Monrovia – The NGO coalition of Liberia has called on President George Weah to stop his direct interference in community forest matters.
At a press conference on Friday, October 26, the NGO Coalition, through its National Coordinator, Richard Hoff II, said the President’s direct intervention contravenes the laws and regulations governing the sector including the National Forestry Reform Law (NFRL) of 2006 and Community Rights Law of 2009 with respect to forest land.
According to Hoff, the President’s decision to set up a Special Committee to settle disputes in the community forests within District #3 B & C in Grand Bassa County is wrong and undermines the laws that have been put in place to guide the sector.
Residents of Grand Bassa County’s District # 3 B and C have been engulfed with a long-standing dispute relating to a vote of no confidence in the heads of the Community Assembly (CA) and the Community Forest Management Body (CFMB).
The Community Rights Law of 2009 makes the CA the highest decision-making body of community forest. The CA, among other things, appoints the CFMB to implement its policies including the execution of the Community Forest Management Plan and budget.
The conflict in the area has led to internal wrangling that has stalled every logging activity within the community.
To put the matter to rest, President Weah set up a special committee headed by Rep. Thomas Goshua of Electoral District #5 and Chairman of the Grand Bassa Legislative Caucus, the head of Traditional Council of Chiefs and Elders, Chief Zanzar Karwar and Bishop Gweh.
But what appeared to have been a good-intention intervention by the President, Hoff said, is now turning into an unhealthy development as the legitimate leadership of the community is being pushed aside by “powerful people who are driving personal interests.”
According to Hoff, in a meeting chaired by the President’s Committee, and witnessed by the FDA and NGO Coalition, members of the Community Assembly were asked to take the vote of no confidence if the allegations against District 3 B & C leadership were accurate and correct.
Three times a vote was taken by Community Assembly members that were present but two thirds could not be attained to remove the accused officers according to their constitution and bylaws.
Despite this shortfall, both heads of the CA and CFMB were suspended and an ad hoc committee was constituted and charged with the responsibilities to work with the FDA to amicably resolve the dispute.
And this, Hoff noted involves a further investigation that will lead to the dismissal or reinstatement of the suspended officials.
But on the contrary to the meeting outcome on September 14, the NGO Coalition alleged the Ad hoc Committee wrote the FDA to visit the community forest to sign a third-party agreement with another company, in the midst of an existing third party agreement the community earlier entered with another logging company.
“We have been reliably informed that the community has requested, and FDA is carrying out or has completed demarcation of the community forest to separate the existing third party and a new and allegedly illegal third party. This is totally unacceptable as it contravenes the laws that govern our forests,” the Coordinator noted.
Conflict of Interest?
Two logging companies have since started competing for the District #3 B & C forest, which covers 49,729 hectares, according to the FDA. County and district authorities are backing West Water, a Chinese company; while the Community Forest Management Body (CFMB) is backing Renewed Forestry Group (RFG).
The CFMB under the Community Rights Law represents the interest of the community in logging deals, but county and local authorities—including Statutory Superintendent Joe S. Paygar, Representative Vincent Willie and Superintendent Janjay Baikpeh have questioned the legitimacy of the body.
Suspended CFMB chairman, James Z. Konmeh said the local authorities have been fighting members of the body and inciting the locals against them.
“They have done all they can to undermine our legitimacy but we will not surrender to them. “We will not back down. We will fight to the end because we are backed by the law,” he adds.
It is because of this, some thought, that President Weah decided to get involved to resolve the crisis, but many feel his committee is doing the opposite instead.
Meanwhile, FrontPage Africa contacted the FDA and the County’s Legislative Caucus for comment but did not get any response up to press time. The President’s office could not be reached as protocol officers said the office was closed over the weekend. The Presidential Press Secretary was called for up, but the phone rang and there was no response.
High Power’s Influence
The NGO Coalition said the allegations against the accused officers were driven by interests and not based on concrete justification.
“The fact that a two-third vote could not be attained during the meeting supports the assertion that there was no meeting held where CA members cast a vote of no confidence in their officials,” said Hoff during the press conference.
“What is more mind-boggling, he said, is the fact that the Ad-hoc Committee, on no legal grounds, would suddenly invite the FDA to the community forest to sign third party agreement with another company while there is an existing contract. This means a higher power beyond those of the communities and the FDA is driving the process to hatch an illegal enterprise that may escalate within a short period of time.”
He said any process established outside the Community Forest Law by setting up a committee parallel to the FDA which has the statutory mandate to manage Liberia’s forest resources is not just wrong, but undemocratic and will automatically damage the entire law, sending Liberia back to Zero where community forest can only exist at the will and pleasure of the political class.
“If this trend continues, it may lead Community forestry governance in Liberia down a spiraling path of bad forest governance that can rightfully be compared with the abuse of the Private Use Permit (PUP) in 2011 and 2012 that led to the loss of revenues to both National Government and affected communities,” Hoff warned.
“While we may understand the President’s zeal and courage seeking to ensure well-managed forest resources of Liberia, this cannot and should never be achieved by usurping the function of the FDA Management as such action will in the short to medium term adversely affect the delivery of the authority’s statutory mandate,” Hoff said.
In order to ensure checks and balances, he noted that it would be prudent for the President to refer disputes in community forests governance to the FDA management using the established legal framework and processes enshrined in the 2009 Community Forest Law.
“As President of the republic, we can also accept that you will take action against the FDA management if it is found to be ineffective and bias.”