MONROVIA: Residents of Dixville Township in District #11, Montserrado County, have alarmed over increasing land disputes in the area.
The citizens said the situation has effectively created an atmosphere fear and insecurity for them
The disputed lands in question, according to them, is about 11.5 acres which were said to have been originally bought by one Mother Victoria Young (late), former owner of the Fatima Cottage Orphanage home in Dixville Township.
The land was said to have been bought from the mother of a man who is reportedly claiming ownership of the property.
Explaining to reporters on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, Marpu Young, who identified herself as a daughter of Mother Victoria Young said, her mother came from Sass Town in Grand Kru County and established a Mission in 1971 in the Dixville Township.
The disputed land is deeded in the name of Fatima Cottage Orphanage Home. She wonders where one George Wleh, believed to be a son to the woman who mother Young bought said land from is now claiming ownership of the land.
Madam Marpu Young said since George Wleh started claiming ownership of said land, they have been living in constant fear.
She called on the President of Liberia, George Weah, to see the need and intervene for amicable resolution of the land crisis.
“I am sad and disturbed about this land issue, I am also not well, let the court do the needful because, we are tired of living in fear”, she added.
Also speaking to reporters on the disputed land issue was one of the residents who is also claiming to be a victim, Lewis S.W. Pyne Sr. who stressed that Land Matter and or land issue is a serious national security concern and needs to be addressed in a timely manner.
He said, as the residents of the community continue to pursue the case to its logical conclusion and in a legal manner, they will also continue to remain peaceful and calm.
Narrating his personal experience about the disputed land issue with George Wleh, he alleged that his wife was also beaten by some men who were believed to have acted on the order of Mr. Wleh.
Mr. Pyne said although he is not considered a target by the men, but he has been defending his community dwellers on the controversial land issues. “This is why the attackers want to get me out of the picture,” he narrated.
As a result of the fighting, one person from Wleh’s end was arrested by the Liberia National Police (LNP) because a CC TV photos proved that the violent act was committed by him.
The arrested man was reportedly charged by the LNP with assault, criminal act as well as theft of property.
However, some residents said the matter since January 28, 2023 is still being investigated.
“In September of 2022, George Wleh and his people came to my home and said the land was theirs but I read to them the Land Rights Law of 2018, article 22 which among other things states that to acquire a private land, one should have a chain of titles, your grantor, deed and copies of your receipts all of which I have and displayed to them. I said to them that their parents sold the land to my mother, so it is no longer theirs”, he noted.
He also claimed that while they were awaiting the March term of court to go into the matter, Mr. Wleh brought an investigative survey notice with a letter Head that captioned “Liberia Land Authority.”
However, during a follow up to verify the documents, a Liberia Land Authority official said the document was fraudulent.
However, it is alleged that it is that document which, George Wleh is using to sell land in the area and creating confusion and panic among residents within the area.
On Today, May 16, 2023, George Wleh came to do a survey but was prevented on grounds that the document was fake, Mr. Pyne informed reporters.
Moreover, he stated that to do an investigative survey not an ordinary survey, there must be certain credentials to be met to include, an assigned registered land and legal surveyor from the Liberia Land Authority, a proper facts finding must be conducted including statistics before the process can begin, something he alleged, was not done by George and his team as such, the survey was not conducted.
According to him, George is claiming the Land from the Bridge that divides Barnesville and Dixville to the Public School on the main road.
As for Odell Martin and one of the chairmen of Block D area within the same Township, they claimed that Mr. Wleh is hiding behind the purported fake document to sell more lands within the area and is causing serious problems for them.
They also claimed that George most often does not go to the court whenever he is invited but keeps doing his illegal land sale.
“If the Barnesville court can’t handle the case, let them forward it to the higher court so we can once again live in peace because at the moment, our lives are in danger and we worried daily, the lower court is delaying on the matter too much”, they explained.
When contacted for his reaction, Mr. George Wleh told this paper that the land in question belongs to his family and that he is not involved in any illegal land business, as it is being alleged.
Unlike the Young family, George claimed that the land in question is 27.25 Acres contrary to 11.5 acres as disclosed by the Fatima Cottage Orphanage home land deed.
George Wleh, who confirmed that he is the son of the Mother who allegedly and originally sold the land to the late Mother Victoria Young, former owner of the Fatima Cottage Orphanage Home is also a former officer of the Liberia National Police once assigned at the Johnsonville police station.
He was reportedly disrobed for assault and other unwholesome acts by Justice Minister, Cllr. Frank Musa Dean.
Unlike George, a member of his family who spoke to reporters in person of Augustine Jallah confirmed that the matter is in court but maintained that they have all rights to go ahead with continuous land sale because, they are the legitimate owners of the disputed land.
According to him, the Fatima Cottage Orphanage home people do not have lawyer and it is Mr. Pyne who always showing up in the entire matter even though he (Mr. Pyne) is a resident of the community and a party to the case.
He at the same time dispelled rumors of beating on people and causing confusion on the land.
He however, admitted that they are always on the land site to do survey and to sell lands legitimately.
Well, as the both parties have displayed documents showing legitimate ownerships to the disputed land, however, the acres in question, 11.5 as disclosed by the young family and 27.25 acres as indicated by the Wleh’s family now appear to be the sticky issue as only the court can decide on the matter in order to bring the matter to its logical conclusion.