FLASHBACK: President George Weah on his initial visit to Bali Island
At long last, construction works on the Bali Island project begins shortly, acting Public Works Minister Ruth Coker Collins has disclosed in Monrovia.
A short time after coming to power in 2018, President George Manneh Weah announced that his CDC government has decided to construct a 5,000 capacity conference center and other facilities on the Bali Island in near the Bushod Island district of Monrovia, but works are yet to start.
In late December 2018, President Weah signed into law an Act passed by the Legislature, naming the Bali Island the Mohatma Gandhi Convention Center. Gandhi is one of the founding fathers of India
An Executive Mansion press release said at the time that the purpose of the Bali Island Act is to officially name a specific parcel of the land Bali Island and a proposed convention center as the Mahatma Gandhi Convention Center.
Now, the Public Works Minister has told the Information Ministry’s weekly press conference on Thursday, March 10, 2022 that the Liberian government is now set to begin construction works on the proposed Bali Island mini city.
Works are expected to commence there within days, according to Public Works Minister Ruth Coker Collins.
Minister Coker Collins said that the move to kick start the project follows the signing of the agreement between the governments of Liberia and India.
Public Works Ministry representatives and contractors toured the project site, according to Madam Coker-Collins, following which construction works will commence, state radio ELBC has reported.
Threat to evict citizens along RIA highway
At the same time, the Public Works Ministry has threatened to evict citizens who they said are encroaching on alleys along the Roberts International Airport (RIA) highway.
Construction works have started to expand the highway to a four-lane road being carried out by a Chinese construction company.
The Ministry’s decision to evict citizens is part of the construction of the RIA to ELWA junction road in Monrovia’s Paynesville suburb.
Encroachments on the highway are strictly prohibited, Public Works Minister Coker-Collins warned.
She said the opening of alleys on the road is expected to begin this week and that government will not compensate anyone victimized by any demolition within the forbidden perimeters.
She has cautioned residents of communities along the road, reminding them that alleys are intended for drainage construction and pedestrians’ pathways.