—As she dedicates Garney Town Bridge in Bong County
By Emmanuel Mafelah, mafelahemmanuel29@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- Bong County electoral district #6 Representative, Moima Briggs-Mensah has completed and turned over a newly constructed bridge to the community of Garney in the central county of Bong.
The bridge, which links Garney with neighboring towns and villages, was dedicated and turned over to citizens recently, amid jubilation and excitement among the locals.
Garney is situated in Yellequelleh District, but it was annexed to the sixth electoral district following a redistricting exercise by the National Elections Commission in 2011.
At the dedication ceremony, Rep. Briggs-Mensah expressed satisfaction now that the longtime suffering of residents is over, now that the bridge is finally providing safe crossing over the river.
Before the construction of this bridge, the residents used logs to cross the river, a situation which was especially dangerous during the rainy seasons.
There were times when pregnant women and sickling mothers made the dangerous crossing on logs just to access care at nearby health centers. But with the bridge, those challenges are finally over.
Rep. Moima Briggs-Mensah and others at the bridge dedication. Photo: Office of Rep. Moima Briggs-Mensah.
“Every one of us did it together to make it work. This is not [a] legislative development fund. But we thought it wise to say we will not sit down and say because there is no development fund, our people will continue to suffer in the water,” Briggs-Mensah said.
She promise that her office will continue to work with citizens across the district to undertake community more development projects.
Rep. Briggs-Mensah also praised Representatives Edward Karfiah, Prince Moye and Robert Womba – all from Bong County – for their contribution towards the bridge project.
“The bridge must be appreciated and maintained well. Let it be our business to maintain our bridge,” Rep. Briggs-Mensah encouraged the citizens.
Yellequelleh District’s commissioner, Annie Reeves also lauded the efforts of the county’s representatives, noting that they had supported the project since it was announced to be priority of the people.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be US$30,000. And Rep. Briggs-Mensah said it was done by the District Builder, a local construction company in Salala District, Bong. Citizens in Garney provided the labor, in addition to a contribution of 24 bags of cement, as well as sand, rocks, and other construction materials.
The Deputy Speaker of the House and Representatives, who also represents Bong’s second district, Rep. Prince Moye was also in attendance for the dedication ceremony and performed the cutting of the, formally announcing the completion of the bridge.
Deputy Speaker Moye expressed his satisfaction that the bridge will provide easy access to both the town’s residents and farmers transporting their local produce to the market. He also thanked Briggs-Mensah for her remarkable effort in making the bridge completion a reality.
Rep. Briggs-Mensah was elected representative of Salala District as an independent candidate in 2017, replacing the district’s two-term representative, Adam Bill Corneh.
Since her election, the female Liberian lawmaker has shown herself to be especially progressive.
The Bong County Lawmaker also presented 102 pieces of armchairs, desks, and other office equipment to the E. J. Yancy High School in Totota.
In conversations with this Paper during the dedication, citizens of the area extended commendations to Representative Mensah for the construction of the modern bridge in the area.
“What this Lawmaker has done in this community will forever be remember in history because we were cut off completely from other parts of the county,“ the locals said.