The Minister of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism Minister Jerolinmek Piah has firmly denied any government involvement in the recent demolition of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) headquarters, stating that the incident stemmed from a private land dispute. Minister Piah noted that the Liberia National Police officers who were seen at the site, could be interpreted as evidence of government action, but was based on Court order.
He pointed to previous similar situations, such as a property dispute in Mount Barclay involving CDC Treasurer John Youboty, where police were also present to maintain order during enforcement. “The government has no hand in what took place,” Piah stated. “The demolition was carried out solely under the directive of the rightful property owner.” He noted that evictions of this nature are not uncommon in Liberia and highlighted that even the ruling Unity Party had once been forced to vacate its headquarters due to a land dispute, eventually relocating to Broad Street. The once-vibrant headquarters of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) currently lies in ruins, as the 4.23 acres of land housing the party’s main offices have been completely cleared following a court-ordered eviction and demolition.
Photos show the debris and wreckage that remain after enforcement officers carried out the eviction earlier this week. The action follows a ruling from the Sixth Judicial Circuit Civil Law Court, which ordered the removal of the CDC from the property. The rightful owner, Ebrima Varney Dempster, has now taken full possession of the land. According to legal documents, Dempster had filed a long-standing case against the CDC over ownership of the property, which culminated in the court’s recent ruling in his favor. The CDC, however, has condemned the eviction and demolition, describing the move as politically motivated. In a statement released shortly after the clearing of the site, the party called the government’s action “political repression” targeted at silencing dissent and opposition voices. The demolition comes just days after CDC members vowed to resist any attempt to remove them from the premises, citing the lack of an official eviction notice and labelling the process as illegal and abrupt. As part of rebuilding it’s headquarters the immediate past ruling establishment has established a committee responsible to build a new headquarters for the party in one year.
