Greenville, Sinoe County – The National Port Authority (NPA) has named two tug boats in honor of the Kru tribe for their historical involvement in sailing on European vessels.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway, Jr – [email protected]
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Monday, March 20 commissioned the boats which were acquired from the proceeds of 4,000,000 KUWAITI DINAR (KDR) – US$13.1 Million equivalent – agreement signed between the government of Liberia (NPA) and the Kuwait Fund for the rehabilitation of the port of Greenville.
Other items including, Aids to Navigation, Reach Stacker and Log Loaders are yet to be paid for from the proceeds of the loan. The processes are underway.
The first tug boat is named M/T SETRA KRU. In the late 18th century, Kru Men moved from the interior and established five towns along the coast where they lived and began working on European Vessels, however, there is no specific Kru man name mentioned as the first sailor, in whose honor the tug boat could have been named.
SETRA KRU, the chosen name is one of the five towns established by the Kru men. One of the previous tug boats at the port of Greenville was also named M/T Nana Kru, after one of the five towns.
The second tug boat is named M/T SINOE RIVER. The Sinoe River is the river closed to the port that you crossed on your way to the port and some marine activities take place. The river flows into the sea around the port basis entry way.
The Patrol boat is named PATROL III because the port of Greenville is ranked 3rd among the four ports within the National Port Authority port system.
Similarly, the Pilot Boat is named PILOT III because the Port of Greenville is ranked 3rd among the four ports within the National Port Authority port system.
In an effort to name the tug boats acquired for the National Port Authority under the Kuwaiti Loan arrangement and consistent with the President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s suggestion that the NPA research the names of individual Liberians to determine their contributions to maritime activities so as to name the boats in their honor; their finding was that there is no specific named Liberian who was the first sailor or was involved with maritime activities. Instead, the Kru tribe was mentioned.
There is no specific Kru man name mentioned as the first sailor on a European vessel, in whose honor the tug boat could be named. Given that they established towns along the coast, it was considered that it will be appropriate if one of the boats be named after one of the towns established by the Liberian Kru tribe that first started sailing on European vessels as a means of honoring all of them.
In the past, a tug belonging to the Port of Greenville was named M/T ‘Nana Kru’. That name is the name of one of the five towns that the Krus established when they came from the interior and settled on the coast.
Dedicating the four marine crafts at the Samuel A. Ross Seaport in Greenville, President Sirleaf said she was glad to the port being upgraded.
“I am so glad about Sinoe Port, it took a while to get us where we are, some of it has been mentioned in terms of completing the legal processes, some of it has to do with external condition over which we have no control, but I am so glad today to come to commission the tug boats and all the other things that we’re going over there to do and that the port management has done so well,” she said.
The Greenville Port is among the three major ports in Liberia and it is located in Southeastern Liberia.
In past decades, the Greenville Port has been inactive with no marine activities due to the lack of marine crafts, something that held the port backward.
In 2012, the government of Liberia signed a loan agreement with the Kuwaiti government that was not ratified by the legislature until 2014.
After the ratification of the agreement, the National Port Authority through the Kuwaiti loan purchased four marine crafts, two tug boats, one pilot boat and one patrol boat.
“We recognize the previous management, they started and they have done their part so we always love to recognize people who start and to praise them, too, but this new management has also taken it to another level and that’s how come we can see today what the changes are as the result of this, and I know that the managing director could not do it alone, he could not do it without getting support from the chairman of the board of directors and more importantly he could not have done it except for all of you who work in the National Port authority,” President Sirleaf added.
The President Sirleaf said she hoped that the county leadership would make use of the shipwreck by selling the scraps and use the fund for the county, “I hope that the Sinoe leadership would look at that because we dedicated the wreck to them, for them to be able to work and get it removed so that the resources can be used, so you need to work with the managing director to get that done to make this port the number one port that you all have said you want it to be,” she said.
NPA’s Managing Director, David William said the commissioning of the boats and the facelift given the port are part of President Sirleaf’s Agenda for Transformation.
In his remarks, Mr. Williams said, “the GOL, through its initiative of undertaking the Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach to Port Infrastructure Development in all of our ports, which is the best approach to meeting the challenge imposed by the international shipping world.
As we look at the Freeport of Monrovia, an outcome of a PPP approach; with 24 hours navigation and safety to navigation, the construction of the new 600 meter marginal quay and possible extension of that quay, the landside development project (Container Yard), the improvement of the internal roads by NPA Management, and the construction of NPA new corporate Headquarters, which will bring the Freeport of Monrovia into the 21st century.”
The Chairman of the Board of Directors John Bestman on behalf of the entire board of directors of the NPA, extended gratitude to the President for her patience and mentorship throughout the process of earning the boats.
“I like to convey profound gratitude to you not only for your patience, but particularly for your mentorship throughout this process that began in 2012 with the signing of the loan agreement with the Kuwaiti Fund for the rehabilitation of this port of Greenville,” he said.
He, however, appraised other activities relative to the Kuwaiti loan, another item, he said container Forklift to be supplied by Kalmar West Africa which will arrive on April 7, 2017.
“We are concluding the contract for the supply of aids to navigation for the Greenville Port with Wilder international-a Liberian firm the potential supplier,” he disclosed.
Speaking earlier, Sinoe County Legislative Caucus Chairman, Senator Joseph Nagbe said the people of Sinoe will never forget President Ellen Johnson for her great job done in the county.
“Don’t forget Madam President, we the people of Sinoe will never forget about you, we will always remember you for your great work you have done in the county, and to the current management of this port.
I assure the caucus fullest cooperation anytime you need us called upon us, we will be a hand to work alone with you, because pre-war Liberia the Greenville Port was the major economic activities in this county,” he said.
He said citizens of Sinoe worked hard at the Port during the pre-war of Liberia to send their kids to school, saying he is now glad that the port is returning to its prewar status.
The Superintended of Sinoe County, Prosper Brown, could not hold his joy as he joined others in showing praises to President Sirleaf for providing the facilities the Port of Greenville currently has.
“Madam President, the last time I checked only our brethren were fishing around here, the last time I checked Madam President this whole place was very dark as though nobody would have existed in this place, today we as Sinoe people are very grateful and we lift our hearts up to you, yes Mr. MD, you mentioned that this Port will unravel any port in the world, of course yes, this port will be number one in Liberia,” he added.
He praised the management of the National Port Authority for making the economy of Southeastern Liberia one of the best in the country by improving the port of Greenville.