River Gee County Senator Jonathan Boycharles Sogbie has petitioned the Liberian Senate to intervene in what he described as a longstanding national oversight—the government’s failure to deliver on a 1988 land allocation promised to members of the national football team, the Lone Star.
In a formal communication addressed to Senate President Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, Sen. Sogbie recalled that the late President Samuel K. Doe granted each Lone Star player a plot of land in the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) Community in Paynesville as a gesture of national appreciation for their service to Liberia.
However, more than three decades later, Sogbie revealed that “not a single beneficiary from that group of players has received title to the land that was promised.” He attributed the delay to bureaucratic neglect, noting that the Ministry of Youth and Sports, as custodian of the relevant records, bears direct responsibility for ensuring the fulfillment of this commitment.
The senator linked the issue to a broader pattern of administrative lapses affecting Liberia’s sports sector. He reminded his colleagues that in June 2025, he had written to the Ministry requesting a detailed report on the outsourcing and management agreements of hotel facilities within the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex. That inquiry, he said, was driven by the persistent accommodation challenges faced by national teams during home matches.
Sogbie’s latest intervention underscores his call for justice, accountability, and respect for the contributions of athletes who have represented the nation. “We must honor those who have served Liberia through sports,” he stressed, urging the Senate to act with urgency.
Following deliberations, the Senate referred the matter to two of its committees for investigation and further action — a move that could reignite attention to a decades-old promise still awaiting fulfillment.
