By Thomas Domah / Nimba County
Saclepea, Nimba County – Workers of Chinese road construction company, CICO, which is currently paving the Ganta-Saclepea corridor have staged a go-slow in demand of US$13 million allegedly owed the company by the Government of Liberia.
Out of the 39 Km stretch of roads being constructed by the company under the Ganta-Saclepea corridor project, only 10 km of road has been completed reportedly due to lack of funds.
A company source told the NEW DAWN that management has not been able to pay its workers for the past year since they started working on the road.
“Since last year, government has not paid a dime to the company. We from the company have not been able to pay our workers”, a source from CICO construction company said.
Government has been bragging about the Ganta-Saclepea Road project, calling on the people of Nimba to support the re-election bid of President George Weah to enable him to continue ongoing development programs across the entire country.
One source explained that earlier, CICO entered an agreement with the government for the pavement of several roads in Monrovia, which are yet to be completed because of slow funding.
Despite these obligations, government again called on the company to move to Nimba and pave the Ganta-Saclepea Road, where it is being confronted with the same funding problem
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The source named Johnsonville Road and many other feeder roads in Montserrado County that are yet to be completed.
Our correspondent who visited the Ganta-Saclepea project site said all CICO’s equipment was packed off the main road.
When contacted, the Management of CICO said they are not willing to speak with reporters, but directed this paper to instead, go to the government that allegedly owes the company.
However, at the close of the year, the Minister of Public Works, Ruth Coker Collins, pledged to complete rehabilitation of roads in the country before the end of President Gorge Weah’s first term.
Minister Collins underscored that completion of roads already earmarked is strategic and crucial for the National Housing and Population Census and the 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections.
“The two national activities have sustained the peace and progress of the nation over the period, and as such, there’s a need to effectively enforce the completion and rehabilitation of these roads, ahead of the national activities”, Minister Collins added.
Against this backdrop, she further vowed that before expiration of his first term, President Weah will dedicate 80 kilometers of road from Kaweakan to Fishtown, 47.1 Kilometers Road from Sanniquellie to Loguatuo, and the 67-kilometer Ganta-Sanniquellie route in Nimba and River Gee counties respectively. Editing by Jonathan Browne
