MONROVIA – Construction work has resumed on the 54 duplexes located within the vicinity of VOA Brewerville, outside Monrovia.
Visiting the site on Thursday, Dec. 13, NHA Human Resource Manager and Acting Managing Director, Madam Tonia D. Johnson told journalists that it is the expectation of the NHA that the project will be completed before the January 20, 2019 deadline indicated in the agreement entered into between the NHA and the Nine construction companies.
Madam Johnson said the NHA considers the construction of the 54 duplexes as part of the deliverables of President George Manneh Weah who is so passionate about finding conducive place for the former residents of the Township of West Point who lost their homes due to sea erosion.
Madam Johnson said the completion of the 54 duplexes is a priority and called on the Nine Liberian owned construction companies to accept the challenge to complete the units in time.
Responding on behalf of the Nine construction companies, Mr. Aloysius S. Tiklo, president of Alisa Group of Companies, said the companies were fully prepared to finalized completion works on those units within scheduled date and expects to receive the last payment from the Ministry of Finance and Development (MFDP), and once the funds were made available, the construction companies can promise to complete the job on January 20, 2019.
“As you can see, we are tackling the beams and casting them to get the roof done and so once we get the money, we can assure you that we will complete hanging of doors and windows Mr. Tiklo said.
Mr. Tiklo said like seven of the construction companies they also want to get the job done in time so that the National Housing Authority can always partner with us (construction companies) in achieving President Weah’s pro poor agenda by delivering units that are intended for sea erosion victims so they will rejoice and celebrate the new year he opined.
Meanwhile NHA’s site engineer Mr. Deline, said he was happy because about 85 percent of the project is done while Cusmos Construction Corporation in particular had completed the roofing and waiting to hang the windows and doors of its six units.
He said each of the Nine construction companies was allowed to build six units each which has made it possible for the job to be done with precision.
Mr. James E. Kerkula, supervisor of Access Construction Company said 90 percent of his company’s job is already done and is only waiting for the last disbursement from the MFDP to complete its six units.
“Our men are working as you can see and we want to get the job done on our six units and so we hope that the MFDP will, this week, provide us with the last payment according to our arrangement to finish our side of the bargain,” Kerkula told reporters.
Mr. John Darmo, Assistant Manager of Moabel Construction Company told journalists that 80 percent of its job is done and waiting for the last payment to finish their portion.
“We are moving faster to complete the job,” Mr. Darmo said. “We are almost done.”
Mr. Deline also echoed the appeal of the construction managers that once the MFDP could release the last money to the contractors as agreed upon, the 108 units (54 duplexes) could be available as part of the achievements of President George Weah. It may be recalled that the VOA project was initiated by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf when erosion displaced hundreds of residents of the Township of West Point.
Through the National Housing Authority (NHA), the government purchased 12.5 acres of land from Commissioner Soko Wiles and began the construction of the units and completed the first phase of the project.
Realizing the government’s commitment to resettle those affected, who were housed in temporary shelters in VOA, President George Weah gave his blessing for the second phase to continue and hoped it could be completed as part of his deliverables to the people.