IPNews-Monrovia, Liberia-8 March 2018:In the wake of President George Weah`s pronouncement suggesting that foreigners to own land, officials of the Civil Society Working Group on Land Rights reform has observed that validating tribal land certificate will significantly reduce corruption and safeguard against illegal land transactions across the country.
Sounding the caveat during a press conference in Monrovia Wednesday, March 7, 2018, Lena T. Cummings named increased corruption by validating tribal certificates, unconstitutional expropriation of 30 percent of public land, damage done on local economies by failing to recognize women`s land rights and increased conflicts by failing to recognize the rights of Liberian communities to free prior informed consent to all concessions and investments on their lands are additional seedbed to escalate tensions between private, state and communities on a scale than has far been the case in Liberia.
She pointed out that legitimizing and validating tribal certificates and various pre-existing property documents without safeguards against bad transactions, fraud, historical and procedural improprieties, or inaccuracies in original survey processes across the country are issues of concern to the working group.
According to her, these provisions would open the door to widespread corruption and large-scale privatization of customary land without genuine or inclusive consent of the community residents.\
“The current Bill automatically grants over 50 percent of all underdeveloped lands under tribal certificates to holders of tribal certificates in the country is not known, and the total area covered by tribal certificates remains unknown,” she added.
The working group added that it is deeply apprehensive that the passage of the Bill in its current form will severely undermine peace, reconciliation, and inclusive economic development.
“The CSO working group is urgently calling on the general public and members of the communities including women, youth, elders, religious leaders to participate in the land reform efforts and to ensure pro-community Bill,” she added.
