Customary Landowners Demand Proper Documentation from the RREA Relative to Its Project Sites

By: J. Mason Kollie I Lofa County Correspondent

Voinjama city, Lofa County-December 1, 2025- Chiefs, women and youths are demanding the Rural Renewable Energy Agency to provide proper documentation for land being used for its operations in both Bakuma and Vavama towns respectively.

According to the Town Chief of Bakuma, Chief Kolubah Mawolo the RREA family didn’t sign any Memorandum of Understanding with their town before occupying about 40 acres of land for the purpose of solar farm to benefit the County.

Chief Kolubah Mawolo is alleging that Voinjama District Commissioner David Mawolo and few others only brought representatives from the World Bank to occupy the 40 acres of land for Solar Farm which is expected to benefit the entire county.

“We are not against development, but let the World Bank tell us what is in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) unfortunately, we didn’t see what in the MoU and the work is ongoing; we are not happy and want to see the MoU for our 40 acres of land,” Chief Kolubah Mawolo sadly mentioned.

The Rural Renewable Energy RREA represented by Moses Saah said, there is a written MoU between the people of Bakuma and Vavama Towns and his agency, but refused to share the document with journalists following this story.

Meanwhile, several women, youths, elders and traditional people are pointing fingers at Voinjama District Commissioner David Mawolo for secretly arranging an agreement between him and the World Bank in Voinjama district something done without their consent and subsequent acquiescence from the very onset of their engagement with RREA.

How did the Liberia Rural Renewable energy Agency (RREA) get the forty (4) acres of customary land to build Solar Farm, Lofa County district #4 Representative Hon. Gizzie K. Kollince demanding for answer ever since this matter came to his attention.

Barley few hours following the official groundbreaking ceremony of huge Solar Farm in Bakuma Town and its environ by the Liberia Rural Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) and the Government of Liberia, Lofa County district #4 Representative Hon. Gizzie K. Kollince was quick to ask citizens in the Towns and villages about the arrangements for the acquisition of the 40 acres of land which is a customary land.

According to Hon. Kollince, while it’s true that the RREA , The World Bank and the Government is bringing electricity, but the arrangements for customary land ownership should be followed to avoid future embarrassment to the community. He disclosed that as a sitting lawmaker, he doesn’t have a single idea about the arrangement or the MoU.

“I’m the current Representative of District #4 where the Solar Farm will be built by the RREA, The World Bank and the Government of Liberia, but I don’t have a single idea about the entire arrangement. I don’t know what benefit the community will get, what is the need for the community, how many years they are going to occupy the customary land; remembered, the place is a farm land? So what are the benefits for the farmers, I don’t know, so I am concerned because when the agreement go opposite, then the citizens will call on the lawmakers,” Hon. Gizzie Kollince intoned nonchalantly.

He continues, “We saw such in different counties around Liberia where bad arrangements were made in the interest of the people at the time who weren’t benefiting from the MOU, now; the agreement is affecting the community and they are calling on us (Lawmakers) to review some these bad agreements.

Therefore, I will not sit here and allowed anyone sign bad agreements that will most likely affect the future generations especially when the population is growing year by year,” the Lawmaker said in a Radio interview on Monday October 6, 2025.

Citizens from Bakuma town and the surrounding villages have told their lawmaker that up to present, they are yet to see what is in the agreement signed between RREA and the concerned towns whose 40 acres of land is already being developed into Solar farm.

Meanwhile, the Government of Liberia through the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA), with support from the World Bank on October 4, 2025 officially broke grounds for what is being described as a landmark renewable energy intended to electrify a significant portion of Lofa County.

This initiative involves designing, supplying, installation, and testing, as well as commissioning of a 4.0 MWp solar PV power plant with a 9.4 MWh hybrid mini-grid.

The project is expected to provide modern, reliable, and sustainable electricity to thousands of people across Voinjama City, Foya City and Kolba City in Kolahun district as well as Massabolahun town, Bolahun town and several surrounding towns and villages.