Monrovia – It is usually said development is good for every country’s growth but it sometimes come with pains of citizens losing their properties they have lived for years.
Report by Mae Azango [email protected]
One of such persons is Robert Johnson of the Battery Factory community in Gardnerville, along the Somalia Drive, who stood and watched in dismay when the Ministry of Transport marked his house for demolition.
“I have been living here since 30 years, but I am surprised to see what I am seeing, when few months ago Public Works marked my house and said I should adjust my place because portion of my house was in the road.
I broke down that portion of my house they said was in the road, but now I am surprised that the Ministry of Transport is marking my entire house again, which they say will be broken down,” said Johnson.
Johnson, who said he had nothing to say, because the actions of the Transport Ministry, was shocked beyond words, but he was told to go the Ministry of Public Works in Monrovia to get clarity.
“The fixing of the road is good, but where the Public Works marked before, it should remain that way, but by Transport Ministry creating a different mark from the first marking that Public Works did is confusing us. They told us to go to the Ministry of public works, but I do not know for what reason,” Roberts said.
When asked as to whether the government gave him money to be relocated as some residents were compensated, Roberts said: “The government did not give me any money to move from here, so maybe it was other people who received money from the government to move but I have not received one cent from the government to move,” Johnson concluded.
The Ministry of Transport under its mandate to ensure the smooth construction of the Somalia Drive to a four lane paved road, has embarked on removing sidewalks and makeshift garages along the main streets, impounding of abandoned vehicles and marking of properties along the roadside, in accordance with the zoning law of 154 feet away from the road.
“The goal is to ensure that the Japanese government constructs the road, so we have been authorized to remove makeshift garages, abandoned vehicles, and other structures in the road or right away.
“So we are trying to work with public Works to make sure that those that are in 154 feet on the Cemenco side and 54 feet on the other side of the Somalia Drive are removed. We are marking these places today and demolish them subsequently,” said Transport Minister Angelia Cassel Bush.
Minister Bush said her Ministry was basically marking abandoned vehicles and impounding them with the help of a tow truck in order to clear the entire area while construction works is ongoing on the Somalia Drive Highway.
She pointed out that her ministry would monitor the movement of vehicles, especially trucks.
“We will have the police stationed on the Somalia drive from 5-10 a.m. and from 4-9 p.m., because those are the hours that we do not want trucks plying this road, so it will be a 24-hour monitoring going on the Somalia Drive.
“It will take for as long as the contractors are working on this road and even after they have finished construction the road, because we have to do our work. So we will continue working with the police for compliance,” added Minister Bush.
During the exercise of vehicles, makeshift garages and structure marking, Liberia National Police Deputy Director for Operations Abraham Kromah and some police officers accompanyed the Transport Minister, while affected citizens and on lookers were watching the action.
“We are following whatever strategy the Ministry has in order to ensure security. This is a major highway.”
“The issue of makeshift garages, we have been addressing a long time ago, but since this is a major highway, we will ensure that these abandoned vehicles and makeshift garages are removed for the road to be constructed,” said Deputy Director Kromah.