Land Dispute Flare Up In ‘Happy Corner’

By: Fiona Benson Kollie

Reports of land disputes in the country took a dramatic turn recently when residents of the crime-prone compartment in central Monrovia, called a “Happy Corner,” was embroiled in similar crisis.  The situation was tense thus compelling members of the House of Representatives to initiate a probe into the dispute, which later on became “contentious.” The Happy Corner Community, is located in District #7, Montserrado County. The dispute reportedly involved key government institutions and few other residents. Plenary decision followed a communication from the district Representatives, Emmanuel Dahn, who subsequently requested for “urgent investigation into the Happy Conner land matter.” The House Plenary took the decision on Tuesday, March 3, to invite relevant officials and stakeholders to provide clarification on the matter.  Those invited included the Minister of Justice, N. Oswald Tweh, Chairman, Liberia Land Authority, Samuel F. Kpakio, General Services Agency Director General, Galakpai W. Kortimai, Center for National Documents and Records Agency Director, D. Nelson Bearngar.  Others are Messrs Mohammed Alawie, Hassan Sani Jichi, Sekou Dorley, and also the leadership of the “Happy Corner Community” to present their claims and perspectives. Rep. Dahn said, while available information indicates the land is government-owned, residents claimed that some parties have attempted to unlawfully take over the property, using fraudulent documents to facilitate eviction.  The dispute has caused distress among the community and heightened tensions. During Tuesday’s 15^th -day plenary sitting, the LAA Commissioner for Land, Dr. Mahmoud Solomon, informed parties to the dispute should bring their deeds (both historical claims and undocumented parcels.)  A recent survey the LAA conducted confirmed government ownership of certain portions, while specific claims the Cooper family had made remained under judicial review or potential alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Also, Kortimai confirmed that the land in question is government-owned, and therefore, he promised to coordinate stakeholders’ engagements and supervised proper demarcation. Kortimai said, no payments or transfers of residents would occur until ownership is fully verified and established. He assured ongoing collaboration with LAA and Ministry of Justice to resolve outstanding issues. Plenary meanwhile, voted to forward the matter for detailed scrutiny to the Committees on Mines, Energy and Natural Resources and Environment, Public Utilities, and Judiciary, with a mandate to report back to Plenary before the close of the first quarter of 2026. The House recommitted itself to ensure transparent, lawful, and fair resolution of disputes affecting communities, while upholding the rights of all parties involved.