Congratulations to you for your ascendency as the elected representative of our dynamic district; and herewith write to also officially file a formal complaint against the Liberia Agriculture Company (LAC) to your honourable office, for illegally and criminally possessing and occupying our privately- owned legitimate land for appropriate redress,” a communication addressed to Grand Bassa Electoral District Four Representative Alfred H. Flomo has indicated.
According to the communication, the people of Wholarzon Chiefdom occupy a privately- owned six hundred (600) acres of land, which official boundary extends from the right bank of the Newcess River and end up to the St. John River right bank respectively.
“This indicates that we are situated between two historical rivers in the Wee Statutory District. Moreover, our land was legally and legitimately obtained from the Government of the Republic of Liberia, during the late President, H.E. Charles D. B. King in 1923; far before the emergence and existence or coming into being of the Liberia Agriculture Company (LAC) at the end of the 1950s; at which time the boundaries had already been set in place,” the communication noted.
Notwithstanding, the citizens said historically, they are aware that portion of the land was given to the Liberia Agriculture Company (LAC) on the left bank of the Newcess River during the administration of President William V.S. Tubman without any form of interference from them(citizens), which still remains the company’s area of concession.
This narrative shows that the Newcess River still serves the legitimate boundary between Wholarzon land and the LAC’s land. “This means that our privately-owned land of the Intest State Estate of the late Chief Flo of Wholarzon Chiefdom Compound #3, Wee Statutory District, Grand Bassa County, Republic of Liberia, was not part and parcel of the LAC’s land for the record,” the communication indicated.
The citizens argued:” On the other hand, if the Government of Liberia had any interest in our land, she would have contacted us or declared eminent domain over said property and benefit would had been discussed, if the government had wished to repossess the land. Interestingly, that wasn’t the case but LAC did everything within her power illegally to criminally possess and occupied our land without our consent. In fact, the Liberia Agriculture Company met Roman’s Camp in that same position.”
Historically, the citizens said it was an arrangement made between the people of Wholarzon and the late Senator Joshua L. Johnson, Levi Johnson and Fred Bryant, the then District Commissioner of Compound #3 (Gozogn), under whose leadership that portion of land was made available to the then Roman’s Company to build temporary offices to facilitate the construction of the LAMCO Rail Road at the time, something the citizens said can still be seen today.
“ We don’t know up to present, what are the cardinal reasons for the Liberia Agriculture Company (LAC) to illegally cross over to the right bank of the Newcess River and plant huge quantities of rubbers on our land, thus making millions of United States Dollars without any benefit to us. This is indeed unfortunate,” the citizens lamented.
They noted that regarding this illegal occupation, they had raised numerous concerns, but had never gotten the administrative and political attention of their past leaders to bring LAC to book. “Whenever we stand in defiance to defend our land, LAC will use brute force on our peaceful people. And in most cases, our people will be compelled and constrained to hide in the bushes for months, fearing of being arrested and treated badly by LAC’s security forces. This is the bitter agony, egregious and dehumanization conditions we have been confronted with for many unbroken years at the hands of LAC’s Management,” the communication noted.
The citizens also said: “Sir, technically, if you have ever visited the Wayzohn/ Compound #3 or Gohzon Community, passing through the general market to get to LAC’ s facilities ; you will clearly note that LAC’s official gate is across the Newcess River, the left bank. But, unfortunately, and tragically, LAC illegally crossed over to our land and planted huge quantities of commercial rubbers without our legal consent ……….why so?? Is it because we are poor, appear ignorant and uneducated and don’t ever enjoy the administrative and political attention of our past leaders? As we speak, LAC has brought her main gate deep inwards in our land near the train track; instead of being across the Newcess River left bank, the original boundary.”
The citizens also said this development is complete violation of their fundamental human rights noting, “It will also interest you to note that LAC has seriously polluted all our surrounding rivers and creeks with dangerous chemicals detrimental to the lives of our citizens.”
According to them, the dangerous chemicals have killed all the species of fish in their rivers and these are the very rivers their people are constrained to drink from; adding, “For this reason, our people are dying of various kinds of diseases unknown to them. No hand pumps installed in the various communities by LAC.”
They further indicated that between 1958-1959, the Tubman Administration allegedly gave LAC estimated hundreds of thousands of hectors of land for rubbers production purposes. “But, in 1991, during the war years; when no government was in place, LAC unilaterally, and illegally planted cornerstones on our land deep in our forest without our consent and acknowledgement,” the communication addressed to Representative Flomo noted.
The citizens wondered: “Why should a concession company survey land on her own for possession? if the so-called survey was a legitimate one, according to LAC’s management, where are copies of the surveys notices that were served to adjacent properties owners? In which newspaper the announcement was made? What was the name of the surveyor? What really warranted the survey then? Which governmental institution that authorized the survey? These are legitimate, legal and concerning questions LAC’s needs to answer before all of us. Or better still the court.”
The citizens said they will not allow LAC to override them forever, as they are determined and prepared to stand in defiance of live bullets to regain their property.
Mr. Benedict Lewis, Administrator