By Tokpa M. Tarnue tarnue822@gmail.com
Voinjama, Liberia– Construction work on the Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Market Building in Voinjama City, Lofa County is said to be at a stand-still due to the lack of adequate funds and construction materials.
Lofa County is situated in northwestern Liberia and it is some 240km from Monrovia.
Making the disclosure in an interview recently at the Voinjama Central Market, the Chair of the Lofa County branch of the Liberia Marketing Association (LMA), Madam Weedor Jallah said the construction work, which was sponsored by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, first started in 2014.
But it came to a halt in 2015 due to the outbreak of Ebola in 2014 as well as the lack of materials to carry on the project.
According to Madam Jallah, the market building was poorly constructed, with the use of sub-standard construction.
As a result, she said the building is now cracking thereby posing serious threat to marketers and their children who are selling around it.
The Lofa County Marketing Association official said due to this condition, the building has become a “death trap” and also breeding ground for snakes, rats and insects.
Madam Jallah is therefore appealing to officials and philanthropists and as well as prominent citizens of Lofa County to help with construction materials such as zinc, timber, cement, nails to ensure the completion of this market building.
She said, when completed, the market building will help ease the accommodation problems faced by marketers at the Voinjama Central Market.