“The Japanese Raised Concern About How We Have Treated Their Investment They’ve Made” – Information Min. Piah Tells Press Conference
PHOTO: Information Min. Piah (middle) images on the poor maintainance of the Japan Freeway
By Frank Sainworla, Jr., newspublictrust@gmail.com
Just a day after this news outlet ran a video podcast on how the US$100 million Japan Freeway constructed as a gift to Liberia by the Japanese government is being poorly maintained, Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah has confirmed that the four-lane road is not in a decent condition. expressing serious concern. https://web.facebook.com/share/v/18s8BYZL5K/
A PICTORIAL: The Poorly Maintained US$100M Japan Freeway In Monrovia – News Public Trust
Formerly called Somalia Drive, the four-lane road corridor from the Freeport of Monrovia to Redlight in Paynesville was constructed by Japan as gift to the Liberian government and people and it was officially dedicated by former President George Manneh Weah on July 26, 2021.
Speaking at the Information Ministry’s Tuesday press conference in Monrovia on July 7, 2026, Minister Piah revealed that Japanese officials had earlier raised such concern.
He told Journalist that Liberia’s international development partners have also expressed concern over how existing infrastructure is being maintained.
“Development does not end when a road is built,” the Minister said. “If people continue using drainage systems as dumping sites, the road will deteriorate much sooner than it should.”
“The Japanese in their desire to build the second road they are about to do, they raised concern about how we have treated their investment they’ve made. It’s money meant for their country—taxpayers’ money. Money that the country itself needs. That’s what the turn to us and gave to us free. We didn’t take loan from Japan to do the road,” Minister Piah told Journalist Tuesday.
Min. Piah addressing Tuesday’s press conference
The public spotlight on the poorly maintained Japan Freeway comes after President Joseph Nyuma Boakai officially broke grounds for another multi-million US dollars Japan-funded road project—the US18 million Freepott toGabriel Tucker bridge in Vai Town. The Japanese contractors are already gearing up to begin the construction works which are due to be done in the next two years.
During the groundbreaking ceremony for the road corridor on Friday, July 3, 2026, President Boakai said: “This road is one of the most strategically important transport corridors in our country,” President Boakai stated during his keynote address. After Building The Freeport-Redlight Road, Japan Fully Funding Another US$18M Corridor To Vai Town – News Public Trust
At the press conference on Tuesday, the Liberian Information Minister, while largely blaming the public for putting garbage in drainage along the Japan Freeway and other roads, urged the national police and other agencies to rise up to their duties to ensure implementation of sanitation/environmental regulations in the country.
According to Minister Piah, protecting completed projects is just as important as constructing new ones.
But the Information Minister fell short of commenting on the degrading of parts of the Japan Freeway alsphat pavement in several areas resulting into pot holds that impede the smooth flow of traffic.
This news outlet has been putting a spotlight on the poor maintenance of the Japan Freeway for a few years now.
Along a good portion of the stretch of this recently built four-lane modern road are heaps of garbage on the sidewalks, while the beautiful decorations of flowers and grass are all but gone. Just take a tour of some of the sorrowful spots along this Freeway around the Jacob Town, opposite the Stephen Tolbert Estate, etc. When will we ever get our waste management system right–despite what some say are diplomatic insults! “It appears our leaders and society don’t get shame”, as one Liberia Christian cleric asserted some time ago. When Will We (Liberians) Learn To Keep Our Sanitation House In Order? – News Public Trust
If such practice continues to become a norm, there is growing concern that such situation could undermine international donors’ confidence.