-As VP Taylor urges Nimbians not to politicize Vocational Technical Center
By Allen P. Lablah lallenpaye@yahoo.com
Sanniquellie, Liberia- There is an outcry amongst people in Liberia’s northeastern Nimba County over a drastic reduction in the County Social Development Fund (CSDF).
Nimba County Superintendent D. Dorr Cooper in the wake of the reduction, the issue of politicking in this county is inevitable.
Mr. Cooper was speaking over the weekend in the mining town of Yekepa, when Liberia’s Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor urged the people of Nimba to take away politics from the operations of the Vocational Technical Center or VTC.
The VTC was reopened by the global steel giant, Mittal Steel, which is mining iron ore from Mount Nimba.
Nimba Supt Dorr Cooper
Superintendent Cooper said the Nimba County Social Development Fund (CSDF) of US$1.5 million was cut down to US$750,000 and later US$450, 000.
He said as the result of drop in the price of iron ore on the world market, politics in Nimba has increased dramatically.
Now that there is an increase in iron ore price, the government and Arcelor Mittal should explain to Nimbians why the county is still receiving US$450,000 from the US$1.5million as Social Development Fund provided by Arcelor Mittal Liberia, the Nimba County Superintendent said.
Mr. Cooper maintained that Nimba County authorities have been accused by citizens on a daily basis, because no accurate information on such deduction in the US$1.5 million.
As such if there is no clarity, citizens will continue to embarrass the county local authority on fruitless grounds.
He appealed to the central government in Monrovia to explain to the citizens of Nimba some of the circumstances surrounding the Arcelor Mittal’s US$1.5million CSDF.
At the Just-ended Nimba County Council Sitting from August 30-September 2, 2018, Nimba County Project Management Committee Chairman, Peterson Walker announced to the delegates that Nimba’s US$1.5 million CSDF provided by Arcelor Mittal has been reduced from US$75,000 to US$450,000.
But he said detailed explanation about the massive deduction was not given.
That pronouncement sparked serious concerns at the county sitting, with citizens accusing the county authority of corruption and mismanaging the county’s money.
Meanwhile, Vice Presiden Taylor has urged the people of Nimba to take away politics from the operations of the Vocational Technical Center or VTC in Yekepa.
VP Jewel Howard-Taylor cutting the ribbon to the Vocational Technical Center in Yekepa
The institution is in the Yarmein Administrative District of Nimba County, from where the global steel giant, Mittal Steel operates.
Vice President Taylor said the Liberian government would work with Arcelor Mittal to develop the Vocational Technical Center so that citizens, in order to avoid the politicization of the institution’s operations.
The Liberian VP said she expects Nimba’s support in improve the growth and development of the Yekepa VTC.
According to VP Taylor, if there exist difficulties in the smooth running of the VTC Nimba County Administration should intervene in ironing such problem.
‘’VCT will only progress if we all support its operations in unity not politicking,’’ the Vice President added.
She disclosed that the reopening of VTC indicates that Liberia resources is not just being exploited by the Arcelor Mittal, but it will also build the technical capacity of Liberia’s future generation.
Mrs. Taylor maintained that what matters most is to enlarging VTC facility in order to accommodate more deserving young Liberians into the apprenticeship world.