The Liberia Institute for Public Administration (LIPA) offices situated in Mamba Point has been shut down and locked by its landlord for four-year-old rental fee totaling US$360, 000.
The Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice issued the writ against LIPA yesterday following a complaint filed by a Lebanese National believe to be the landlord of the property.
For the past 4 years, according to the report, LIPA has not paid its rental fee of US$90, 000 annually which has accumulated to the amount of US$360, 000.
According to the information gathered, the property is owned by a Liberian who leased it to a Lebanese National, who in turn sub-leased it to the government under an annual rental fee agreement.
As a result, the report said for the past two weeks, there has not been normal work flow at the LIPA as the management is doing its best to resolve the matter with the landlord; something that did not yield fruit to press time.
LIPA offices being placed under key and lock cannot be a strange occurrence but according to employees, the management should blame itself for allegedly refusing to relocate to its property constructed by the United States Government on behalf of the Liberian government.
The United States Government constructed a US$4.5 million structure and handed it over to the Liberian Government for the LIPA in Kormah Town in the Township of Schiefflin which is Electoral District 1 in Margibi County.
But the agency is alleging refusing to relocate on grounds that the road leading to the new structure has not been paved and until that is done, it shall remain where it is; something which is shameful and shows ingratitude on the part of LIPA Management’s and the government.
LIPA is collecting training fees from candidates either from the private or public sector in the country through its capacity building programs in various disciplines therefore, why the institute cannot use those fees and pave the road going to the new structure.
For decades now, LIPA like some public institutions including the Liberia Land Authority (LLA); Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC); National Public Institute of Liberia (NPHIL); Mines and Energy Ministry (MEM); National Insurance Corporation of Liberia (NICOL); among others are housed in private properties.
