Amid Ebola Eradication: Increased prosecution in Nimba

Prosecution is reported to be increased in Nimba County in the north of Liberia. The re-emergence of prostitution in Ganta and other cities in Nimba comes in the wake of the news of the gradual decline in the deadly Ebola virus disease in the country. A representative of the World Health Organization or WHO based in the County is quoted as recently announcing that the killer disease was gradually reduced in the County.

According to our Nimba County Correspondent, the pronouncement on a local radio station in the county is seen as an opportunity for the sex trade to resume, especially in the City of Ganta among young women and girls. Deeply involved in such sex trade, according to our Correspondent, are young women between the ages of 16 and 35, as well as school-going girls between 13 and 15 years.

While the young women are pricing sex at US$5.00 and US$10.00 depending on  arrangements with their male counterparts, the younger ones are paid as low between L$50.00 and L$200.00.

“My boy, there is no time to stand for long; any things you have less than L$50.00, come I will help you in the process. Thank God that Ebola have not killed us; since Ebola ain’t kill us, it is about time for us to make more money,” a young girl, 14, was held by our correspondent as telling a male customer at one of the local entertainment centers in the City of Gbarnga.

Young women, seen at drinking spots, are seen enticing and romantically negotiating with men entering city to have their aims accomplished for the night. The New Dawn Correspondent in the county said several government teachers gathering in Ganta for their salaries are mostly lured into the sex trade by these young women and girls- some times to their (the men) own detriment.

A 70—year old school teacher (name withheld) receiving his salary, is said to have been placed under death threat by one of the young women in a local hotel in Ganta and his entire salary taken away after he undressed and attempted relocating the money from his pockets. Some elderly women told our correspondent that such deviant behavior was just emerging in Ganta, stressing that if authorities of county did not curtail same the image of the booming city would be tainted.

Drivers Go-Slow at Transport Union

Drivers of the Federation of Road Transport Union of Liberia or FRTU in Nimba County have embarked on a go-slow action. A groups of FRTU drivers, who spoke to this paper, expressed disappointment in the leadership of their President, Mr. Jerry Lougon and corps of officers for their lack of vision.

According to the aggrieved drivers, for the past twenty years since they began working with the union prior to the incumbent leader, the union continues to be unimproved. The drivers are demanding good working relationship between them and their leaders, as well as a membership fund for all drivers of the union.

They accused the leadership of Union President Jerry Lougon of not accounting for the three hundred Liberians dollars collected from them on a daily basis, as well as well as the lack of interest in their welfare.

When contracted, the President of the Federation of Road Transport Union of Liberia in Nimba denied the allegations, claiming that the drivers were not in the employ of the union. He alleged that some of the aggrieved drivers held membership with another unions and not FRTU, but decided to create problem for his administration.

The President General of the Federation of Road Transport Union of Liberia, Mr. William Papa Flomo told our correspondent that he was invited by the aggrieved drivers to intervene in the crisis- a situation that has already been brought under control.

Mr.  Flomo told reporters that a head for membership was appointed to address the issues raised by the drivers, then to unite and work together to improved the union in Nimba County.