Monrovia – Liberian clergyman and author Rev. John D. Monger has called on the three branches of government and the Liberia Land Authority to revisit aspects of the country’s land laws, warning that the growing wave of land claims and evictions could threaten peace and social cohesion if not carefully addressed.
Rev. Monger, General Overseer of the Ministry of Truth Incorporated Judah Assembly, made the appeal Monday during an interview with journalists in Po River, where he expressed concern over what he described as an emerging land crisis capable of deepening divisions among Liberians.
According to him, recent cases involving the claiming and reclaiming of land require urgent and careful attention, particularly where large numbers of families and community residents face displacement after decades of settlement.
“I foresee something springing up. If it is not checked properly, it could divide the citizens more,” Rev. Monger warned.
He acknowledged the authority of the courts to adjudicate land disputes but stressed that the law should ultimately serve to protect citizens and preserve peace.
“No one has the authority to question the authority of the court, but I am equally sure that the laws are not meant to harm people. They are there to protect people,” he said.
Rev. Monger repeatedly urged the government and relevant institutions to pay closer attention to what he called a “new wave of claiming and reclaiming land.”
“We have had enough. We cannot go back to the past,” he said. “Fifty years of settlement, forty years of settlement, thirty-five years of settlement, and all of a sudden, one person comes with an eviction notice to displace hundreds of people. Please look at this.”
He clarified that his concerns should not be interpreted as an attack on the courts or as support for illegal occupation of private property.
“I am not saying that the court action is wrong. I am not saying those who occupied other people’s land illegally are right. I am saying, let us look at it. The people will always be the people,” Rev. Monger stated.
He argued that Liberia’s peace and development depend on respect for the rule of law, while also urging state institutions to ensure that the implementation of the law does not create conditions that could fuel conflict.
“No nation can become prosperous where the law is ignored,” he said, emphasizing that the rule of law remains fundamental to peace, democracy and national development.
Rev. Monger also stressed the importance of constitutional supremacy, impartial justice, accountable public officials and responsible citizenship.
He said Liberia’s future cannot be secured by government alone, arguing that political leaders, religious leaders, educators, parents and young people all have important roles to play in maintaining peace and strengthening national unity.
“Our children are watching us,” he said. “They will inherit either the unity we build or the divisions we preserve.”
He urged Liberians to settle disagreements through dialogue and reason rather than violence and to build a country where citizens feel equally valued regardless of tribe, religion, county or political affiliation.
Reflecting on Liberia’s civil war years, Rev. Monger recalled the period when checkpoints were erected across the country and people were reportedly required to identify themselves through their ethnic or dialect affiliations before being allowed to pass.
He said the period represented a devastating chapter in Liberia’s history, with churches invaded, innocent people killed and communities torn apart by violence.
“Brothers hunted brothers, sisters hunted sisters, people were blaming God because they were part of a particular ethnic group. The center could no longer hold and things fell apart,” he recalled.
Rev. Monger said those who survived the conflict were given another opportunity to help rebuild Liberia and urged citizens not to take the country’s current peace for granted.
Today, he noted, Liberia has experienced peaceful democratic elections and peaceful transfers of political power, while a new generation of children is growing up without the constant sounds of gunfire that defined the country’s civil conflict.
“These are achievements we must never take for granted,” he said.
However, Rev. Monger questioned whether Liberia has fully reconciled from the wounds of its past.
“Have we truly reconciled?” he asked.
He argued that genuine reconciliation goes beyond the absence of war or the signing of peace agreements. In his view, it requires healing, rebuilding trust and creating a society in which Liberians regard one another as fellow citizens rather than adversaries.
His comments come amid continuing land-related disputes across Liberia, where competing claims over ownership and possession have sometimes resulted in court battles, evictions and tensions within communities.
Rev. Monger called for greater attention to the social consequences of land disputes, particularly cases involving communities that have occupied land for several decades.
He urged the government, the Liberia Land Authority and other relevant institutions to examine existing land policies and ensure that the administration of land rights contributes to peace rather than creating new grievances.
As Liberia continues to consolidate its post-war peace, Rev. Monger said national leaders and citizens must remain committed to reconciliation, dialogue and the rule of law.
“Our independence gave us political freedom,” he said, urging Liberians to use that freedom responsibly and to place national unity above division.
He also called for forgiveness, reconciliation and renewed patriotism, saying the country’s first loyalty must be to the Republic of Liberia.
