Monrovia — Sundaygar Town in Marshall Margibi County witnessed a protest by a group of disadvantaged youth commonly referred to as 'zogos' from the New Life Recovery Rehabilitation Center, operated by the United Methodist Church. The frustrated youth, chanting "Bring our school back," took to the main highway leading to the Airport, blocking it with burning tires, sticks, and zinc. Their demonstration was in response to the demolition of a ten-classroom vocational school building in Marshall.
Samuel Roberts, formerly a drug addict who successfully graduated from the New Life Recovery Rehabilitation Center and is now known as "from zogo to hero," expressed his disappointment. Roberts, who now works as a staff member at the center to help other addicts, stated that they were deeply hurt and disheartened by the destruction of the vocational center, which was scheduled to open in July. He attributed the demolition to Liberia's Chief Justice, Her Honor Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh, and Clarence Momolu, who allegedly sold the land.
Roberts recounted the events, saying, "When we were initially building the fence in February, the Chief Justice arrived with her daughter and some armed personnel, claiming that she had purchased the land for her daughter. During the recent incident, the Chief Justice cannot deny her presence because we saw her accompanied by armed personnel. As we speak, those armed personnel fired shots in the air, injuring some people. This is a grave injustice to us, the disadvantaged youth," Roberts emphasized.
Roberts and others further accused Clarence Momolu of engaging in criminal activities, alleging that he repeatedly sold the same land to wealthy clients. They insisted that Jefferson B. Knight, the director of the Rehabilitation Center, was the rightful owner of the land, having purchased it in 2013. They believed that the vocational center would have provided them with transformative skills in tailoring, soap making, and tie-dye, enabling them to become productive members of society. The demolition shattered their hopes for a better future, leaving them shattered and pleading for the school to be rebuilt by those responsible for its destruction.
Despite attempts to reach the Chief Justice for comment, Chief Justice Press Officer Darryl Ambrose Nmah, speaking on KM TV during the demolition process, stated that Chief Justice Yuoh suggested dissatisfied parties seek legal recourse since no one is above the law.
Mr. Jeffeson B. Knight, the Director of Human Rights Monitor and the Rehabilitation Center, who was not present during the demolition, claimed that a bulldozer destroyed a $45,000 ten-classroom vocational building, as well as his own house foundation. Knight asserted that the disadvantaged individuals, referred to as zogoes, were protesting because their aspirations had been shattered since the destruction of the school. The vocational institution aimed to rehabilitate over 200 disadvantaged youth free of charge, offering them an opportunity for a better future. Since its establishment in 2013, the New Life Recovery Center had successfully rehabilitated over 110 drug addicts, with some individuals reintegrating into society and others experiencing relapses.
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Knight explained that he had sold the land to Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh, who intended to purchase it for her daughter. He clarified, "I bought three lots of land from the Smith family since 2013, and my family and I gave one and a half lots of land for the Vocational Center and my foundation in the back. The Chief Justice and I purchased our land from the Smith family, not Clarence Momolu. However, because her house is nearby, she wants to claim the entire area for her daughter."
Amidst the turmoil, the frustrated youth resorted to burning tires on the road and staging a roadblock to garner the government's attention. Mr. Knight revealed that he promptly intervened upon hearing about the youth's actions, along with the involvement of the local Bishop and former Minister of State Nathaniel McGill.
An anonymous lawyer consulted regarding taking the Chief Justice to court expressed reservations, citing the difficulty of the case due to its gravity. "If any practicing lawyer takes up the case against the Chief Justice of Liberia, it will be like digging their own grave because she is the head of the judiciary," the lawyer cautioned.
Samuel Roberts, standing with his friends at the demolished site, shared that the police commander requested a three-day grace period to resolve the situation. He warned, "If our concerns remain unaddressed after three days, we will return to the streets to protest."
