CESTOS, River Cess – As President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s administration comes to a close, River Cess may end up not having benefitted from any infrastructure development, as all government-funded projects remain either unfinished or abandoned.
An investigation conducted by The Bush Chicken shows that, apart from donor-funded projects, no project has been dedicated within the county, even including those initiated by the County Development Fund.
Several government-funded projects in the county have been abandoned and animals and pests are destroying other projects. Among these are eight compounds built for district commissioners. These compounds have two living units each and they are all abandoned and covered with bushes and weeds.
Inside one of the commissioner’s compounds. Photo: Eric Duoe
Some of these buildings are nearing completion while some are nowhere near being done. Windows and doors have completely fallen off some of the buildings. It is no wonder that several commissioners have refused to move into these compounds.
Central “C” Commissioner James Jomah is one of the few who has moved in with his family into one of these compounds. However, he said the buildings lack the necessary facilities to accommodate his family.
“You can see there is no kitchen and [I had] to build one because my family cannot be in the open,” Jomah said. “The place is also insecure. There are no window bars, and the windows are glass windows.”
Commissioner James Jomah moved into this building within the commissioner’s compound. Photo: Eric Duoe
Nyorwein District Commissioner Thomas Gbardyu says he will not move into his assigned compound until the project is completed.
“How can I move in with my family when the buildings are not yet finished?” Gbardyu said. “Besides that, the place is far from town, so I can’t move there just like that.”
The Fen River District Compound, where Gbardyu is supposed to live, is swamped with bush that has to be brushed before anyone can gain access to the compound.
Fen River District Compound. Photo: Eric Duoe
Commissioner Simeon Sahn of the Zanflahn District told The Bush Chicken that he always used his personal money to have his compound brushed.
“I was just appointed as commissioner for this district six months ago, and I have been using my own money to pay people to brush the place,” Sahn said. “No one is living in there, so the bush grows quick.”
Authorities say US$ 35,000 of the County Development Funds provided by the National Oil Company of Liberia was allocated for each of the compounds.
“It is difficult to tell whether or not the county administration will complete those buildings,” said Isaac Williams, the county information officer.
The issue of road connectivity is one major problem the people of River Cess County are facing. The county is cut off from the rest of Liberia during the rainy seasons due to bad road conditions every year between the months of June and December.
Many counties that had not benefited from an infusion of government spending on infrastructure received attention from the central government when they served as hosts to program commemorating the nation’s independence. In 2015, Sinoe and Grand Kru benefitted from improvements to their roads and bridges, in addition to the construction of other facilities to accommodate guests of the Independence Day celebration. River Cess, along with River Gee, Grand Gedeh, and Maryland, have not hosted the annual celebrations since Sirleaf started the practice of rotating from one county to another.
Featured photo by Eric Duoe
