Published: September 18, 2024
MONROVIA — The administrators of the late Martha Stubblefield Bernard’s estate, led by Mr. Ebrima V. Dempster, are calling on the Liberian government to enforce a Supreme Court order to evict the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) from the property that has housed its national headquarters for nearly two decades. In a press release issued on Monday, the estate urged immediate government intervention to uphold the rule of law.
“The Intestate Estate of Martha Stubblefield Bernard is therefore appealing to the Government of the Republic of Liberia through the Ministry of Justice and the Liberian National Police to provide police protection to the Sheriff of the Civil Law Court for the eviction of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) in keeping with the mandate of the Supreme Court of Liberia,” the release states. “Our property is more than just land and a building; it symbolizes the legacy of peace, unity, and development that should be preserved, not undermined.”
The estate administrators, headed by Mr. Ebrima V. Dempster, disclosed that the Liberia National Police has reneged on providing the necessary police support to enforce the repossession of the property. They noted that on August 19, the Civil Law Court wrote to the Inspector General of Police, Col. Gregory Coleman, to provide police support; however, the court’s communication has yet to be adhered to by the Inspector General, they alleged.
The administrators also called on the CDC “to honor, respect, and abide by the mandate of the Supreme Court of Liberia if it is truly, as it professes to be, a law-abiding entity.”
Speaking on Spoon Talk, Mr. Dempster said the CDC and the administrators have had no lease agreement since the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2017. He said the party, through Cllr. Musa Dean, negotiated with him to allow them to occupy the property for six months after which they would have entered into a full agreement.
“After the six months, they did not get back to me, and when I tried to contact them, I couldn’t. The six months ended three months after the elections. The reason why we gave the six months was because the elections were three months ahead and we thought it wasn’t wise to evict the CDC from the property at that time when they had just won the elections,” he explained.
According to him, he was hoping to meet with the CDC to propose rent or listen to their intentions. He said the CDC only began having talks with him concerning the property after it lost the 2023 elections. He explained that when the CDC began to engage him wanting to buy the property, he reminded them that they had been occupying the property for six years without making any payment on it, therefore, further discussion with him regarding the property would only be after arrears are paid.
He said about four months ago, the CDC made the payment of arrears for the last six years. However, he disclosed that the party still owes him rent arrears of almost a year.
In response to the estate’s push for enforcement, CDC Chairman Jangar Kowo addressed the media, asserting that the eviction proceedings are politically motivated and reaffirming the party’s commitment to legal processes. “We have consistently met our financial obligations by paying rent to the Bernard family, the legitimate administrators of Martha Stubblefield Bernard’s estate,” Kowo told journalists at the Temple of Justice.
Further complicating the issue, Alvin Wesseh, Chair of the CDC’s National Youth League, claimed to have gathered sensitive information about alleged plans by the Unity Party-led government to misuse legal avenues as a political weapon against the CDC. “This is a calculated attempt to destabilize our party using the judiciary as a tool, but we are prepared to resist these actions politically,” Wesseh stated during a news conference.
CDC Secretary General Jefferson Koijee also vocalized strong opposition, indicating the party’s readiness to defy the eviction. “We will not be moved from our headquarters, and we call on all CDCians and supporters to stand firm against this unwarranted attack on our party,” Koijee said in a statement that echoed through social media and party ranks.
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