Franklin Doloquee, County Correspondent
Ganta, Nimba County- A team of Poro Masters, also known as country devils, have been deployed at the Francis Nya Maweah Public School in Ganta with the aim of preventing the public school from being used as a quarantine center.
The school is the only public school located between six communities in the city of Ganta. Its selection by the county health team as a quarantine or holding center for people who may be confirmed of the virus or their contacts is rattling a lot of angry cages in the county.
The county administration headed by Superintendent Nelson Korquoi and the head for the Nimba County Health team Dr. Philip Sahr visited the public school and selected it to be used as a quarantine center without the consent of the residents of the area including chiefs and elders.
Since the pronouncement, there has been resentment from the communities on ground that the campus is in the central part of Ganta and using it as quarantine or holding center would pose a health threat to their lives. Furthermore, the community members believe that using the area as quarantine center would pose stigma on students who attend there.
The aggrieved residents of Peace Community, Jacob Town Community, Gboloryee and Gboyee Towns blocked the streets to stop government from using said facility.
The School Campus is currently marked with palm thatches and other leaves to signify that the Poro masters are present there.
Speaking to FrontPageAfrica in the county, the chief elder for Bain-Garr, Mr. Alfred Gbordor, said more than five communities have children attending the school and one of the hand pumps used for water there is located on the campus.
Elder Gbordor added that they have many innocent children in the area and making the school campus quarantine center would be a serious risk.
Elder Gbordor expressed frustration that local authorities in the county do not respect them as local community members.
He noted that even if they were informed by the county authorities, they would not have agreed.
Chief Gbordor confirmed that the Poro Master [Country Devil] has spent two nights on the school campus since May 3, and will continue to be there until the pandemic is over.
Mr. Rennie Gbatu, the school’s principal said he was not informed about the decision of the Ministry of Health and the county administration to use the school as a quarantine center.
“This Poro Master is the only government we have; and their coming will stop government to take control of the school. Those Poro Masters [Country Devil] will continue to be deployed on the school campus until the outbreak of the corona virus is out of Liberia,” he said’’.
Speaking to reporters recently prior to the deployment of the Poro Masters at his school, Mr. Rennie Gbatu, the school’s principal said he was not informed about the decision of the Ministry of Health and the county administration to use the school as a quarantine center.
Mr. Gbatu says he works for the Ministry of Education and his bosses have not informed him about the government’s desire to use the campus as quarantine center.
Nimba County currently has six confirmed cases, but the health authority is yet to set up a quarantine center.
Recently, Superintendent Nelson Korquoi along with delegates from the county health team headed by Dr. Philip Sahr visited Kpain Town in District # 8 outside of Ganta to explore the possibility of using old buildings that were constructed by the World Food Programme [WFP] since1964. But the residents rejected the plan.
The residents expressed disappointment in the county administration and the county health team for not carrying on awareness in communities before deciding on using the facility as a quarantine center.
Earlier this week, the Ganta United Methodist Hospital Administrator, Mr. Allen Zomonway told our correspondent that the Methodist family provided a facility to the county health team and the county administration, but since then they are yet to make use of the facility. ‘’We provided modern center for them, and we told them to give the mission 40 percent of the job to be provided, but since they left, they are yet to get back to us,” he said.
Mr. Zomonway also said during their meeting with the county administration and the county health team, they asked them to provide running water and electricity in the building.
Meanwhile, several state securities assigned in Ganta have been flogged by residents of Congo community in Ganta. The security had gone in the community where residents have been gathering in huge numbers and dancing and witnessing movies against the health protocols regarding social distancing.
When the security officers had gone to stop them, they responded violently and mobbed them, leaving some injured. Four persons have been arrested, charged and sent to the Ganta Magisterial Court.