By Samuel Borlay, borlaysamuel@gmail.com
KOLAHUN, Liberia –As the new Liberian government is just about a month since taking, the People with Disabilities (PwDs) community in Lofa County has already started making an early plea for the Joseph Boakai-led administration to consider as a key priority the completion of the group’s abandoned housing unit project in Kolba City, Kolahun District in the northwest of the country.
According to the chairperson of Persons with Disability in Lofa County, Mr. Sekou Nyan, the project started during the regime of the CDC government as part of an effort to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal opportunities and can live independently with dignity. But sadly, the previous government could not complete the project as anticipated.
The PwD chairperson in Lofa County urged the Unity Party led government to please consider their project with urgency which could promote accessible housing solutions to address the needs of members.
Mr. Nyan indicated that prioritizing their project could further foster greater inclusivity and provide a supportive environment for individuals with disabilities to thrive in Lofa County.
He claimed that for far too long, this marginalized group has grappled with a lack of suitable housing options, hindering their independence, safety, and overall quality of life, especially in most rural parts of Liberia where there are hundreds of PwDs lacking access to basic social services as a special population.
According to the PwD chairperson, the housing unit project was initiated when former President George Weah visited Kolahun District in 2021 and promised to assist persons with disabilities with housing units. Mr. Nyan emphasized it was anticipated that upon completion of the housing unit, it could have alleviated some of the difficulties faced by disabled students who have to seek lodging in Kolba City when attending school from remote villages.
According to Mr. Nyan, the groundbreaking ceremony for the four housing units took place in early 2022, bringing joy to the disabled community.
However, since then, the project has remained incomplete despite multiple attempts by PwD to find out what was responsible for the delay of the project but all these efforts did not gain fruition until former President George Weah left power.
According to documents obtained relating to the project, the government hired a private construction firm to construct the initial four housing units at the cost of USD 98,000, which was to be paid in three phases. However, the contractor only received 27,000 constituting 28% of the total amount stipulated in the contract. According to the head of the contractual firm James Kolle, to date, the government has failed to pay even the amount he credited to reach the housing units at roof level.