Liberia: Many Descend On FDA

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The Inquirer (Monrovia)

9 October 2008
Posted to the web 10 October 2008

Several groups and organizations in the country have expressed disappointment over continuous criticism of the Community Rights law by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA).

In recent times, FDA has expressed concern over the passage of the Community Rights Act especially viewing the consequences involved in passing the document.

FDA has at the same time made representation to the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on the Act. The Managing Director of FDA, John T. Woods noted that the National Legislature passed the Act with respect to Ownership and the usage of forest lands resources overnight without the FDA input.

Addressing a joint news conference yesterday, five organizations in the country said the criticisms by the FDA authorities are the culmination of the 'behind-the-scene' lobbying the FDA has recently waged against the Act.

"These criticisms lack substance and are intended to misrepresent deliberately, the Act," the groups noted. The groups that include, the Association of Environmental lawyers of Liberia (Green Advocates), the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), Liberia Loggers Association (LLA), Liberia Timber Association (LTA) and the Liberia Business Association (LIBA) noted that the Community Rights Act protects the rights of communities people living in the forest.

According to the five groups, the Act recognizes that customary forest land ownership is a legitimate property right that shall be upheld and protected under the law. In a statement which was read by Mr. Nyekan Eboko of the Liberia businesses Association (LIBA) on behalf of the five organizations, the group noted that communities own the land on which they live and the forest on that land, even without formal deed or title to the land.

Mr. Eboko said the Act provides that all forests lands except those legally alienated from customary ownership are owned by local communities and establishes the process by which communities may establish and register their forest lands boundaries.

"Any forest that was acquired without due legal procedure shall be considered customary property of the community to which legal ownership is restored," the organizations in their statement added.

They argued that the government of Liberia through the FDA has a duty to protect a community's right to its forest, lands, and customs. They said the government and the community have the duty to ensure that money generated by the commercial use of forest lands is fairly distributed between the community, the county and the country.

He said communities have the right to control and spend money generated from the commercial use of their forest lands through the establishment of Community Forest Funds.

The organizations wondered why would the FDA as an officer of the Executive branch of government question the legislative process by which the Act was passed.

"While this criticism by the FDA appears to be an attempt to bring the National Legislature into disrepute, this is an issue for the Legislators themselves to address," Cllr. Alfred Brownell, head of Green Advocates pointed out.

He said claims by the FDA that the implementation of this Act could potentially delay the resumption of logging in the country are patently cynical attempts to cover up the inefficient manner in which it has continues to operate.

The Secretary General of the Association of Liberia loggers (ALL), Isaac Mannah noted, "During the two and a half decades of its operation, the FDA has proven itself incapable and inefficient time and again.

Over that period, Liberia has painfully lost some US$64 million in revenue through some combination of misappropriation, a failure to collect taxes, and graft by corrupt officials involving FDA staff," Mr. Mannah firmly disclosed.

According to Cllr. Brownell, claims that the Community Rights Law undermines the operation of the FDA, is misleading and unfounded as the Act recognizes the rights of the legitimate forest lands owners and must therefore be supported by the government of Liberia through the FDA.

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