Gbarpolu County – Over 30,000 inhabitants in a populated rural artisanal mining community currently being disputed by Bong and Gbarpolu Counties, faces major health and education challenges.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah, [email protected]
The situation may be more calamitous if nothing is done to adequately resolve the dispute between the two counties.
Residents of Jungle James Camp, a mineral-rich community have two clinics and two junior high school that cannot accommodate the number of school going kids.
According to resident, there are only two nurses assigned at each of the clinics and are unable to cater to the hundreds of people that seek health care.
Speaking to a FrontPage Africa reporter during a recent visit, residents said the two junior high schools are privately operated and say appeals for public school in the area have fallen on deaf ears.
Most students are reportedly unable to further their studies after completing junior high school due to the economic constraint.
The Camp has currently turned out to be a major commercial hub in the county due to its huge population and artisanal mining activities.
But deplorable road network continues to affect the day to day movement of residents.
FrontPage Africa has reliably learned that officials of both Bong and Gbapolu Counties have been hesitant to implement development projects in area because the area is disputed.
All this, according to a resident of the area who is also a mining chairman, Gaye Tuazama is due to the inability of government to resolve the long-lasting land dispute between the two counties.
“Once dispute continued to exist over ownership of Jungle James camp, it will be very hard for developers to come to the camp, because officials from the two counties are not sure of which side owns this camp,” Mr. Tuazama said.
“Disagreement over this land has set us backward in turn of development. No quality education, healthcare and even you can see for yourself, this area does not have any features that represent development. We are living here my the mercy of God.”
He expressed fear that access to safe drinking water may soon be a serious problem in the area as only two handpumps are currently being used by resident to serve drinking purpose.
The Mining Chairman further stated that the growing population of the area may not be commensurate to societal development at the region.
“Reproduction is taking place in this area and majority of our children upon completing junior high do not have the means of moving elsewhere to continue senior high school either because of financial constraint or they have no relative in Bopolu or Monrovia to stay with in order to complete high school,” Tuazama added.
Tuazama argued that considering the population of Jungle James Camp, central government must take the lead to fast-track development activities that will provide a conducive livelihood for inhabitants there.
Nowah Norman, a women leader in the camp, lamented that pregnant women usually faced difficulties during delivery due to the lack of sufficient midwives at both clinics.
Madam Norman also maintained that the two clinics lack adequate drugs to cater to pregnant women and others.
“Only one midwife we have in this area and the midwife has announced that all pregnant women in their nine months should go to Bopolu City or Monrovia to give birth, because she is the only person working as midwife and the same time helping the nurse at her clinic,” Madam Norman explained.
“Some pregnant women do not have money to go to Bopolu and they do not have anyone to stay with, so it cause serious problem for them. People have died here from that situation.”
Morris Opa Joe, a community leader, described government frowned on the inability to settle lasting dispute in the area, despite constituting the Gbarpolu-Bong Dispute Resolution Committee.
Mr. Joe said with the exception of a vocational school established by Gbarpolu County, Representative Alfred Koiwood, not even a high school is in the area to help students complete secondary education.
“We need high school, we need quality medical center, we need good road and enough hand pumps in this camp,” he said, adding that the economic condition in the area is becoming challenging.