Brumskine Drags Kinsmen to Court

Councilor Charles Walker Brumskine

Charles Walker Brumskine, a celebrated son of Grand Bassa County, was left with no other alternative but to pursue legal actions against his own citizens, particularly residents of Upper Buchanan in relations to quarrel over a parcel of land which is being contested.

A writ of summons issued August 23, 2013 by the 2nd Judicial Circuit Court in Buchanan has demanded the defendant(s) - citizens of upper Buchanan- to appear before the Judge on Monday, September 2nd, 2013 at 10:00 AM.

The erudite counselor is said to be claiming the land which is being constructed upon by a fishing company who sought same from the Liberian government through President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf years back for the construction of a fishing industrial complex that is expected to contain cold storage facilities, market hall, clinic, filling station, Coast Guards quarters, and a day care center for children in Upper Buchanan.

The World Bank reportedly earmarked the amount of US$500,000 for the project which was allegedly stopped by Cllr. Brumskine before the pursuit of the current efforts of legal actions.

Cllr. Brumskine is said to be making claims of the land on the basis of evidence in his possession which suggests that the land on which the project is being built belongs to his late father, Cllr. Hannibal L. Brumskine, who is remembered by many in the county as a poor man lawyer because of his priceless legal intervention in cases that involved poor citizens who did not have the means to hire lawyers.

In his complaint filed August 23, 2013 at 12:35 PM to the 2nd Judicial Circuit Court in Buchanan, he said “Every square inch of land in Upper Buchanan is owned by the families of Upper Buchanan, except for areas granted by families to the government of the Commonwealth and subsequently the Republic.”

“The Defendant(s) without any color of rights entered and trespassed upon the property of the late Hannibal L. Brumskine, and illegally and unlawfully planted cornerstones, bearing the initials BNF/MOA, criminally masquerading as a land owner in upper Buchanan”.

Court document disclosed that the families of Upper Buchanan has ceded only three (3) known areas to the government which it named as the Hill upon which the Tomb of Governor Thomas Buchanan is located, the spot where the Buchanan Central Prison is located, and the spot on which the 2nd Judicial Circuit court is also located.

The document maintained that the Administrator of Co-Plaintiff, the Testate Estate of the late Hannibal L. Brumskine, Charles Walker Brumskine removed the cornerstones and wrote the defendant(s) advising him/them against trespassing on the properties of the families of upper Buchanan.

Upper Buchanan is the hometown of the astute lawyer and politician as well as former Information Minister, Lawrence K. Bropleh.

Former Commonwealth leader Thomas Buchanan; former President Stephen Allen Benson and Buchanan City first and former Mayor, George Wade among other prominent Liberian emigrants, agents and leaders also hailed from Upper Buchanan.

Upper Buchanan currently plays host to two major facilities of government including the 2nd Judicial Circuit Court and the Buchanan Central Prison.

Our correspondent said the decision by Cllr. Brumskine to drag his own people to court for a land they intend to transform is causing outrage amongst Upper Buchanan citizens as some of have begun describing Cllr. Brumskine as a man who does not love his people and who does not want development.

They also claimed that his action portends the possibility of undermining the development progress of the community.

“It is his usual habit that every time investors come to invest in our beaches, he always puts a stop to them simply because his children and immediate relatives are not in the area to benefit from such development,” exclaimed Alex Oldpa Bryant, youth leader of the Upper Buchanan community.

Instead of fronting to upgrade the community by encouraging investors, he claimed that Cllr. Brumskine and his families are in the constant habit of stopping investors from developing community lands.

At the same time, Bassa Youth Caucus (BYC) President, Matthew Z. Bryant has scowled at the action of Cllr. Brumskine and described him as an unpatriotic son who’s personal and selfish aims have led to the underdevelopment of the community.

“It is very disheartening and frustrating that Cllr. Brumskine who claimed to be an astute lawyer and politician will take the law into his own hands by uprooting cornerstones planted by the government for development purposes,” Bryant said hoarsely.

Terming Cllr. Brumskine`s action as being opposite to development, he said such project was intended to benefit the future generations and would never be stopped by him.

The community, he argued has been abandoned in terms of development due to Brumskine and his associates’ constant practice of ceasing investments in the area.

“With such a man who fails to develop his own homeland, I don’t think he can develop the entire country”, he warned.

His statement was in reference to Cllr. Brumskine intention to become president of Liberia. He failed twice to make it to the runoffs in the 2005 and 2011 elections and had to quit politics in frustration.

The youth leader said it was asymmetrical that that eminent sons of the county who should be the in the lead to bang in needed developments for the county are the ones in the lead of halting development projects.

Victor Flomo

2013-09-04