By D Abraham Cooper Sr.
A major corruption scandal has erupted in Grand Gedeh County after a diaspora organization publicly demanded the prosecution of two high-ranking officials for allegedly leasing vast tracts of communal land illegally.
The Global Alliance of Grand Gedehans (GAGG) is calling on the Ministries of Justice and Internal Affairs to take immediate legal action against Grand Gedeh County Superintendent Alex Chersia Grant and County Attorney Winkins Nah.
The demand stems from an alleged illegal lease of 500 acres of customary land to a Burkinabé national for an estimated 30-year, US$600,000 deal intended for cocoa cultivation.
The Liberia Land Authority (LLA) has already ruled the agreement void, stating that both officials acted outside their legal authority by signing the lease without the required community approval.
This action is a direct violation of the nation’s 2018 Land Rights Act.
“This was a clear abuse of power and an attempt to dispossess our people of their land,” stated Mrs. Annie Cooper Wilson Zaza, Acting Chairperson of GAGG, condemning the act as a serious betrayal of public trust.
The LLA has confirmed that internal disciplinary action has already been taken, resulting in the dismissal of four central office employees and the suspension of several county-level staff for their roles in the attempted transaction.
GAGG warned that actions like this threaten local stability, especially amid growing tensions over Burkinabé migration into Grand Gedeh, making the need for accountability urgent.
