Sellers and residents in the Mamba Point community have been forced to vacate the area, leaving many without homes or places to sell their wares. Yellow spray-paint bearing the Ministry of Public Work’s acronym, MPW, pointed out areas still needed to be either moved or torn down, though many had already been forced to leave the area.

The few still selling in the area spoke of the difficulties the evictions created. They noted surprise at the exercise and claimed the notice before the eviction was too short. Some of those not evicted in the area were told to cut the parts of their buildings that entered onto the street, without any compensation for their losses.

One resident, who wished to remain nameless, appreciated the president’s effort to develop the area but described the exercise as unfair since it only applied to local residents on one side of the road. “She is trying but the other people in the fence, the white people opposite our place are also on the main road but they didn’t even mark that place to remove them too. I don’t know why the government is giving we the poor people hard time. At least they should mark both sides since they are also on the road” the resident remarked.

However, craft vendors opposite the Mamba Point Hotel are being provided a new structure to sell African wares to tourists. Ibrahim Sherif, one of these vendors, repeatedly thanked the president for providing these new booths, expected to be completed by next week.

Just up from Mamba Point and Cape Hotel, another group of street vendors could not hide the expressions of frustration on their faces. These are vendors who claim they have been living and selling in that area for the past 15 to 20 years, but now must leave immediately. One of the women, Madam Marie Quails, is the single parent of three children and she sells to feed and keep them in school, and could not hold back her frustrated feelings as she narrated the difficulties she and her children are going through. She stated that now, after the eviction, and with no compensation, she has nowhere to go, and is sleeping on the street with her children.

Another such victim, Madam Mary Cooper, who once lived in the same building as Madam Quails, explained that about fifty people resided in the now demolished structure. When asked why they were not compensated she told the Daily Observer that Cape Hotel had supposedly provided money to be given to them, but they had not received the money. “They gave the money to MCC to give it to us and they take the money and ate without giving us one cent and break our houses down, how will manage, how will our children go to school?” she questioned.

According to her the land on which there were about eight houses (the demolished structures are directly opposite the Cape hotel) has been bought by the hotel. She further alleged that the hotel gave Monrovia City Cooperation some amount of money to be distributed among them before evicting them but they didn’t receive any money from anyone. One other vendor (name withheld) however said she did received USD $ 100 from the MCC. No one from the hotel responded to requests to comment on the story.

The vendors further stated that the demolishing of the house was done three days earlier than originally told. The women at Mamba Point described the MPW and the MCC actions as cruel and emphatically stressed that they and their children will continue to sleep on the streets until something is done to help their situation. They say they will remain there until the Women’s Colloquium begins in March so that female leaders will see how women are being treated in the country. “We’re feeling bad, president self do this thing to us what kind of feeling will we get for our own country,” Madam Quails remarked.

Photo Credit: Carissa MacLennan

With recent calls from the Government of Liberia occupants in the new Health Ministry in Congo Town to vacate, occupants say they would appreciate assistance before they must leave.

“They said we should leave, but they didn’t have [anything] to give to us,” explained George Bull, a resident for nine years who moved out earlier this month after they were visited by government officials. “But,” he continued, “we are appealing to [government] that they should be able to help us with little tokens to help us establish ourselves.”

Residents said help with money or other assistance to relocate would be greatly appreciated.

Some occupants said people have been in the building almost ten years and have been told on numerous occasions government officials have told them that they have to leave the building.

Atlanta Kettor, the spokesperson for the occupants, explained that they realize that they do not have a right to be in the unfinished building, but live there because poverty left them without other options. They are currently appealing to the government to help them reestablish their lives.

Kettor explained that the Liberian Civil War brought most of the people to live in the unfinished ministry. He added that since the war ended, many politicians, including then presidential hopeful, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, have come and given promises of support and assistance.

“This is my home, since the war we have been waiting to get reestablished, but how can we? We have been waiting for a genuine government to help and enable us to resettle. Many candidates came during elections but since then, nothing,” said Mr. Kettor.

Kettor stated that they are all awaiting for President Johnson-Sirleaf “not [to] do all,” but to help start the residents off in a new location.

Mr. Kettor said that presently, some six hundred people live in the abandoned building. They are aware that they do not have a legal right to live at ‘The Titanic,’ are willing to relocate, even if the government is not in the position to give them anything.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the National Commission for Demobilization, Disarmament, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration (NCDDRR), Reverend Jarvis Witherspoon said he has been selected by the Vice President of Liberia to negotiate for the relocation of occupants of the unfinished Ministry of Health.

Rev. Witherspoon said the occupants would have two months more to vacate the building because the Chinese Embassy in Liberia is making plans to complete construction.

He said that the removal of the occupants would be a smooth transition.

Exactly how the government would relocate the occupants has not yet been decided by Witherspoon or other relevant members of government. However, Witherspoon gave surety that they would not be forced out without some form of assistance, because government is aware that the occupants have nowhere to go.

Rev. Witherspoon then called on the occupants to cooperate with the government to conclude everything in one month time, to enable the Chinese experts to complete the building.