At-risk youth protest demolition

By Naneka Hoffman

Students of New Life Recovery Center and Vocational Skills Training School in Sundaygar Town along Marshall Highway outside Monrovia protest here against demolition of their campus allegedly upon order of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Her Honor, Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh.

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues while protesting at the site on Monday, 26 June Student Israel Roberts explained that the school has been doing a lot for underprivileged youth from various communities especially, those who can’t afford to fund their own education.

According to him, the school has been offering free education to underprivileged or drug-addicted youth (Zogoes) commonly referred to as at-risk youth and community residents, which has been a great opportunity for those of them who can’t afford financially.

Student Roberts explains that they were learning tailoring and soap-making that have reincarnated them from zogoes to heroes, and that they are not willing to lose this opportunity.

He accuses the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Her Honor,  Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh of fighting people in the community for land.

 He says as students, they are calling on the international community and the government to intervene and help rebuild the school.

The Director of the United Methodist Human Rights Monitor, Jefferson Knight, who is also executive director of the institution discloses one Clarence Momolu claims that he sold the land to Chief Justice Sie -A- Nyene Yuoh. But Mr. Knight says the Chief Justice met them on the land.

He explains that they bought the land years ago from its rightful owner, contrary to claim by Chief Justice Yuoh that she purchased the same land for her daughter in January 2023.

He says it is in this light that the Chief Justice allegedly ordered demolition of the Center that is meant to rehabilitate at-risk youth and provide them skills.

He says students and community residents joined Monday’s protest because they are angry over the demolition of the facility.

Knight discloses that the land in question was purchased between 2011 and 2012 and construction started in January this year when Chief Justice Yuoh allegedly demolished it, adding that during the demolition she met him on the site and claimed ownership of the land thus, ordering the structure to be broken down.

The New Life Recovery and Rehabilitation Center in Marshall was demolished on June 22, 2023.

According to him, the facility is new life rehabilitation drugs service program that has catered to more than 5,000 young men across the country, who have been rehabilitated and reincarnated into society.

He further explains the Center has three acres of land in Sundaygar Town that were secured almost 15 years ago, and that with support of partners, they have been developing the property since it was acquired to rehabilitate disadvantaged youth. 

But according to Mr. Knight, Chief Justice Sie- A- Nyene Yuoh allegedly ordered 30 soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia and 20 officers of the Police Support Unit (PSU) to demolish the training center which costs US$40, 000. 

He laments that the Chief Justice allegedly demolished the entire facility with other adjacent property covering about six acres of land.

The human rights advocate explains the alleged action is discouraging and undermines the current fight against drug addiction in Liberia that is destroying future of young people.

He continues that there are so many young people in various communities the Center could have served, but without any official notice, whatsoever it was razed to the ground.

The director of press at the Supreme Court of Liberia, Atty. Ambrose Manh says Chief Justice Youh is not disposed to respond to such an allegation, adding that Liberia is a country of law so, if Mr. Knight feels offended, he should go to court because Her Honor, Yuoh is not above the law.