Published: September 3, 2025
MONROVIA — The House of Representatives has summoned several top government officials to testify over allegations of illegal deforestation and land rights violations in Gbarzon District, Grand Gedeh County.
The move, spearheaded by Rep. Jacob Cheategba Debee II of Grand Gedeh District 3, follows reports of large-scale forest clearing and land appropriation in Gboe Chiefdom. Lawmakers say the actions may contravene Liberia’s 2018 Land Rights Act.
Officials from the Forestry Development Authority, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Liberia Land Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency are among those expected to appear Monday. The House seeks clarity on land transfers, community consent and environmental oversight in the district.
Debee accused local authorities, including the statutory development superintendent and the magistrate of Chayee Town, of coordinating widespread deforestation without proper documentation or approval from affected communities.
Watchdog Raises Red Flags
Liberia Forest Media Watch, an independent media group, has played a key role in bringing the issue to national attention. Its reports documented extensive forest loss in Gboe Chiefdom, including the clearing of primary forest without environmental impact assessments.
The watchdog also highlighted what it described as regulatory failures by the FDA and EPA, and violations of the Land Rights Act, which requires consultation with customary landowners before any land is sold or transferred.
In recent publications, the group raised concerns about increasing land grabs in forest communities, often under the guise of development or resettlement projects. Residents in Grand Gedeh told LFMW they had been excluded from decisions affecting their ancestral lands.
Oversight and Accountability
During his remarks in plenary, Debee pressed the Liberia Land Authority to clarify whether it had acted to stop or regulate the alleged illegal acquisitions. He questioned the issuance of land titles, the handling of disputes and the LLA’s presence in the district.
He also called on the Forestry Development Authority to explain its monitoring role in Gboe, where timber harvesting appears to be occurring unchecked. The EPA has been asked to account for its absence from the area and to provide updates on any environmental assessments conducted, particularly regarding carbon stock preservation, a priority in Liberia’s climate commitments.
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