The National Housing Authority (NHA) Managing Director is facing allegations of fraud, abuse of authority, and violations of due process after a formal complaint accused senior officials of reselling a parcel of land that had already been legally purchased and occupied by an elderly widow before allegedly using armed police officers to forcibly remove her from the property.
The allegations, contained in a written complaint and supporting documents reviewed for this report, center on Madam Watta Barwor, who says she has lived on the disputed property in the Zayzay Community, Block A, Paynesville City, for more than a decade after paying for the land through the NHA and constructing a permanent home and business there.
The case raises broader questions about land administration at the state-owned housing agency, which has been promoting transparency, affordable housing, and institutional reform while simultaneously facing complaints from individuals who claim they paid for NHA properties that were later reassigned or resold.
According to the complaint, Madam Barwor initially purchased the approximately 1.5-lot parcel from Samuel M. Kollie about 15 years ago, unaware that the property fell under the authority of the NHA. After learning that the land was part of the NHA estate, she reportedly complied with the agency’s requirements by purchasing the parcel directly from the NHA and paying all required fees.
Following the transaction, she constructed a concrete residence on the property in 2010 and established a block-making business that has served as her family’s primary source of income for years.
Despite her occupancy and documented payments, the complaint alleges that NHA Estate Manager Dixon Nebo, acting under the direction of Managing Director Florence K. Geegbae, later resold the same parcel to another buyer without following established administrative procedures.
According to the complaint, the decision reportedly surprised several senior officials within the authority, including the Deputy Managing Director for Technical Services and heads of relevant departments, who allegedly questioned how land already assigned and occupied could be reallocated.
The complaint further alleges that the second purchaser was instructed to begin construction immediately without first obtaining the necessary zoning or public works clearance normally required for development.
The dispute escalated last week when, according to the complaint, the second buyer arrived at Madam Barwor’s property accompanied by armed police officers to enforce what the family describes as an unlawful eviction.
During the confrontation, the complaint alleges that police officers assaulted one of Madam Barwor’s grandsons before detaining him for four days. It also claims that the family’s block-making business was dismantled and removed from the property on the instructions of the NHA Estate Manager, effectively cutting off the family’s principal means of livelihood.
The complainants say the incident left the elderly widow displaced from property she had occupied for more than 15 years.
The family says it previously sought administrative intervention by submitting a formal written complaint to the Office of the Managing Director in June 2026 detailing what they described as repeated harassment and irregular attempts to reclaim the property.
According to the complaint, no formal response has been received. When family representatives later contacted Estate Manager Nebo regarding the matter, he allegedly responded that he and the Managing Director “have control of it,” without providing any resolution.
The complaint argues that the alleged resale violates provisions of the National Housing Authority Act governing the allocation and administration of public housing land. It further contends that the actions could expose the agency and individual officials to allegations of fraud, abuse of office, and violations of constitutional due process protections if substantiated.
The Barwor case is not the only dispute cited in the complaint.
The filing also references the case of Mr. and Mrs. Jackson F.N. David, who alleged they paid the NHA US$3,000 for a residential lot, in addition to L$12,000 in survey fees, only to discover that the same property had subsequently been sold to another individual.
According to the complaint, the Davids have been unable to obtain the land they purchased since 2024 and eventually referred the matter to the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) after repeated efforts to resolve the dispute internally.
The complaint further alleges that the NHA’s Deputy Managing Director for Administration has attempted to settle the matter by offering the family an alternative parcel rather than restoring the property for which they originally paid. The family reportedly declined the proposal, arguing that they had already been relocated three separate times and should receive the land covered by their original purchase agreement.
Residents of the Zayzay Community are also said to be increasingly concerned that similar land reallocations could affect other homeowners and allottees whose properties fall within the NHA estate.
The allegations emerge at a time when Managing Director Florence K. Geegbae has positioned the National Housing Authority as a key institution in Liberia’s housing reform agenda.
In recent months, Geegbae has represented Liberia at the Africa International Housing Show, announced plans for a proposed US$16.8 million, 600-unit affordable housing project that remains subject to government financing, and promoted a proposed 1,200-acre public-private housing partnership with TAF Developers. She has also publicly emphasized strengthening institutional oversight and deploying estate supervisors to protect NHA properties from encroachment and unauthorized occupation.
As of the time of publication, no public statement from the National Housing Authority or Managing Director Geegbae addressing the specific allegations contained in the complaint could be located.
The allegations reported in this story are based on documents and complaints submitted by the complainants. They have not been independently verified by a court of law or adjudicated by any oversight body. The NHA and the officials named would be entitled to respond to the allegations, and their response will be reported if received.
