Selma Lomax, [email protected]
Zota District, Bong County – Residents of Sergeant Kollieta town in Zota District, who have for years been begging various political representatives in Bong County and other interests to assist them in improving the road leading to the town after their pleas fell on deaf years, have taken matters into their own hands and are building themselves a ‘road’.
The task though is proving a bit more than them and once again they are appealing for help from the platform of their own town effort.
A gritty stretch of road greeted FrontPage Africa reporter when he visited the town on Sunday.
The blissfully quiet town secreted by trees of every kind and greenery located just off the Payeta road shimmered in the morning sun, a handful of men and women briskly debushing the sides of the newly constructed road.
“We have been trying to reach out to everybody to help us,” he lamented further. “We voted him in 2017 but hasn’t done anything about our road and we have had spoken about the condition of our road on many instances over the years.”
Abenego Kollie, Community Member
Some distance away a small plume of smoke marked the spot where the cuttings were being thrown for burning.
“I have lived here all my life and I am a member of the Sergeant Kollieta Town Association. We have been trying to fix our road, we have reached out to Government, our lawmaker, and we have done a lot of self-help to fix our roads. We tried to raise funds to assist us because the road conditions have gotten worst over the years,” community member Abenego Kollie told our reporter.
Says Kollie: “It has caused stress and distress and poverty for us. For example, even if you go out to get food nobody (motorbike) wants to come in to drop you off. If somebody comes in, you know you will have to pay more money.”
“The normal fare on the main road would be $500 and 600 but anyhow you want to come anywhere around here so, you are going to be thinking about $ 100 or 150 extra; take it or leave it and you are happy to pay,” he told FrontPage Africa.
“We have been trying to reach out to everybody to help us,” he lamented further. “We voted him in 2017 but hasn’t done anything about our road and we have had spoken about the condition of our road on many instances over the years,” Kollie explained.
He said appeals had been made to the district’s lawmaker Robert Womba without success. Numerous attempts by our reporter to contact Womba Sunday proved fruitless as his phone rang endlessly without response.
The town is home to several teachers, businesspersons and several students but the temptation to become isolated is very strong, he said.
“They students walk with their school shoes in their hand and an old shoes and cloth to wipe their feet when they get to the main road. When you go out you wonder ‘will I come back’. For example, when it rains you have to get help to push the motorbike vehicle to get back in and maintenance is excessive,” he shared.
Those carrying the next generation to populate the community have enough to deter them.
“Persons who are pregnant have to take it slowly when walking through, and when it is delivery time, you get someone to come for you because you have to take your time to get out of here, he said.
Residents of the town have put their frustration, disgust and distress to good use.
“We don’t have any knowledge in building roads, we raised our own money, but we had to do something. We took a day to work, we had three workdays from morning to the afternoon; persons from the nearby towns and villages who know about our situation came to help us. We have spent just under $ 20, 000,” Abednego said.
The result of that work was evident, but he was quick to point out that its longevity was not known.
“We don’t know how long it will last, but we have to help ourselves. We don’t know how we will stand up to pressure, but we have to help ourselves. It’s a community effort. The road condition delays us seriously, we are tired,” he expressed.
James Flomo, one community member who was busy chopping away the brush ceased his work to add his voice.
“I live in this town from birth; the road conditions have been poor from birth. I have children and it’s rough in the mornings for them to go to school. We have it rough so we are trying to see what we can do to make it better,” he said before briskly resuming his task.
One elderly married couple, who, too, were doing their best to help, brought their humor to the situation.
“I’ve lived here about 25 years, I moved here with my husband,” 62-year-old Mary Kollie joked jovially, sparking this response from her equally humorous 70-year-old husband Richard Kollie.
“I’m a traveler you know, I was travelling, and I met her in the next town Payeta,” he laughed. Sobering, the old-timer said, “I brought her here and we have four kids. The road has really been a problem for us.”
One other community member, who gave her name as Beatrice, said the road has been a problem for generations upon generations.
“I’m living here from I was eight and now I am 55, so can you imagine it has gotten worst. Politicians only know this town when elections are drawing closer,” she said.
Asked, so why did you vote? She replied: “Maybe because we don’t have no sense”.
Vincent Bedell, another town member, was in no mood for laughs, “We are praying that God will give us a good leader in this district that will help this town because we are suffering,” he said.
The residents, doubtful help will be forthcoming from their political representatives, say they are appealing to anyone moved by their plight to meet them halfway.
On Sunday, while FrontPage Africa reporter was documenting the town’s dilemma, the Administrator of Bong County Health Team Jonah Togbah, promised to assist residents of the town with road repair materials. “Well, having heard your cries, I will assist in my little capacity to make sure that the road is completed so that our people won’t continue to suffer.”
Abenego, upon hearing of the development, said the town would welcome assistance from Mr. Togbah, stating that the county health team administrator has been a great help to residents of district four. We have a lot of great things Mr. Togbah has and continues to do for the people of the district. We are glad that he has listened to our pleas and is prepared to intervene.”