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Liberia: Highway Thieves Risk Arrest
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The Analyst (Monrovia)
23 April 2008
Posted to the web 23 April 2008
"It has come to the attention of the United Nations Mission in Liberia, UNMIL, and its partners that some community members and local NGOs have been collecting and removing gravel or laterite from recently repaired roads in certain parts of the country," the mission said in a press release April 16.
It said the negative practice severely undermines the efforts of the Liberian government and Liberia's development partners to improve the road network across the country. UNMIL strongly condemns this negative practice which has the potential of damaging these vital roads, by exposing the top surface of the newly-rehabilitated roads, causing them to be destroyed in a very short period of time, especially during the rainy season.
"The consequences for vehicular traffic and especially for human life can be tragic. The theft and deliberate removal of gravel - apparently for use in building construction work - have been observed along the Zwedru-Fishtown, Ganta-Tappita, and Voinjama-Zorzor road rehabilitation sites," UNMIL disclosed.
It said over the last year, the Ministry of Public Works and UNMIL have notified county authorities of this practice and its damaging impact on the roads. Communities along these roads have been urged to discourage this practice.
However it appears these appeals have fallen on deaf ears and the practice has continued. In fact, in some instances, local authorities have been observed, not taking any action even as they saw the stolen laterite or gravel piled along the road for sale.
The mission has meanwhile noted that it and the government of Liberia consider unlawful to steal or misuse material from public works initiatives, and to intentionally damage public infrastructure, such as roads and bridges.
"The Ministry of Public Works and UNMIL hereby warn all those engaging in this practice that the Liberian National Police will arrest and prosecute anyone found removing gravel or other material from public works project sites.
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Local authorities, traditional leaders and elders in communities served by these vital roads are also urged to make further efforts to sensitize the communities on the adverse effect of removing the laterite from the roads," the UNMIL statement concluded.
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