Liberian President George Weah on Wednesday launched an $8 million modern Rural Housing Project near Monrovia code named, “Special Presidential Pro-Poor Housing Unit Project” outside Monrovia.
The government says it’s intended to lift rural inhabitants out of poverty and end years of outmoded domicile, not representative of 21st Century modernity.
The Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) is implementing the initiative named and styled “Special Presidential Pro-Poor Housing Unit Project,” targeting 568 housing units across the 15 sub-political divisions.
President Weah launched the project Wednesday, near the state-run Fendell Campus of the University of Liberia, where LACE built a prototype of the housing units.
According to him, the project is in fulfillment of promise he made to the Liberian people during the 2017 campaign period.
President Weah has expressed the hope that the rural housing project will bring joy and happiness to the vast majority of Liberians who have been dwelling in outdated huts in different parts of the country, and reemphasized his determination to bring development to the country.
“My promise to the Liberian people is to perform, to do the things they want done. I made a campaign promise that when you make me your President, I will do my best for you. Everything I am doing today is what I said I will do,” an Executive Mansion press release quotes President Weah as saying.
Meanwhile, although the project is expected to kick-start in President Weah’s home of Sasstown, Grand Kru County, he assured Liberians that all the 15 political sub-divisions will benefit from the project, stressing: “This is my promise to them.”
He said: “I lived in Sasstown from 1975 to 1979; I never had the opportunity to live in decent house. Today, in this 21st Century, I see that my parents, the people and my friends are still living the hut life. Now, we are in a modern era; it is time to change that.”
“This is the Pro-Poor we talk about; it is meant for everyone to be served – the rich, the poor and the middle-class. There will be affordable housing for our people, but this one is to lift our people from poverty to sustainable development,” the Liberian leader assured.
President Weah acknowledged that there would be criticisms of the project, but said he remains focused to do what he promised the Liberian people.
He stressed: “170 years, we continue to criticize and nothing changed; those who are criticizing should go ahead; no matter what you say, I will do what I am elected to do for the people of Liberia”.
He thanked LACE for constructing a Prototype of the rural housing unit, and for embracing the project in the interest of the people in remote villages. He also urged LACE to speed-up with the Project and to ensure that it is durable.
The rural housing project coincides with an ambitious nation-wide roads construction and pavement projects the President Weah-led government has embarked upon to ease traveling impediments and enhance trade and economic activities.