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| Gov’t Eviction Order ShakesDucor Palace Hotel Residents |
| Published on April 09, 2007 | Email To Friend Print Version
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More than 5,000 illegal squatters occupying the Ducor Palace Hotel in Monrovia have shivered with fear following President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s order last Friday that they be evicted.
President Sirleaf following a meeting with her cabinet directed the Ministry of Justice to prepare for the eviction of individuals illegally occupying the Ducor Palace Hotel. The President said the illegal occupancy of the hotel can not be allowed to continue indefinitely.
The Liberian Leader urged the Justice Ministry to institute a process that would lead to the eviction of all squatters at the hotel and also directed the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy to re-survey the premises of the hotel for proper demarcation.
The Executive Mansion says President Johnson Sirleaf gave the directives Thursday at a regular Cabinet meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Monrovia. The President’s directives followed a disclosure by National Investment Commissioner, Richard Tolbert that the Libyan government was now ready to undertake the renovation and subsequent operation of the Ducor Palace Hotel, one of the poplars in West Africa before the Liberian Civil War.
The Libyans, Mr. Tolbert said, are now ready to begin renovation work but were awaiting the eviction of squatters for proper evaluation and assessment of the hotel.
Meanwhile squatters of the hotel have appealed to the government to give them time to find place before vacating the place. Speaking to this paper over the weekend, some of them said with the raining season setting in, they needed at least four months to adequately prepare themselves to pack out.
They told this paper that most of them found safe haven at the Hotel as due to the prolong civil war which damaged their homes, leaving them with no other place to live but to squat at the hotel, while rebuilding their homes or finding an alternative place to move.
“We have a school here that is catering to the destitute and our children. We have no means to sent them elsewhere, so we are just appealing to the government to give ,us few more months , at least for school to close, then we can leave,” a middle-age man identified as Edward Kollie said. Kollie said he and his family sought refuge at Ducor “during War, War three in Monrovia”, the last round of the Liberia civil war that led to ceasefire and peace today.
“We are not refusing to leave, because this is not our home. The hotel belongs to the government, but we will have no place to go now if the government puts us out. We need small time, Madam Zoe Kamara from Bomi County, once an internally displaced citizen at the VOA Displace Camp near Monrovia noted.
Our reporter observed that there are well meaning people with houses elsewhere living at the Ducor Palace Hotel, while others are totally homeless. Our reporter also observed that some residents have begun leaving the hotel.
Recently the Liberian Government, through the Public Works Ministry evicted squatters from the Gabriel Tucker (New) Bridge after President Sirleaf passed an order.
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