GOL disburses checks

By The New Dawn On Apr 29, 2021

The Government of Liberia thru the Ministry of Public Works launches disbursement of checks to project affected persons under a Resettlement Action Plan in readiness to commence construction of 25.0 kilometers road along the Roberts International Airport highway.. She explains that the Ministry of Public Works is implementing the resettlement process…

-to property owners along RIA highway

The project covers 10km road corridor from Unification City Center to Disco Hill community and 15km road corridor from ELWA Junction in Paynesville to Rock Church community, respectively.

Performing the official launch Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at ELWA Junction in Paynesville, Acting Minister of Public Works, Ruth Coker-Collins said the aim is to avoid or minimize direct social and economic impacts on affected persons along the routes by restoring losses incurred due to demolition of affected properties.

Minister Collins handed over a check for US$1,715.00 to a beneficiary Sampson T. Yormie, opposite the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex on Wednesday, in Paynesville to kick off the exercise that covers all project affected persons, who own legitimate properties along the corridor.

The Minister reveals that a total of 126 affected properties from the Unification City Center to Disco Hill (10.0km) are being targeted in the latest exercise besides 366 affected properties from ELWA Junction to Rock Church community (15.0km) bringing to total 492 affected properties identified for compensation at the cost of US$739,113.02.

“Upon receiving compensation checks, affected persons are encouraged immediately to proceed to any United Bank of Africa branches in Liberia and withdraw their cash for resettlement”, she says.

She explains that the Ministry of Public Works is implementing the resettlement process in collaboration with the National Road Fund, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, the Paynesville City Corporation and Unification City Corporation with funding entirely provided by the Government of Liberia.Earlier, Deputy Minister BonafaceSatu thanked President George Manneh Weah for his farsightedness in making road construction a priority, and added, “We want to assure the public that the funding would be made available.”

The primary objective of the Resettlement Action Plan is to identify and adopt measures for mitigating social and economic risks and impacts associated with civil work activities in the affected routes.The government, thru the Ministry of Public Works has embarked on construction of four-lane road from ELWA Junction to the Roberts International Airport intersection.

Minister Collins details that a major component of the project entails demarcation of the right-of-way corridor and appraisal of both public and private properties to be affected due to the road construction.“In order to achieve the needed results”, she adds, “the Ministry of Public Works established the right-of-way of 150ft. (75ft. left and 75ft right from the center of the existing road). The demarcated right-of-way has been measured and pegged for easy access and future use by the Ministry of Public Works and other entities for future projects.”

However, she notes that 124ft (62ft, left and 62ft. right from the center of the existing road) has been demarcated to give way to road work in buildup areas for which compensation is now available, while the remaining 26ft. to make up the entire right-of-way of 150ft will be cleared later for installation of other utilities along the corridor.Liberia is plagued by lack of roads both in urban and rural areas since independence in 1847, a situation that continues to impede movement, economic activities and development.

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