24 Governance Commisssi<strong>on</strong> - Liberia Annex I: Men’s <str<strong>on</strong>g>Report</str<strong>on</strong>g>
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES FROM MEN’S GROUPS Participants at each of the c<strong>on</strong>sultative sessi<strong>on</strong>s were divided into men’s groups (by county) and a women’s group, The groups were brought together in plenary sessi<strong>on</strong> to discuss topics related to the PRS strategic objectives <strong>on</strong> land for ec<strong>on</strong>omic revitalizati<strong>on</strong> and social development. The men’s groups were comprised of traditi<strong>on</strong>al leaders (Paramount Chiefs, District Commissi<strong>on</strong>ers), local government officials, community leaders, representatives of civil society, business and religious leaders, local representatives of NGOs, and youth. The points summarized below are their resp<strong>on</strong>ses to a set of questi<strong>on</strong>s which facilitated their groups’ discussi<strong>on</strong>s about issues of access, security of tenure, management and administrati<strong>on</strong> of land; and records participants’ views/opini<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> a range of land issues al<strong>on</strong>g with suggesti<strong>on</strong>s and recommendati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> how to achieve the land reform objectives outlined in the PRS. QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES 1.1 How do you get land? Resp<strong>on</strong>ses: People get land through: • Family quarters; • Traditi<strong>on</strong>al elders with a defined role to apporti<strong>on</strong> land; they must, however, give c<strong>on</strong>sent to the types of crops to be grown <strong>on</strong> the land. • Token ( kola, liquor, cloth); no cash involved in getting land but a token; • C<strong>on</strong>quest in war with seizure of other tribe’s or community’s land and properties; • Clearing a virgin area for a farm by a pers<strong>on</strong> who first settled and build a shelter; • Planting of ‘life trees’ (kola, orange, cocoa, coffee); • The process of obtaining a tribal certificate, and a deed; • Purchase from private owners; • Pay m<strong>on</strong>ey to land agents, e.g. land commissi<strong>on</strong>ers, mayors and surveyors. • Granting of land rights to religious, government and other entities; • Brushing of road to point agreed by commu- nities as the boundary; • Encouraging investors to invest; • Leasing for business purposes by owners; • Granting of ‘squatters’ rights by city mayors, township commissi<strong>on</strong>ers and elders; <strong>Land</strong> is acquired from both government and private owners; • Private owners must have fee simple titles before you acquire land from them; • For Public land, <strong>on</strong>e must go through the community leaders or authorities; Whatever document received must be properly registered and probated; • Through Presidential approval following executive order for survey of a public land; • First approach the Tribal authority then the City Mayor for town lot office who will c<strong>on</strong>tact the <strong>Land</strong> Commissi<strong>on</strong>er for vacant land/ lot. • For business, firstly, <strong>on</strong>e has to go to the County Authorities who will in turn direct you to the tribal community that owns the land <strong>on</strong> which the business is to be undertaken; • For housing, people build by quarters, except under some c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s, such as inter-marriages and use of your mother’s quarter which is based <strong>on</strong> the approval of the quarter; • If there is a vacant lot to be bought, the process immediately starts with the <strong>Land</strong> Commissi<strong>on</strong>er and the Surveyor who will take the buyer to the vacant land and prepare a survey order; • You must obtain a tribal certificate signed by the elders and chiefs; • You have to use the land for its intended purposes; • M<strong>on</strong>ey is paid to the land officials (city mayors, land commissi<strong>on</strong>ers, surveyors )to obtain certificates and deeds, a practice described as fraudulent and seemingly giving rise to land c<strong>on</strong>flicts); • You meet the land owner, the family head or the elders of the community; • If the land bel<strong>on</strong>gs to the community, the elders and chiefs lease the land; Governance Commissi<strong>on</strong> - Liberia 25