Monrovia – The government of Liberia and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has signed a U$S46 million grant agreement to begin the construction of phase two of the Somalia Drive road project.

Report by Al-Varney Rogers al.rogers@frontpageafricaonline.com

 “Today, we are going to sign another grant aid agreement for the second phase of this project, which is targeting rehabilitation of the existing two lanes of the Somalia Drive,” said Koji Makino, JICA representative.

“Therefore after completing the phase two construction, Somalia Drive will have four completely new lanes along 13.2km from Freeport to Red-light Junction.”

Makino said the project for reconstruction of Somalia Drive is the biggest Japanese grant-aid project in Liberia, conducted by the JICA.

He mentioned that preparation for phase two is well underway, adding that construction work will start this 2017.

“We already completed preparatory survey for the phase two last year and plan to start construction work within this year 2017.

It means that JICA will start phase two even before the end of phase one which is currently ongoing. It is a very rare case amongst JICA project around the world.”

Makino said the road project is intended to ease traffic congestion alongside the Somalia Drive and promote economic and social activities.

Minister of  Foreign Affairs, Marjon Kamara, lauded the Japanese Government for the high level of support to the people and the government.

 “I want to thank you for this great transformation, because Japan is investing in one of the priority areas of this government, which is infrastructure development,” she stated.

On behalf of the President Sirleaf, Minister Kamara thanked Japan for standing with Liberia in its reconstruction drive.

JICA said the Somalia Drive project is approximately US$100 million, adding that the project is one of the biggest JICA infrastructure projects in West Africa.

“In phase two, two lanes of the existing road will be rehabilitated. Phase two is expected to start this year. When the two constructions are completed, Somalia Drive will have four lanes from Freeport to Red-light.”

“The new four lane road provides safety for pedestrians by separating sidewalk, and the decrease of floods alongside the road as the new drainage system will be constructed.”

The Japanese Aid Agency said rebuilding Liberia’s infrastructure is the highest priority of President Sirleaf and her administration.

“JICA will continue to contribute to the improvement in socio-economic condition in Liberia, together with the people and government of Liberia.”

The Ambassador of Japan to Liberia Kaoru Yoshimura expressed joy for the both countries to again exchange note on the reconstruction of the Somalia Drive.

“It is an honor for me to be here today on behalf of the government of Japan for the exchange notes for the project for reconstruction of Somalia Drive in Monrovia phase two,”Yoshimura said.

“It is our hope that the second phase of the project would be implemented as scheduled and with little hurdles. “

“Upon completion, the Somalia Drive will essentially signify a Liberia which is striving towards economic excellence.”

He said the reconstruction of the Somalia Drive is a demonstration of Japan’s commitment to improving the socio-economic lives of partners such as Liberia through infrastructure development.

He added that the commitment was further expounded during the 2016 Tokyo International Conference for Africa Development (TICAD) held in Nairobi Kenya.

“During TICAD, Japanese Prime Minister Abe announced that Japan’s partnership with African countries would aimed at achieving a “quality Africa” built through the three elements of  infrastructure, human resources and “Kaizen”’Yoshimura said.

Yoshimura furthered that Japan pledged to dedicate approximately 10 billion US dollars to Africa over the next three years for building high “quality infrastructure.”  

Public Works Minister Gyude Moore thanked the Japanese Government for their support to Liberia.

“For us at Public Works, we will have to work along with whichever contractors that will be hired to do the job.”

In June 2013, JICA and the government of Liberia signed a grant aid agreement for the reconstruction of Somalia Drive.

The construction of the Somalia Drive started in February 2014 but work was suspended due to the Ebola outbreak and construction work resume October 2015.

 The first phase of the project include the expansion of current two lane Somalia Drive to total four lane, constructing two completely new lanes along with the current road, from Freeport to Red-light of 13.2km; construction of Stockton bridge and repair of the double bridge.

The Public Works Minister listed some of initiatives by the Japanese government to Liberia which include the newly built bridges in Grand Cape Mount County; construction of huge ware houses in Lofa County for storing of rice, giving loans to micro, small and medium entrepreneurs and mentioned the opening of alleyways, by the Ministry of Public Works, along the Robertsfield highway.

She stated that Japan has been one of Liberia’s very long time bilateral partners.

“Some of our colleagues went to Japan to do their graduate studies on bilateral scholarships.”

Monrovia – President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has dedicated 10-megawatts Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) Power Plant at the compound of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) on Bushrod Island outside Monrovia.

The project, valued at US$27 million was funded by the Japanese Government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

According to an Executive Mansion release, the Liberian leader on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 performed the dedication ceremony of a 10-Megawatts Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) Power Plant and switched on the Lights in the Snow Hill Community in Gardnerville.

