The Liberia Marketing Association (LMA) says it "strongly" disagrees with assertions by the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) based on the issuance of development grant deeds to several institutions, individuals and former members of the George Weah administration, to construct on the Omega land.
The LMA's disagreement comes after Kweshie Tetteh, the Land Authority Public Relations Officer, claimed that the parcel of Omega land deeded to United Liberia for Business Expansion was done in conformity with the LMA's leaders.
But the LMA offered a different explanation of what Tetteh had said, and provided clarification on the issue.
"Let me be clear, I strongly disagree with the sale of any parcel of the Omega land where former President George Weah located us marketeers," Patrick K. Sarti, LMA's Secretary General told journalists on Monday, when he was asked about Tetteh's statement.
"LMA does not know anything about granting development grant deeds to United Liberia for Business Expansion," Sarti clarified.
"And as secretary General, frankly, I will say that the LLA forcefully took the land from us, and they are doing what they want to do with the Omega land," Sarti claims.
The development grant deed, dated September 23, 2024, shows the United Liberia for Business Expansion and with the signature of LLA's chairman, Atty. Adam Manobah. It also has a price tag for US$177.
Upon removing sellers from Red Light, former President George Weah constituted a committee headed by the Ministry of Public Works, with the Monrovia City Corporation serving as the Co-chair, while the Liberia Land Authority, the Liberia Marketing Association (LMA) and others served as members.
According to Sarti, since the five markets were relocated to the 14 Omega International market, the LMA does not know its boundary between the Transport Union and National Housing Authority (NHA).
"So how [would] the LLA say we are knowledgeable of its sale and distribution? The LLA is the one at the forefront of the sale and distribution of the land. We have been left out of the process," Sarti claims.
Kweshie Tetteh, the Land Authority Public Relations Officer, authorized by the Chairman, admitted to the deed and the signature of Atty. Monabah.
"This deed is legitimate. It was issued by the LLA for the common development of the community and the country," Tetteh noted.
According to him, the parcel of land was given in conformity with the mandate and agreement with the LMA.
This assertion Sarti denied, arguing, "where is the signature evidence that we participated in the sale of the parcel of land to the business entity?"
But Tetteh said: "This is a development grant land managed by both the LLA and the LMA for development purposes."
Besides, Monabah no other signatory appears on the deed, which contradicts the LLA's policy of two signatures, the chairman and the County Land Administrator.
"We have the legal authority to give parcels of the land to people for immediate investment and to people who cannot afford to carry out development of the land," Tetteh claimed. "The LMA should know that we have every legitimate right to give parcels of the land to anyone for development."
Meanwhile, it is also claimed that the LLA issued similar development grant deeds to former President Weah, Senator Nathaniel McGill and former Public Works Minister Ruth Coker, who had constructed on the property.
The 400-acre area, known as Omega, had been designated as a market ground in 2013 after the US Coast Guard's radio tower here was dismantled.
The facility's use of the Very Low Frequency (VLF) Navigation System, known as OMEGA, gave the area its name.
Then-US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield handed ownership of the land to then-President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. In the meantime, pressure had been mounting to move the Red Light market, which had sprung up on the main thoroughfare in Paynesville City during the war and had become an impediment to the construction of the major roadway from Parker Paint to ELWA Junction.
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The presence of marketeers at Red Light has also caused health and security problems in the area.
Sirleaf decided to solve that problem by handing the Omega site to the marketeers at Red Light. When the radio tower was dismantled and the area subsequently declared a market site, there were no occupants.
President Sirleaf said in an interview following the US Coast Guard's departure, "That area will be used for market. The Red Light market will be transferred to Omega and the Sirleaf Market Women Fund will begin building there soon."
By then people were warned not to build on the land and or encroach on it because it was public land, set aside by the government for a special project.
President Weah himself committed to Sirleaf's gesture for the marketers.
