publicagendanews.com

In what seems to be an uncompromising attitude against the president’s promise that ‘We will implement the Land Committee’s report’, some residents of Ganta and Saclepea have expressed what they term disappointment in the response of the President to the issue of land palaver in the county. According to them, the issue of resettlement or relocation package as recommended by the committee was far from the acceptable.
         An old man, in his late seventies, said his property is owned by eleven brothers and sisters. “Our land is an inheritance from our father. We are eleven. Who am I to make final decision on a property that belongs to eleven?” he told our reporter in uncorrupt English.
       Another person equally vexed with the slower-than-snail-pace process said: “We will fight until the last drop of our blood. Let the world know that we tried our best but couldn’t make it because of heavy government hands.”
         The President, during her speech in Ganta at the intercessory program, admitted that many of those attending the program were people who have greatly contributed towards the success of the work of the Land Committee; she however promised that the government will implement the recommendations contained in the report.
         Disappointed in this statement, they said: “That is something we have heard before. How soon, is the question?
         Reports also emanating from the celebrations have it that President Sirleaf made mention of an option available to government in resolving a sticky land issue. According to that account, the president mentioned that the rule of Eminent Domain was an option available to government in the settling the land dispute where necessary.
          However, when quizzed about this turn of events, a long time advocate on the Nimba land issue, Mr. Jura Sanoe, told the Public Agenda that the ethnic Mandingoes were maturely reflecting on the latest developments regarding their legitimate property issue in Nimba, which he said are human rights, and not political issues. Mr. Sanoe furthered maintained that they will make a consensus and suitable comment on these issues after the ongoing assessments and consultations. He concluded by saying that based on the stand of citizens and their leaders on issues unfolding within their life time, the history of this country when rewritten, will judge us either as nationalists, unifying, selfless or otherwise.
One attendant at the dedicatory program told our reporter that it was because of the magnificence of the hospital that the president had to sleep in Tapita, the first time for her to sleep in a district town during her tour of the country in dedicating projects. She and her delegates slept at the doctors’ quarter of the hospital and left early next morning to dedicate other projects, like the Kpatuo Medical Clinic and Karn High School in Kanrplay City, Gbehlay Geh District, all in Nimba County.