By Leroy M. Sonpon, III

Photo on Flickr by akwaaba.padi

Public Works Minister Samuel Kofi Woods, in an unequivocal tone, pressured China Chongqizg International Construction Corporation (CICO) to accelerate the completion of road rehabilitation works this dry season.

Minister Woods stressed that there would be no compromise for the completion of roads in Monrovia by April 2010. He told CICO to ensure quality and durable roads and sidewalks. The Public Works Minister made the assertions Friday, November 13, 2009, at the end of a one-day assessment tour of road rehabilitation works being undertaken in Monrovia by CICO.

“We have come to tell CICO to accelerate their works for the roads renovation to be completed this season. We understand that owing to the rainy season, there were some delays, but now we are telling CICO that there will be no compromise and we want quality and durable roads,” Minister Woods asserted.

It can be recalled that in October 2008, the Chinese Corporation signed about US$14 million in contracts with the Government of Liberia, supported by the Liberia Reconstruction Trust Fund (LRTF), to renovate 24-kilometer roads in selected streets within the city of Monrovia and a four-kilometer road from St. Paul Bridge to Caldwell, excluding Vai Town Bridge, under the supervision of the World Bank and the Ministry of Public Works.

The Project Director of the Infrastructure Implementation Unit of the Ministry of Public Works, Akindele Beckley, told reporters that he was confident that CICO would complete the rehabilitation works on Broad, Nelson, Benson and Carey Streets, and other streets within Monrovia, as well as the St. Paul Bridge road within the required time frame.

For his part, Fu Hangguan, Manager of CICO-Liberia, told reporters that his company would exert every effort in completing the roads within the given time frame. He, however, appealed to the Minister to help him talk to the workforce to work on Sundays for rapid completion.

The Chinese engineer then extended his apology to motorists for any inconvenience the ongoing road rehabilitation might cause them.

The resident engineer of the Phoenix Engineering & Research Ltd, the Asian engineering firm which is serving as consultant for the street rehabilitation works of Monrovia, Mr. Bakinouski Artur, also expressed his hope of completing the road rehabilitation this season and promised that quality and durable roads would be ensured.

After inspecting the dilapidated Old Executive Mansion and the uncompleted National Housing and Savings Bank on Ashmun Street, Minister Woods disclosed that the Government had budgeted US$3 million for the renovation of the Old Executive Mansion and the National Housing and Savings Bank.

“Hopefully in December, the renovation of the Old Executive Mansion and the Housing Bank as per the US$3 million that was allocated in the 2009/2010 fiscal budget is expected to begin. And we hope in subsequent budgets, the renovation of other government buildings will be budgeted for renovation. In the meantime there will be an emergency project of fencing government buildings to avoid abusive sights,” the Public Works Minister asserted.

Meanwhile, Minister Woods disclosed that Public Works is expected again to commence work on government buildings behind the Executive Mansion on Capitol Hill.