Monrovia – Ac Act to turn Peace Island Community in Monrovia into a borough has been passed by the House of Representatives and forwarded to the Liberian Senate for concurrence.
Report by Henry Karmo – [email protected]
Peace Island Community is commonly referred to as “540 Community” and is located in the Township of Congo Town.
The community got its named “540” due to the huge settlement of disbanded officers of the Armed Forces of Liberia who received US$540 as resettlement benefits.
The Act was approved by Members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, June 6, during the 37th day sitting of the 6th Session of the 53rd Legislature.
The House’s decision was based on a report of the Joint Committee on Judiciary, Ways, Means, Finance and Development Planning and Internal Affairs.
If it becomes a law, the Borough shall be headed by a Governor, who shall be appointed by the President of Liberia.
It shall have a nine men Council which must have geographical balance and subject to election for the period of four years, and a magisterial Court shall be established in the Borough for the administration of justice.
The Act was sponsored by Montserrado County District # 10 Representative Julius Berrian.
Representative Julius Berrian (CDC-District #10 Montserrado County) is also pushing to give permanent status to resident of the controversial Peace Island Community. Residents of the Peace Island Community have in the past been threatened forceful eviction for illegally occupying the land.
In 2016 elders and leaders of the community appealed to central government through their direct representative to give the community dwellers a permanent resident status by law when they were at the verge of eviction to give way for the construction of the much talked about ministerial complex on the land, believed to be owned by government.
On Tuesday, Representative Berrian in a communication, prayed the indulgence of his colleagues to pass a bill crafted by him to grant permanent status to residents of the community. He argued that the community has over the years developed tremendously.
He named the construction of schools, Clinic, Children Recreational Centre, churches, Mosques as initiatives which are intended to buttress national government efforts in implementing the millennium Development goals (MDGS) and as well as the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS).
The Act
Section two of the draft act also states that the metes and bonds and description of the Peace Island Community hereto established and created are the areas commonly known and referred to as the Peace Island Community prior to the passage of the act.
The draft law if passed will also make the land or properties legitimately owned by people of the Peace Island and the created community shall comprise (10) blocks ranging from A-J.
Section three of the draft act calls for residents of the Peace Island Community to elect their officers which includes but not limited to chairman, Co-Chairman, secretary Financial secretary, Treasurer and that they shall hold offices at the will and pleasure of the President of the Republic of Liberia on a need to basis.
About Peace Island
The land behind the unfinished, and abandoned, Ministry of Defense building in Congo Town had been left untouched throughout Liberia’s history.
But it quickly became home to thousands of Liberians who had been displaced during the war, and who sought stability, and land, on which they could rebuild their lives.
Peace Island has lived up to its name. But now the residents are uniting against another challenge: the basic infrastructure its residents need to survive, such as roads, an adequate bridge to access the island, government-supported schools and clinics.
Government support has been slow to come for the community, mostly because residents on Peace Island live as squatters on private land, not officially recognized by government.
Land has been identified for a police depot, and also for a government health clinic.
The community also wants to build a junior high school. Currently, a makeshift community school with mat walls caters to between 1,000 and 1,200 students. But the school was closed following damage from a recent storm.
The over 20,000 people in Peace Island have access to only two hand pumps but the safe water becomes dirty during raining season because surrounding wetlands are used as toilets by many in the community.