossible as the government under ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF did not grant any ears to the thousands of people displaced by the wanton destruction of homes and villages at FENDELL and as such an amicable solution, if found could be one of the practical signs of the commitment of President GEORGE WEAH to his heralded pro-poor agenda for prosperity.
Since the wanton demolition of the more than 3000 homes of people at FENDELL, the LMDI and JOHN KOLLIE have financed and run several sessions of their DIALOGUE forums highlighting the destruction and the plight of the more than 40 thousand people now displaced scattered in the bushes of rural Montserrado County.
John Kollie calls on the administration of President GEORGE WEAH, styling itself as pro-poor, to launch a probe into the situation and to address the concerns of the thousands of Liberians displaced by the wanton FENDELL demolition by former President ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF and UL Vice President WEADE KOBBA WUREH.
Kollie has argued that the FENDELL destruction is a gross violation of all provisions of the Universal Declaration Human rights on forced eviction and the dispossession of the human being of land or any real property as done at FENDELL, hence Monday’s meeting will be the beginning of show by the WEAH government that it will do true to its prop-poor promise to lift thousands out of poverty.
You may follow us at our new website at www.lmdi.org and also visit our face book page at Liberia Media for Democratic initiatives-LMDI. You can send comments to info@lmdi.org and john@lmdi.org THE DIALOGUE and DUCOR DEBATES at this time are generally in search of support and partnership to sustain regular debates and make them a culture of Liberia’s democratic transitions and space.