D. Twe erosion project abandoned?

Credible information obtained from the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy indicates that the US$100,000 allotted to the D. Twe High School sea erosion project has been expended with only 50 feet of the landscape blocked.

An official of the Project Steering Committee, who begged for anonymity, disclosed that authorities at the Lands, Mines and Energy Ministry informed the committee that the amount allotted has finished therefore, the project has come to a standstill.

The official narrated that that based on the abandonment, a communication has been sent to the Ministry, requesting authorities there to join the committee to discuss a way forward.

Our source further disclosed that the committee has also requested the ministry to come along with copy of the project document for its perusal and notification. Further information obtained revealed that the Steering Committee has written President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), drawing their respective attentions to the abandonment of the project.

Work at the project site has reportedly halted for nearly a month with fear that the rainy season is already here and could obstruct the entire exercise, leaving residents of the Borough of New Kru Town vulnerable to losing their homes, including the D. Twe High School, Redemption Hospital, Coast Guard Base to sea erosion.

However, other sources blame the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning for delay in disbursing the balance US$500,000 for the project. But head of the Communication Department at the Finance Ministry Bernard Waritay denied when contacted yesterday on the matter.

When the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy was contacted on two separate occasions, the head of media there said his bosses were attending a Cabinet Retreat and could not speak on the matter.

Meanwhile, officials of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on Thursday, March 30 paid a visitation to the site of the D. Twe High School. There are indications that the UNDP has agreed to intervene to have the project resumed from where the Lands, Mines and Energy Ministry reportedly stopped, but there has been no official confirmation from the UNDP.

Areas already blocked on the project site are not high enough to contain any heavy erosion that could further affect residents of the borough.

By Emmanuel Mondaye-Editing by Jonathan Browne