Tension is again brewing in Ganta over land ownership, this time between the elders of Ganta and the Liberia Marketing Association. Both parties are tussling over the Ganta Central Market in the Dakermie Community.
The recent tension sparked when a group of elders, mostly traditional leaders dressed in customary attires, walked to the market ground to plant their cornerstones claiming ownership of the general market.
The argument, which has been going on since 2024, is said to hamper the development of the market and cause fear among marketeers.
The elders, through their spokesperson Nathan Suah, said the market in question was built for the Ganta Marketing Association not the Liberia Marketing Association and, since the LMA took over the edifice, there have been no developments.
On Wednesday, January 29, 2025, the County Administrative Officer, Mr. Daniel Zekpeh and a team of opinion leaders cited the elders and officials of the Liberia Marketing Association, Nimba Chapter to the Ganta Concern Women Center to hear from the both parties.
In his explanation, the spokesperson for the elders, Nathan Suah, said the LMA is not developing the market and every cent collected from the market were squandered by officials of LMA, so they want market turnover to the elders so it can be managed by the Ganta Marketing Association.
The LMA disputed the accusations, saying every intake is handled such that 55 percent is left with the officials of the market in Ganta, 28 percent goes to Monrovia, while the balance percentage is used for administrative costs in Nimba.
The Secretary of LMA -Nimba, Emmanuel Saye Dehmie, said every season, the LMA allots packages for elders in each of the city and Ganta elders are among those benefiting.
He said the man claiming to be the spokesperson to the elders (Nathan Suah) is the one who is undermining the activities of the LMA in Ganta.
He added Nathan Suah has over five stores on the market ground leasing them to tenants and benefiting immensely from the market land..
The Current Ganta Central Market was built by funding from the then 'Sirleaf Market Women's Fund', after the previous market ground was under the same dispute between the Mandingo on one hand and the Mano and Gio on the other.
After the previous was declared as an eminent domain by President Sirfeat and there was nowhere to build a market, the chiefs and elders of Ganta donated a Poro shrine to be developed into a modern market..
Accordingly, the entire lands donated were over five acres of Land, and according to the design the market was going to include, mini bank, school for the kids, playground, warehouse and the main market building.
However, only the main market building was partially built, leaving out all the other intended components.
The unfinished market was later completed by former President George Manner Weah and the keys turned over to the LMA National President at a symbolic inauguration program in Ganta.
Even though most of the components were still left upon the intervention of the Weah Les CDC government, the main building was fully completed with the provision of water and electricity.
Last year, the LMA suspended the then superintendent of the Ganta Market, Youn Tenneh for allegedly mismanaging over L$600,000, but the chiefs are saying the reason they allowed the LMA to run the market for long was because Youn was still the superintendent. Since she is not there anymore, the market should be turned over to elders to be run autonomously.
However, after over five hours of deliberation and cross examinations of the both parties, County Administrative Officer Mr. Daniel Zekpeh, asked the disputants to have two weeks so he can do some consultation with the Superintendent and those who had the history of the land and the agreement that brought the construction.
Many are saying the elders are acting on the advice of Nathan Suah, who is said to be a key supporter to Rep. Samuel N. Brown and also one Franklin Nyan Gonlapa, who was then Ganta City Council Chairman.
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Mathan Suah was said to be one of those who were eyeing the post of city Mayor, unfortunately he lost the chance after the CDC lost the 2023 election, so his action has been considered as non compliance behavior to the government.
Last year, the LMA lost a market modernization project from the UNDP because the elders refused to cooperate with the LMA, leaving the project to go away.
Some also said the elders' action was because the City Mayor is not a native of the Chiefdom, where Ganta is situated.
"This is an action of cooperation with the city authority and the national marketing body, LMA," some of the Observers at the dialogue said.
Ganta has been faced with land disputes during this post war period, mostly along ethnic lines, with the elders' demand for control of market came as a surprise to many, described as politically motivated.
