Liberia: Reps. Morris, Barshell Collaborate to Boost Road, Education Networks in Respective Constituency

Monrovia – In an effort to boost government’s promises in providing roads and quality education, two Montserrado County lawmakers ahve joined forces to uplift their respective district.

Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]

Electoral Districts #1and #3 Representatives Lawrence Morris and Ceebee C.D. Barshell have knotted a partnership.

The two Montserrado County lawmakers have jointly and personally purchased road machines to alternately and rotationally construct, rehabilitate and maintain feeders and farm to markets roads and bridges throughout the two districts. 

The road projects have since begun February 2019.

At least hundreds of women, men and youth have expressed their gratitude since most of the roads and farmlands in the two districts are made of laterite soils.

Rep. Morris told journalists on Friday, April 5, 2019: “Rep. Barshell and I have collaborated to acquire yellow machines to be working in our respective districts in order to help buttress government efforts as there have been no allocations given for any development work since the administration came to power.”

He added: “We work in my district, then work in his district. We are also open to work in other districts to extend assistance to our colleagues as a way of practically displaying how ‘developmental camaraderie’ should be as lawmakers and not few acting like they are super lawmakers irrespective of their longevity in the House of Representatives.”

Unlike the partnership in the roads connectivity, Rep. Morris is also sponsoring over 160 students at the Barshell University with “graceful discounts” from the Board of Directors, Rep. Barshell according to the partnership. And the scholarship kicked off since March 2018. 

Rep. Morris is in the United States currently to attend the Global Parliamentary Network meeting. While in the US, he is expected to finalize an educator business forum with the educational board of North Carolina for a business forum to take place in the USA in September 2019. 

“We are trying to link the Barshell University and the University of Liberia with other institutions of learning. Those institutions include Wake Forest University, Forsythe Tech, Livingstone College, Salem College and the University of Durham,” he outlined. 

Meanwhile, Rep. Morris has expressed his regrets and frustration over the alarm of at least nine cracked houses, affecting over 25 residents, in Harrisburg and Croizerviile from the blasting and rock crushing of two Chinese rock crushing companies, operating in the district.

Angry residents from the two operational areas in Croizerville and Joe Ricks Town in Harrisburg have complained about their “cracked houses’ from Tiger Quarry and Z & C Investment Companies, which resulted into peaceful protests, but were quieted because of interventions.

The Montserrado County District #1 lawmakers then warned that there will be serious actions taken if the companies cannot abide by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Public Works recommendations, and is yet to receive those recommendations.

“We are sad and frustrated over reports of cracked of houses from blasting and crunching of rocks from the Chinese rock crushing companies in the district. We will do everything to ensure that the recommendations are adhered to,” he vowed.