…Want US$50,000 Youth Center Functional
By Samuel Borlay & Job Ngaima
As cattle and creeping things take over the Kolahun Youth Center, youth of Lofa County District #3 have expressed disappointment with their lawmaker, representative Clarence K. Massaquoi and youth chairman Momo Kanneh for delay in the dedication of US$50,000 Youth Center Project.
The youth center is a Legislative Support Project (LSP) funded by the Liberian government.
Some Kolahun youths, in a phone-in talkshow on Radio Harleyngee, also questioned the worth of the center, saying a better structure could have been built with the amount. The center was constructed in 2015, but is yet to be dedicated, but the lawmaker of the district, Massaquoi has blamed the delay on what he calls sabotage.
He accused unknown people of destroying already built walls, which he said created delay and extra costs. Money intended to continue the construction was now being used to erect destroyed walls, payment of wages.
He said the money used to rebuild the walls at the time and to pay contractors affected the overall budget, thereby preventing the construction of a basketball court, which was initially part of the project.
At least the center has been constructed, but is not equipped and dedicated. On this, the lawmaker says the US$50,000 was only for the construction of the building and did not cover furniture, equipment and devices that will equip youth center. The lawmaker would not say when the center will be dedicated.
The center has been overtaken by bush, and serves as home to cattle.