Chance to live in peace again
 

Bryant Issues Ultimatum to “Squatters” Near His New Home

By Mambu James Kpargoi

24 April 04

Several people living near the renovated new home of interim chair Charles Gyude Bryant, have been given an ultimatum to vacate the area or have their homes destroyed. The squatters are calling on the human rights community and the UN mission in Liberia to come to their rescue, since they have nowhere to live without compensation from the government.

According to the squatters who said they were authorised by Monrovia city Corporation authorities since 1993 to build and live there, they were asked to evict their area five months ago by Wilfred Clarke, Security Advisor to Chairman Bryant and the General Services Agency for what they termed as "security reasons" when renovation works were underway on the house which is located near the Atlantic Ocean on Monrovia's Newport Street.

A petty trader and household head of 25 she must feed, Madame Yassa Kemezee by selling fruits is one of the owners of one of the several houses marked for demolition. She told the New Democrat that the General Services Agency ( GSA) at the time of the eviction order, informed them to make available the cost of their houses for urgent reimbursement. But this has not been the case.

"We have since sent the cost of our structures to the GSA. But can you imagine that it has since been four months now and no payments have been made. They are now telling us to leave our houses by Friday or they will bring in bull dozers to clear them," Madame Kemezee said. She added that Bryant sister, Mrs. Carmina Tolbert visited the area on several occasion including Thursday at which time she told them that their houses were built in the allay on government land and that failure to relocate urgently will lead to their forceful eviction.

Authorities at the GSA and City Corporation, when contacted Wednesday, failed to comment on the issue as officials responsible to comment were said to be out of office. Efforts to contact Mr. Clarke were unsuccessful.

The house itself is located at the end on the main road leading from Newport Street to the Atlantic Ocean. It was built in the 1970s by the late Stephen Tolbert, former Finance Minister and brother of Liberian President William Tolbert who was assassinated on April 12, 1980 in a military coup. Bryant sister Carmena

is the wife of Stephen Tolbert who died in a plane crash in the 70s.

The aggrieved residents, mostly driven from rural Liberia , added that during the tenure of David Kpormakpor as interim Chairman, they lived in harmony their head of state neighbours who provided them electricity and other facilities. (Dr. Amos Sawyer, as interim president when Monrovia was divided amongst  rebel factions, lived at the Ducor Hotel, then a displaced center, sharing it with many squatters.)   They therefore r expressed surprise that another Transitional Chairman would want to evict them from their houses at a time when hundreds of homes have been destroyed in successive wars in the capital, creating a horrendous housing shortage .

The squatters, about 100, who are unemployed and mostly market women, added that they were now sleeping in fear, especially after threats by Mrs. Tolbert that their houses would be demolish anytime.

"I have paid over L$20,000.00 for my four children at a nearby school and they are in the middle of the school year. Are they saying that our children should leave their schools if they force us from here. What's the difference between Bryant and Charles Taylor? I think Charles Taylor was better." Harriett Quoinin one of the affected squatters opined in a worried and frustrated mood.

She noted that the house Bryant will be occupying was also built in the allay, saying that it will mean injustice if their houses were to be demolished on such grounds.

Harriett called on human right organizations, the United Nations Mission in Liberia and the religious community to intervene on their behalf because countless appeals to the public and even to Chairman Bryant have gone unheeded.