By P. Lincoln Nyanrue, elincoln1986@gmail.com
It is an annoying and unacceptable phenomenon now that the highway leading to Zwedru is inaccessible during the rainy season, and this year is another frustration for commuters. The Ganta-Harper highway has many bad spots, but the area between Zai and Gwein Town is one of the worst spots.
As Liberians edges into the second month of the rainy season in Liberia, citizens of the southeastern counties consisting of Grand Gedeh, Sinoe, River Gee, MaryLand and Grand Kru have started experiencing bad road condition again.
Instead of the government – national or county – acting fast to rescue the situation, citizens are now calling on the youths, county officials and presidential candidates for the upcoming October elections to rehabilitate the roads from Ganta, Nimba County to the Southeastern region.
Their worry is not only travelling from one county to another but the sharp increment in prices of basic commodities.
Presently, a 25 Kilogram of bag of Liebria’s staple food – rice – is being sold in Zwedru for $ 2,400 LD, an equivalence of US$ 22.00. The whole of the southeast region is hard hit.
Again, prices of items sold, including soap, battery, maggi cube, cream, continue to skyrocket. The prices when increased do not return to their original prices.
But what are the commuters, drivers and motor bike riders saying about the bad road condition in Liberia? Some told our correspondent said that some trouble spots between Zai and Gwein Towns and Sennewen to Toe Town in Grand Gedeh County said it is disheartening for citizens to experience this ugly situation every year without central government finding remedy to the problems.
But it can be recalled in March of this year, the Ministry of Public Works concluded an assessment for the pavement of the approximately 210 kilometers road from Ganta, Nimba County to Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County.
According to the commuters, due to the bad road condition annually transportation fare can be increased, stating that they are currently paying LD$3,000 from Ganta, Nimba County to Zwedru, up from $LD1, 800 a month ago.
The commuters asserted that good food, safe drinking water and sleeping place are other impediments faced on the high way.
They also expressed concerns for the October 10th elections, adding that if nothing is done on the road before October the possibility of the election being held successfully in the region will be hampered.
Liberia general and presidential elections are held in October every six years, but the question many are asking is how would politicians run their campaigns this year when rain about to get heavier between July 31 to October 9, 2017.