President Sirleaf told jubilant Snow Hill Community dwellers that: “We drove here today to tell you that we are delivering on our promises we made.”

President Sirleaf said the initiative was in fulfillment of her government’s expressed commitment to the people of Liberia and said although the government cannot do everything it was her administration’s commitment to ensure that critical projects like energy are well implemented for the benefit of the citizenry.

President Sirleaf among other things commended the Japanese government and people for the laudable initiative and noted that the partnership between the two countries will forever remain strong and vibrant. 

At the same time, President Sirleaf disclosed that in December 2016, the Mount Coffee Hydro plant will come online with a capacity to become operational.

”I am pleased to see some of the communities including Snow Hill, Kesselly Boulevard, and its environs being connected to electricity. This will improve the living condition of the people”, she pointed out

President Sirleaf commended the management of LEC and JICA for the project and encouraged community members to get connected to enhance productivity. 

The newly commissioned power plant brings to 38 the total megawatts being operated by LEC.

In her welcome remarks, Madam Florence Jlopeh, Snow Hill Community Chairlady thanked President Sirleaf and her government for living up to the promise to realize a dream – adding, “We will forever remain grateful to you Madam President”.

For his part, His Excellency Mr. Kaoru Yoshimura, Japan’s Ambassador to Liberia with residence in Accra, Ghana said the rehabilitation of the power system as well as many other projects currently being undertaken is a clear demonstration of Japan’s commitment to realize a “Quality Africa” as echoed by Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe at the just ended Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD), held in Nairobi, Kenya.

In separate remarks, LEC Board Chair Ian Yap and LEC Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Joseph T. Maya said the Management of the Liberia Electricity Cooperation is prepared to continue to work in maintaining and operating the newly dedicated 10-megawatts HFO power plant to provide reliable and dependable electricity to the people of Liberia.

The ceremony was attended by senior Liberian government officials, officials of the Japanese government, and the LEC family and other community members among others.

Monrovia – The Government of Japan through the Japan Corporation Agency (JICA) has officially announced the completion of a Japan-funded 10MW Power plant project in Liberia. The plant is expected to be turned over in September later this year.

Report by Edwin G. Genoway, Jr – edwin.genoway@frontpageonline.com

The disclosure was made on Monday when a JICA delegation from the Japanese Embassy in Ghana headed by the Embassy Press Secretary, Mr. Masa Iida, toured Japanese funded projects in Liberia. The 10mw power plant project started two years ago.

The power plant, when completed and turned over to the LEC will boost the energy sector by increasing customers, dropping tariff on electricity in the country. The head of JICA field office in Liberia, Shigeki Namba, said the lifespan of the plant is for 25 years.

He disclosed that a fuel house which will supply the power plant that consumes about seven hundred liters (700) of fuel is also being constructed alongside it.

“This project started two years ago and we are nearing completion, we will officially complete and turn over this project in September this year,” he explained. 

The delegation also visited the reconstruction of the Somalia Drive Road in Monrovia, and the project for the rehabilitation of Monrovia Power system which was suspended due to Ebola outbreak in Liberia.

Mr. Namba noted that upon completion and turning over of the project, the LEC will carry on maintenance of the power plant in the absence of Japanese engineers.

LEC Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Joseph T. Mayah, said people have been trained to manage the plant, saying, the LEC will manage the plant in the absence of their Japanese engineers.

He said the equipment being used by the Japanese is durable. “There is no problem with the equipment, they are durable and will last long, and our engineers have been trained to manage these equipment.

Another thing I want to make clear is that we received US$27million grant from the Japanese government, we are appreciative to the government of Japan for that grant we benefiting here,” he noted.

Deputy Director Mayah noted that the 10mw power plant is a great boost to the LEC, saying it will increase power in the country and more citizens will benefit from the plant.

He thanked the Government of Japan for the continual assistance to Liberia, mainly in the energy and construction sectors.

The delegation also visited the Somalia Drive road construction where it was announced that the pavement of the road will also start during the upcoming dry season.

The engineer doing the Somalia Drive Road told the JICA delegation that the road pavements will begin this year dry season.

The Deputy Director of Project Development Department, Youchi Okamoto, noted that phase one of the project is the Stanton Creek Bridge which is already in progress.

Mr. Okamoto noted that his company is doing the first two lane road and afterward do the next two lanes to compete the four lanes. He noted that the entire project for the road cost US$40Million.

The nomination and appointment of Liberia’s former Public Works Minister Antoinette Weeks, responsible for delaying the crucial Somalia Drive Road construction, is sending chills in the hierarchy of regional ECOWAS sources say.

