-As Joy Over Johnsonville Road Project Cut Short
By Esau J. Farr
When residents of the Johnsonville-Mount Barclay Community saw and heard about the pavement of their road connecting the Barnesville Dry Rice Market Community early 2019, there were jubilations, cheers and Facebook posts in appreciation of the long awaited road project.
Some of them, top government officials, expressed relief and actualization of a dream of driving, riding and walking on a new paved road free of dust.
Many of them could not hold back their joy and admiration for the new government under the regime of soccer legend, President George M. Weah with the help of his tough talking and never-relenting Public Works Minister, Mobutu V. Nyenpan.
The residents, many of them without critically analyzing what it takes, the duration and how much it costs for a kilometer of road to be completed, took to the street and on social media (Facebook-live) tours taking pictures and posting them as they told Liberians and the world about the reduction of longer time spent on distances compared to the past signifying that ‘everything was going to be alright’.
But in less than two months and with signs of the Rainy Season now visible, it is seems like the whole world is now turning upside down with them cutting short their joy and happiness as works on the Johnsonville Road has reportedly been stopped.
According to an eminent citizen of the Township of Johnsonville, James Flomo-Kellen, about a month ago works on the Johnsonville-Barnesville Dry Rice Market Road have since been stalled.
Mr. Flomo-Kellen disclosed that recently equipment brought on the road for its construction were retrieved by the company hired to pave the road.
Mr. Flomo-Kellen told OK FM that efforts have been advanced by the leadership of the community to seek redress to the situation, but they (community leaders) have been told to contact authorities of the Ministry of Public Works.
He alleged that despite engaging authorities of the Ministry of Public Works, no concrete actions have been taken in relation to the road project.
“We have been flagging this issue of our road over and over with the requisite authorities, but nothing seems to be happening especially as we approach the next Rainy Season,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. James Flomo-Kellen is calling on the works ministry to speedily intervene and address the already existing problems of the road to save the residents of the township and its surrounding communities ahead of the pending Rainy Season.
“If nothing is done to arrest the situation at hand on the road, I see trouble for our people in the coming Rainy Season,” he told the local radio station.
Though the issue of road connectivity was not heard about during the election year (2017) of the country from the current ruling party as was echoed by former Vice President, Joseph N. Boakai, but the CDC led government shortly upon its take-over of the mantle of authority to stair the affairs of the country quickly crafted its political mantra highlighting road as a major priority to enhance development in Liberia something some opposition politicians described as ‘Stolen platform’. TNR
Comments are closed.