For more than fifteen years Liberia was devastated by a civil conflict that did not only produce body bags, but left untold destruction of properties, public infrastructure, displaced over a million  Liberians  and forced over half a million into exile. However, the election of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2005 has brought smiles on the faces of Liberians, restoring self confidence and pride and returning the nation to its prewar status.

As part of efforts to jump start development activities around the nation, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has introduced the rotational celebration of the independent anniversary of Liberia. Other counties including grand Bassa have had their shares of the accelerated development cakes, and now is the time for Bong County.

This year’s July 26th celebration will take place in Gbarnga, the county seat of Bong County. Already, several development projects are nearing completion in Gbarnga and other parts of Bong County, thus giving Gbarnga a gradual face-lift for the hosting of the 162nd Independence Anniversary of Liberia.

The projects include the rehabilitation of the Gbarnga sports stadium, presidential palace, the electrification of Gbarnga city and its environs, the rehabilitation and opening of new streets in Gbarnga City and the provision of pipe born water by the Liberia water and Sewer Corporation.

The projects which are worth millions of United States dollars are funded by the Government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Arcelor Mittal Steel. President Johnson Sirleaf has always reiterated that Monrovia is not Liberia and that the key priority of her government is to ensure that every part of Liberia is provided light, water, free government schools, good health care, all intended to ensure a successful implementation of the poverty reduction Strategy.

Despite the heavy down pull of rain,  the Assistant Minister of State for Logistics, Varney Sirleaf, Deputy Minister of State Perin Fulkerson, Deputy Director General for Operation  at the General Services Agency, Gus Major, Bong County Superintendent Ranny Jackson and his Development superintendent Lucia Herbert were leaving no stone untouched  to ensure the successful hosting of the July 26th celebration.

Speaking to journalists in Gbarnga during a guided tour of ongoing development projects, Bong County Superintendent Ranny Jackson praised President Ellen Johnson for her massive support to the people of Bong County. Superintendent Jackson assured   that all projects for the July    26th Independent Anniversary will be completed as scheduled.

Deputy Minister Perin Fulkerson noted that her greatest satisfaction is working with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf o return Liberia to its pre-war status, by improving the living condition of the Liberian people. Engineers from the Liberia Electricity Corporation were seen planting electric pools and running electric wires. Citizens of Bong County are equally excited about the development projects and the July 26th celebration.

The Deputy Minister of State also assured that the anniversary projects including the presidential palace, Gbarnga sport stadium and the rehabilitation of the administration building will also be completed on schedule. Our reporter who was in Gbarnga during the week confirmed that windows were being installed on all the buildings as other parts were being painted.

Our reporter and others were also taken on a guided tour of all streets in Gbarnga and roads in other parts of Bong County including the 19 mile Pantakpa road which is a major commercial link between Liberia and Guinea, by the Bong County development Superintendent, Mrs. Lucia Herbert. She appealed to citizens of Bong County to join the County authority in making Gbarnga a better place for the hosting the July 26th Independence Anniversary   by cleaning their communities and painting their houses. ..30..