Grand Bassa County – Completing development projects is Grand Bassa County’s biggest challenge despite the holding of regular development sittings.
Report by Alpha Daffa Senkpeni – [email protected]
County authority has often blamed the disbursement of funds by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning while locals point to corruption and divisive politics as lingering problems stalling infrastructure development.
In 2015 several projects were decided by delegates from across the county at the sitting held in Big Joe Town, a mile away from the main Port City of Buchanan.
Many of those projects were never implemented, including the beautification of Buchanan, rehabilitation of feeder roads, construction of a Presidential guesthouse in Buchanan, and the construction of a modern checkpoint in Owensgroove, District One.
Former Superintendent Etweeda Cooper at the time revealed that the county expended US$600,000.00 in two years, but lawmakers were concerned that some projects were abandoned by contractors. Superintendent Cooper justified that several contractors were paid but abandoned projects in the county.
At this year’s sitting, decisions were reached for the completion of several uncompleted projects, while few new ones, including construction of a market in Owensgroove and allotment of funds to people with disabilities and US$200,000 for the construction of a research center for the Bassa Youth Caucus in Buchanan.
Other projects earmarked include the construction of a clinic in District Four and the extension of the major public school in District One.
With US$516,000 now available in the county’s coffers, there are concerns about shortcomings in acquiring the county funds while other projects like the renovation of the Unification Pavilion on the Fairgrounds remains doubtful.
Bad roads remain a major problem for the county and with few roads in towns like Geegbah and Gio Town considered as legislative projects. For roads in Buchanan, the project targets the road leading to Fairgrounds and Kilby Street to Government Hospital road were labeled priority projects for the coastal county.
Senator Jonathan Kaipay, at the sitting, recommitted to sticking with feeder road projects and promised to use funds allotted for legislative projects to implement feeder roads projects in District Four and Five.
There was brewing tension ahead of the sitting when members of the Grand Bassa University Student Union (GBUSU) expressed disagreement over decision to establish an education foundation which ended the student union’s control of the scholarship funds.
GBUSU was gearing up to stage a protest at the sitting but the Police was quick to make arrest of several of them and according to the aggrieved students the Police was acting on the orders of Senator Karnga-Lawrence.
County legislative caucus Chair, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence later told delegates about the decision to setup the education foundation.
Observers described the sitting as quiet and peaceful as compare to previous activities, although concerns about implementin resoluted projects are wavering like incidents of previous years.
Senator Lawrence insists the Foundation is separate from the Caucus since it has obtained an article of incorporation and its own account, adding that the board comprises reps of relevant institutions, principals and teachers’ associations, the Bassa Project Management Committee, the Bassa Legislative Caucus and Arcelor Mittal Liberia.
Responding to allegations by GBUSU that the move intents to strangulate the student grouping, Karnga-Lawrence said over US$400,000 was given to GBUSU over the past years and she claimed the group represented just 2% of the student populace from the county.
The student group alleged that the new scholarship structure will favor the political supporters of Liberty Party lawmakers considering the appointment of stalwarts of the party and with LP lawmakers now dominating the county caucus, critics say development initiatives will serve as a make-weight for the party agenda in the county ahead of 2017.