The Liberia Land Authority (LLA) through the Land Use and Management Department, with support from the Inclusive Land Administration and Management Project (ILAMP) implemented by Lamtmateriet from Tuesday, 28 to Wednesday, 29, March 2023, conducted a two-day regional training workshop in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County under the Theme: “Capacity Building at The National, Regional and Local levels.”
The training titled: “Advancing Sustainable Urbanism and Rural Development through Land Use Planning and Management,” brings together stakeholders from various sectors involved in urban and rural planning activities including City Mayors, and Superintendents.
Others were the Customary Land Development and Management Committees (CLDMCs); members of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Liberia, Land Authority County Land Offices (CLOs) and Land Use and Management headquarters staff.
The workshop was intended to educate participants on four legal instruments that were developed by the LLA.
These include, the National Land Use and Management Policy; Urban Zoning of (land uses) regulations; Participatory Land Use Planning Guidelines, and the Framework for Rural Land Use regulations.
The above-mentioned instruments will be used to regulate the location and uses of land, the nature and the extent of the uses of land in accordance with a comprehensive plan for the purpose of promoting health, safety, sustainability and general wellbeing of the citizens of Liberia.
Mr. Wilfred D. Myers, Administrative Assistant to Buchanan City Mayor spoke on behalf of the proper Lord Mayor, and in his remark, he showered praises on the LLA and its implementing partners of the project for organizing such a public education on the use and importance of land.
He stated that land is life and without it human beings cannot live because it is on land that man was born and sustained their lives, therefore it is the same land when human beings die are buried; stressing that the need to protect and save land for proper use cannot be overemphasized.
Myers reiterated that if the issue of land is not properly handled or addressed; it could destabilize the country as there are lots of land disputes everywhere nowadays; therefore; he is calling on the participants and others to take the training seriously for the betterment of tomorrow not only to individuals and communities but to the country in particular.
Most importantly, Superintendent Janjay Baikpeh, Vice Juror of the President in the county was conspicuously absent during the opening of the workshop as he did not even send a proxy on his behalf.
For the LLA, the Director for Land Use and Management Department, Sam F. Kpakio, deputized for Commissioner Ellen O. Pratt by stating the overview including the importance of the training which is geared toward informing the people on the importance of land and its usage.
