“Tell Bad Road Medicine this side of Liberia Needs Medication”

By Mark N. Mengonfia- mmenginfia@gmail.com

MONROVIA-President George M. Weah pronounced that he is Liberia’s bad roads medicine; stating that since Liberia became a country, he as a president has built the most roads in Liberia.

He made the pronouncement when he has gone to break grounds for the construction of the Roberts International Airport Highway Road.

Since that day, the name has stuck on him and many Liberians have always called him “Bad Roads Medicine.”

Since his pronouncement and seeing the level of roads done in some quarters of Monrovia and other counties including Nimba and River Gee to Maryland his praises increased in the mouth of many Liberians.

But for, they say Liberia’s road connectivity is far below what it should be as a country.

Liberians have argued that no government can boost or take any glory for connecting roads in Liberia when in fact since 1847 Liberia’s major capital cities are yet to be connected by asphalt pavement and farm-to-market roads are not possible in the 21 century.

Recently, members of the Press Union of Liberia have gone in the southeast of Liberia to celebrate World Press Freedom Day when they encountered a very bad road leading into River Gee, the county selected by the Union for the past celebration.

According to our reporter who was on the trip, 4×4 jeeps, trucks, tankers, buses could not easily ply the difficult roads as some of the area could sallow a whole tanker conveying fuel and other lubricants to that part Liberia.

Economic Activities

Due to the bad road condition, most citizens in that region have decided to use nearby countries like Ivory Coast and Serra Leone to transact their businesses.

Mr. Bah, a businessman in River Gee said, “My brother, I cannot go to Monrovia to buy anything.”

Not only Bah, but many others who see the bad roads as a stumbling block to their businesses have all decided not to venture around the Monrovia business lane.

“Why should I even go to Monrovia when I just need to cross the broader right behind here without a hard time?” Mary Johnson remarked as she positioned on goods on the table.

She said, “If our roads were ok, all the money we carrying to Ivory Coast and Serra Leone will be going in the in the economy of Liberia.”

Jack Z. Dahn is a motorcycle operator who transports goods and humans between Nimba and River Gee Counties.

He has spent three years on the Nimba-River Gee highways with his transport business.

Pointing at one of the bad spots, Dahn said, “Between Grand Gedeh and River Gee, this is the very bad area.”

He said the road condition has caused them to charge passengers amounts which will help treat them and have some reserved.

“For one human being, sometimes I charge 15 thousand and when they bag, they pay 13, 12 or 10 thousand” Dahn who has just managed his way out of the deep mutts said.

A passenger returning from River Gee told a little boy who has gone to help push the vehicle out of the mutt said, “Small boy move from over there before you put free pain in your body because you will get old and this road will still be the same.”

When President Weah assumed the Presidency of Liberia, one of the first few things he said his administration was going to achieve was the building of a coastal highway, connecting farms to market roads and ensuring that the nightmare of road facing those in the southeast becomes a thing of the pass.

Days have turned into weeks, weeks into months and months into years, the nightmare of bad roads is still an issue facing those in the southeast counties.

Although the region has produced three presidents, with Weah being the last of the three, yet, the citizens have always complained of bad roads.

Currently, the region has top government officials including the President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senate Pro-tempore, and other top governmental positions.

Passerby by was heard making a mockery out of the situation as they made their way out.

As they passed by the journalists and others pushing their vehicles, “When they leave power, do you think our roads will ever fix?” a lady inquired as she crossed from one point of the mud to the other side.

Another woman remarked, “Thank God you’re feeling it too.”

New Republic Liberia

Alphonso Toweh

Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets  including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and  did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters 
 He holds first  MA with honors in International  Relations and a  candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict  Resolution from the University of Liberia.