Editorial: Bravo VP Boakai, ELWA

At long last, the Liberian Government and authorities of ELWA have ended years of dispute with a peace pipe. In a joint statement issued in Monrovia on Wednesday, January 9, 2013 from the office of Vice President Joseph N. Boakai, both parties announced that the land issue between ELWA and the Government of Liberia was finally resolved. According to the statement, the authorities of ELWA consented to release to the Government of Liberia11.2 acres of land in anticipation of obtaining a Title Deed to the remaining portion of the ELWA Land.

In the presence of the Town Chief and elders of King Gray Town, as well as representatives of ELWA and the Liberia Council of Churches, Vice President Boakai assured that the Government will Compensate ELWA for two houses on the land to be taken over at asset value, as well as intervene and resolve the dispute between the King Gray Community and ELWA. The Government also consented to the terms of the agreement and promised to honour it to the letter.

“Although some difficulties were experienced in the exercise, the two parties (the Government and ELWA), realized their need to cooperate and finally decided to have an amicable resolution,” Vice President Boakai said as he read the joint statement.

“We, the Government, the ELWA/SIM family, the leadership of the Church of Liberia and the King Gray family want to make it public and express gratitude to all who contributed to this process, for the unity of our nation,” the Vice President noted during his recent news conference at the Capitol. The recent achievement made in the land dispute by the government and ELWA management is indicative  of the fact that no conflict is too difficult to resolve provided parties to such  are prepared to exhibit the will-power characterized by sincerity and patience.

It was because of the supreme interest of Liberia that Vice President Boakai on behalf of the Liberian Government and the ELWA management spent countless hours in reaching the common ground we all celebrate today. We can only hope and pray that such conflict resolution tools utilized by the Vice President and ELWA Management will be infused into the nation’s reconciliation and conflict transformation process now spearheaded by Ambassador George Manneh Weah.

We do commend the VP Boakai and the ELWA Management, as well as the chief and elders of King Gray Community and members of the Liberia Council of Churches for such a wonderful achievement resulting to the release of 11.2 acres of land to the Government of Liberia for development.