Monrovia – The nomination and appointment of the former Public Works Minister responsible for delaying the crucial Somalia Drive Road construction is sending chills in the hierarchy of the regional Economic Community of West African States, FrontPageAfrica has learned. The concerns stem from the recent nomination of Ms. Antoinette Weeks as Vice Chair for infrastructure, the equivalent of the Minister of Public works but for ECOWAS.

“She will be the Public Works Minister for ECOWAS and will be responsible for the road network from Dakar to Lagos and all other infrastructure projects sponsored by ECOWAS,” said an ECOWAS representative speaking to FPA on condition of anonymity Tuesday. Madam Weeks, according to sources, was nominated along with Maritime Commissioner Binyah Kesselly and Mr. Prince Tamba, a Transport Engineer currently working as an infrastructure consultant with the African Development Bank in Monrovia.

ECOWAS reportedly sent the names back to the Executive Mansion to tip the “most qualified” candidate for the position after which the name of Weeks was submitted to the ECOWAS body. The decision however has not gone down well with ECOWAS with some officials expressing wariness over Weeks’s professional relations and whether she would be up to the task owing to her poor performance as Public Works Minister in Liberia.

At issue for the regional body is concern over the poor treatment a delegation from ECOWAS received from Weeks when she was Minister. The team had come to Monrovia to inspect the Fish Town to Harper Road pavement but left unimpressed by Weeks’ management style and lack of motivation and innovation.

The Fish Town project is being funded by the African Development Bank Group but the objective of the project is to provide efficient road transport access to South Eastern Counties of Liberia and, by extension, to neighboring ECOWAS/Mano River Union Member States (Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea and Sierra Leone).

The Government of Liberia represented by the Ministry of Public Works applied to prequalify contractors and/or firms for the execution of the works for the paving of the Fish Town Harper Road. The works consist of the pavement of the road in asphaltic concrete to ECOWAS Design Standards. The length of the road is about 50 kilometers (km) from Harper to Karloken in Maryland County. The civil works involve the alignment of horizontal and vertical curves.

Weeks, according to sources delayed the procurement process which has been a contributing factor to the current snail pace of one of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s major infrastructure agenda before she completes her term. “The delay came from her which is why we are having problems today.

China Railroad, the company selected for the project reportedly broke away from China Rail Road One and tipped for the crucial project but has been unable to deliver, according to sources privy to the project. During a recent tour of the area, FrontPageAfrica found a bunch of old equipment and angry residents unhappy with the pace of the project. During her tenure, Weeks consistently came under fire and fought of numerous protests owing to her failure to continue several road projects.

At one point, the Minister was public scolded by Sirleaf who said she had not felt the impact of Minister’s presence in the Ministry but it was Weeks’ toying around with the consultant sent by the government of Japan that drew the most criticisms, leading to the delay of the US$50 million project. Weeks reportedly told the Japanese diplomat that she was too busy to meet.

In an email to Minister Weeks from Mrs. Maki Okusa, Head of Office/Project Formulation Advisor Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Liberia Field Office took issue with the Minister for delay the project: “Even though you will be out of town next week, the Consultant is still planning to come to Liberia, if there is a chance, to pay a courtesy call to you and also to assess the current situation of Somalia Drive. He is arriving on Monday evening and will leave on Saturday.”

The email went on, “I do not have your detail schedule of next week, but would it be difficult for you to meet with the Consultant even briefly if you are leaving town after Tuesday? He is arriving by Kenya Airways on Monday so if you have time, he will come to your office straight from the airport.”

Okusa informed Minister Weeks that, “The reason I am asking for your time to meet with the Consultant is, as you may know already, unless JICA verifies the Contract, we are not going to disburse the payment to the DNC which means, no construction work will start.”

The email from Okusa stated further: “Unfortunately, the Consultant will not be able to come to Liberia until May, if he loses this opportunity to meet with you. The best is the Consultant will meet with you even shortly but if that would be difficult, please kindly go through the Amendments of the Contract that the Consultant has emailed you.

It would be greatly appreciated if you could give any comments or hopefully your consent when the Consultant contacts you by phone earlier next week. Minister, my biggest concern is the further delay of this project. This is a special project requested by Madam President.

Due to the delay of RAP implementation, the project is already delayed while the expectation of the people is getting higher and higher. We are already in March and rainy season will be coming soon. As you know, if we miss current dry season, we have to postpone the commencement until later this year, which causes the huge delay to the entire schedule. This will be a big disappointment for people and also for Madam President,” said the email from Okusa.

Reporting:  Rodney D. Sieh, rodney.sieh@frontpageafricaonline.com