Monrovia, Feb. 6 -- A prolonged legal battle that has stretched over 14 years is captivating public attention in Liberia, as the family of the late Samuel N. Smith Sr. confronts the Government of Liberia (GOL) over a lease dispute concerning a prime property located at the historic Jos Hansen site in Waterside, Old New Kru Town.

The property, which now houses the relocated Ma Juah Market, has been occupied by the Liberia Marketing Association (LMA) since 2010.

However, the government has failed to pay any rent for the land, sparking a dispute that has persisted since the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Sirleaf's government had initially shown interest in leasing the land for the market as part of the Omega Pr...