FLUMPA TOWN, Nimba – Rev. Jacob Yelegon, of the United Liberia Inland Church, is calling on Nimba County authorities to investigate the encroachment on church properties by citizens of Flumpa Town.

Yelegon is the assigned pastor at the facilities of the United Liberian Inland Church in Flumpa Town.

“I want to register to the public and the requisite authorities that the 200 acres of land belonging to the United Liberia Inland Church Mission in Flumpa Town is being encroached upon by citizens of the town,” Yelegon told reporters during a briefing in Ganta on Nov. 7.

The reverend said the issue has been happening since 2005. He said the church had taken the matter to court on many occasions, but due to court delays, there has been no progress.

He explained that the process has hindered several church projects and brought them to a standstill.

“This issue is causing serious embarrassment for us,” Yelegon said. “Both our school’s annex and missionary residence projects have been halted…”

He added that donors are withholding their support to the church’s projects until the land dispute matters are fully settled.

“The church cannot take any other actions except through the court. Therefore, we are calling on the government to look into our case, because it’s overdue; from 2005 to now,” he said.

The issue of land encroachment from church institutions is not new to Nimba. In 2010, the Ganta United Methodist Mission Station suffered a massive loss of nearly 100 acres of land to individuals in the town of Gbesseilla.

The prevalent issue of land encroachment can be sourced to flimsy legal documentation or lack thereof and rapid population growth.

In 1926, residents donated 900 acres of the land to Dr. George W. Harley for the establishment of the Ganta Mission. However, it is believed that the legal documentation required for land possession was not established, providing a probable basis for land encroachment.

Further, the rapid population growth in Nimba has lead to increased demand for land. It has tempted some people to reach out for the church’s unoccupied land. On the land in question, some people can be seen building houses, farms and cutting trees for timber.

Featured photo by Arrington Ballah