The Inquirer (Monrovia)
Morrison O.G. Sayon
12 November 2008
The newly accredited United States Ambassador to Liberia, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has assured Liberians of her government's unflinching support in her reconstruction efforts.
Speaking over the weekend in Cestos City, Rivercess Country where she with some staff of the United States Aid for International Development (USAID), and Liberia Community Infrastructure Program (LCIP) were honored by citizens of Rivercess County, Ambassador Greenfield said the US government will continue its assistance to Liberia in the coming years.
Recounting her government's past assistance to Liberia, Amb. Thomas-Greenfield said the US government through USAID has provided a grant of over US$5million to the Ministry of Public Works for the two-year project spanning the three counties and more than 40 communities.
Amb. Greenfield noted that the rehabilitation of the three major highways are very important links to five additional counties east of Cestos City. She then put the cost of maintaining the road during the rainy season to US$328,000 which she said allowed work to continue and keep the road open from Greenville to Buchanan for the first time in many years.
Speaking further, Amb.Thomas-Greenfield said, "The work on this road is not finished, just as many of you in Rivercess worked to fix the road, you now have the responsibility for maintaining it. It is up to you to generate the US$150,000 that will be needed each year for Rivercess to properly maintain its share of the highway."
She said Rivercess County is endowed with a wealth of natural resources that can generate the revenue it needs not just to maintain roads but to prosper. "The US government is supporting the government of Liberia to ensure that timber is harvested responsibly and that counties and community like those here benefit from commercial timber operations," Amb. Greenfield noted.
She said US assistance is supporting the government of Liberia's initiatives in every pillar of the Poverty Reduction Strategy. "We are involved in health, education, energy, security, justice and fisheries, as well as infrastructure," she added.
Speaking also, USAID Liberia Mission Director, Pamela White said her organization has been supporting the development of Rivercess for the past two years providing textbooks to schools, vaccines, malaria medicines and bed nets to health clinics.
Madam White assured the citizens that in the coming dry season, as part of USAID's support to small business activities, solar panels will be installed to capture the sun's energy for lighting, cooling and longer hours of operations for few fishing companies, tailoring and carpentry shops in Cestos.
In a statement to appreciate efforts being made by the U.S. government on behalf of the Rivercess Legislative Caucus, Ms. Wheamar D. Banney told the US Ambassador of her country's continuous assistance to Liberia adding that this has deeply touched the mind of the county's Legislative Caucus.
Ms. Banney reminded Amb. Greenfield that the honor bestowed upon the U.S. Ambassador by citizens of Rivercess comes as a direct result of those humanitarian and developmental initiatives been undertaken by various institutions of the US government. "These initiatives serve as a key component to the PRS and the Millennium Development Goals," she added.
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