Monrovia – Residents of the Rock Hill Community, surrounding the ruined Ducor Palace Hotel have rejected claims made by the National Investment Commission (NIC) that they are illegally occupying the area.
Report by J.H. Webster Clayeh – [email protected]
The wave of shock came following an address at the Ministry of Information press briefing by the executive director of the National Investment Commission , George Wisner, who called on those occupying houses in the vicinity of the hotel to vacate because the government is about to take full control for the project to begin.
During the briefing, the NIC Executive Director was not clear in giving the actual date the renovation will start but said the government has made major progress to have the Ducor Palace Hotel rehabilitated.
“So we want to use this medium to appeal to our citizens, those who had gone back to encroach on the facility at Ducor Hotel despite the fact that the government had spent over millions of dollars in resettlement and relocating people; even though people illegally occupy the place,” Wisner said while speaking on several issues about investment.
“We should not have an excuse that this is an election year; an election year doesn’t mean that the economy comes to a standstill. We need jobs, we need to grow the economy; we are begging you to please vacate the Ducor premises because work will shortly begin on Ducor,” he asserted.
But the chairman of Rock Hill community, Andrew Ngolloe told FrontPage Africa the government and residents have come to any solution on the issue, adding that the survey done by the government did not meet the “statutory measure.”
According to the community chairman, the land was given to them by the Tubman administration.
He added that the survey done by the Sirleaf-led government is quite different from the survey by the late president William V.S. Tubman government, and it was protested against in 2009.
In 2009, the government paid out those occupying areas in the vicinity of the hotel but Ngolloe said those who were paid were illegal occupants and those were the one who broke down their homes after receiving money.
He added that the deceased publisher of the New Democrat Newspaper, Tom Kamara, and other people that received money demolished their various homes and left.
“If government comes and tell the public that we are illegal occupants and on that basic they will evacuate us, we will tell the public that the government is giving false information. We are not illegal occupants and they should prove through legal means that we are illegal occupants”.
Find place for us
A resident, Comfort Saysay, 37, mother of five said she is worried about the wellbeing of her family following remarks by NIC’s Wisner.
She said she has been living in the area since she was a kid, adding that the Ducor hotel management had no problem with them being there.
Although she has not gotten money to demolish her house, she said giving money to them will not solve the problem as the – government must find an area for relocation.
“For me, the government has not paid for my place yet,” she said. “
““If the government really want carry on development; we don’t want money from them, let them find place for us.”
“If she (president Sirleaf) really feel for people; she will relocate us from here”, Saysay said.
“People get their good, good, houses here and nothing wrong with our houses; if you want me to go show you where Ducor fence stop, I can show it to you. All of the houses you see here, the people get their proper land document for them”.