GOL’s Nat’l Projects: Making Our Critical Comments Constructive

The socio-economic development of any nation is greatly dependent on road construction – something every country the world-over strives to achieve. Road construction and land transportation drives trade and commerce, improved healthcare, improves agriculture production, as well as connect people. All – in –all, efficient transport systems – at a considerable level, help to reduce costs in many economic sectors in that they provide better accessibility to markets, increase employment, as well as bring in foreign investment, among others. The United States – considered a ‘second home’ for many Liberians may be a great nation on earth today because of its massive and strategic investment in world-class state and interstate highway systems and transportation infrastructure. Similar investment in the West African state of Ghana also continues to attract high admiration from other countries, especially Liberia.

It is in consideration of its socio-economic impacts that the Government of Liberia has placed huge premium on road connectivity at the highest level. In consonance with the foregoing, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, on Wednesday, October 12, 2016, led an array of senior Liberian Government officials and diplomats to the dedication of the 176km-Monrovia-Gbarnga Highway reconstructed under a World Bank Funding.

We must highly commend President Sirleaf and her administration, along with the World Bank, for such remarkable achievement, owing to the fact that as a result of the reconstruction/pavement of the Monrovia-Gbarnga Highway, many Liberians between Monrovia and Ganta in Nimba County have begun realizing reduced transportation fares and prices of commodities, as well as easy access to healthcare, among others. While we welcome criticisms, especially when a major achievement is made by the administration – for instance, the reconstructed Monrovia-Gbarnga and Gbarnga-Ganta Highways, such must be constructive with tangible recommended solutions.

Our admonition is against the backdrop of the denigrating nature of recent comments emanating from some Liberians about the road. Even though it may have been a World Bank Project, we must all be reminded that such major road project was initiated and oursued with the World Bank by the Government of Liberia and not the former. It must be understood that the World Bank does just fund projects without justifiable proposals. A case was made by the government, following which the money was provided by the World Bank; and so, the Liberian Government takes the entire credit for the reconstruction of the Monrovia-Gbarnga and Gbarnga-Ganta Highways.

We had thought that any critical comments about the road should have been directed at the durability of the new road, as well as pressurizing the administration to urgently concentrate on the

Ganta-Fish Highway or the Gbarnga-Voinjama Road or even the  reconstruction of the impassable road linking Lofa Bridge in Gbarpolu County with Vahun in northwest Lofa County – but for some Liberians to demonize such national effort by the government, we think it’s unfair.

Where the government deserves to be commended for any national development initiative, our consciences must allow the necessity must prevail in sodoing.