By D. Abraham Cooper

In a decisive blow against administrative overreach, the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court has officially cancelled the controversial lease of 500 acres of land in the B’hai Administrative District, Grand Gedeh County.

The ruling effectively terminates an agreement brokered by Grand Gedeh County Superintendent Alex Chersia Grant, which had sparked a wave of local outrage and legal challenges.

The dispute stems from an October 18, 2025 deal in which Superintendent Grant leased the large tract of land to a Burkinabe national, Boubou Sebu.

The agreement, valued at US$600,000 for a period of 30 years, was executed without the consent or notification of the B’hai residents—the legitimate traditional owners of the land.

The secretive nature of the transaction triggered immediate backlash from Grand Gedeans, who described the move as a flagrant violation of community rights and a betrayal of public trust.

A Victory for Land Rights

The push for cancellation was spearheaded by Cllr. P. Alphonsus Zeon of the Justice Advocates Law Group, in collaboration with Cllr. James T.Y. Fallah of the Liberia Land Authority.

Their advocacy culminated in the court’s ruling on March 25, 2026.

In its final judgment, the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court cited several critical failures:

Procedural Violations: The court found that the process for acquiring customary land, as mandated by the Land Rights Act of 2018, was completely ignored.

Lack of Authority: The Superintendent’s office bypassed the necessary community engagement and legal frameworks required leasing ancestral land.

Unenforceability: The court ruled that the deed was fundamentally flawed and legally unenforceable, leading to its immediate nullification.

This ruling serves as a stern warning to local authorities regarding the management of customary land. By upholding the Land Rights Act, the court reaffirmed that the power to lease or sell community land rests with the people-not with individual government officials acting unilaterally.

“The court is convinced that the procedure for obtaining customary land was never followed, and therefore it is subject to cancellation,” the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court ruled.