Rivercess County – People of Rivercess County, one of Liberia’s underdeveloped counties, are seriously concern about the county’s deplorable roads and want the government to address the situation before the next rainy season.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah 00231777039231 [email protected]
They are afraid that the county may be cut off from Buchanan, Monrovia and other counties if nothing is done to rehabilitate the roads.
Over the Weekend, some commuters along the Rivercess-Sinoe highway told FrontPageAfrica that bridges are destroyed, something they say put commuters in peril.
Oretha Jayjay, a trader along the route, says when the road becomes impassible movements of commuters are often stalled, creating problems for small businesses.
“This road problem caused a serious problem for us during the rainy season. When we are bringing our goods to sell in Monrovia or Buchanan, we sometimes spent two or three days on the way from Rivercess to Monrovia. When we are coming from Sinoe to Monrovia, we sometimes spend one week on the road, as a result our goods can spoil before reaching the market,” Jayjay said.
Another commuter, Morris Smith added that people in the county were excited when the government announced that it would pave roads connecting the southeastern counties.
“The rainy season is coming near and we have no hope because the government announced that she was going to pave the road leading to the southeastern part of Liberia and we are not seeing that taking place or hearing about it,” Smith said.
“We were happy because the road pavement would have addressed the constraint we currently faced and [farm] produce taken from the interior will not spoil along the way before reaching Monrovia.”
Dorris Diggs, another commuter, is pessimistic that the road condition might not improve before the end of the rainy season and things might get worse.
“I don’t want to suffer like how I have been suffering before, while taking goods from Rivercess and Sinoe to Monrovia, so it would be better that I do other businesses on that side until the rainy season ends, because I am not seeing sign of this road being fixed sooner,” Diggs says.
“If they fix it, thank God but I want to be on the safe side. So, let the President see reason by fulfilling his promise he made to pave the Southeast road.”
The county administration is also aware of the deplorable road condition but noted that improving it must begin with citizens hailing from the area.
Elijah Cyrus Kaysaynee, the county’s Assistant Superintendent for Fiscal Affairs, says there is an ongoing campaign to promote agricultural activities in the county but it may not be successful in the absence of good road network.
“From our assessment, the county is good for producing Cassava Eddoes and Plantain but bad road network is a major challenge that could affect these products, so I am encouraging all officials to focus on the issue of road connectivity,” Kaysaynee said.
He said the “government has just taken over” and it would take time for development to take place in that part of Liberia.
“The time you had international partners fully supporting Liberia is not like now, but we are trying to establish several things in Rivercess County in line with the county fiscal policy,” he maintained.
“Rivercess yesterday will not be like Rivercess today. The mistake we have been making is refusal of those appointed in previous government to look back to their people.” Meanwhile, Superintendent Kaysaynee has commended Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company Managing Director Bill Twehway for initiating a housing unit project in the county, calling on others to follow same.