The Republic of Liberia is rich in multiple mineral resources, which, when managed expeditiously, can help decrease hardship in the nation. Instead, President Weah is flying worldwide begging for money to improve the nation's mixed-shift economy. At the same time, one CDC Minister keeps having sleepless nights preaching complicated politics when he should strategize how his Ministry could generate revenues for the Liberian government.
One of Liberia's most attractive tourist destinations, known as the Kpatawee incredible waterfalls, located in Bongo County, is capable of yielding thousands of US dollars for the people of Bong County and even making considerable contributions to the nation's national coffers.
The Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism, under the watchful eyes of Hon. Minister Lidgerwood Julius Rennie has virtually turned his blind eye to the Kpatawee waterfall and other excellent tourist attractions sites in Liberia that should generate significant government revenues. The Kpatawee site has become like a once deserted rebel-captured territory with total neglect and abandonment of proper care by the CDC's Information Minister Rennie. After I boasted about my nation's excellent tourist sites to most of my non-Liberian colleagues in the US, three decided to visit Liberia's Kpatawee waterfall site in Bongo County this year. My comrades, who came to Liberia and later returned to the US, said in an amiable tone with additional bitterness and down-heartedness that I gave them a false impression about Liberia's tourist destination. But the fault lies squarely with an information minister who doesn't understand how tourism works in Liberia for visitors.
The visitors also said the Kpatawee waterfall was laboriously jammed with huge debris, forest palm trees, and lack of proper landscaping; the pathways to the waterfall are horrible, with no maintenance, poor sitting capacities, and terrible bush paths to walk on. The waterfall ponds had dead creatures like snakes, mice, and other fearful unrecognizable African animals afloat the pond, which generated more fear. The disappointed non-Liberian tourists said they constantly looked over their shoulders for fear that several uncontrollable snakes could be above watching them as they walked through a narrowed bush path.
They equated the sitting places at the waterfall to the sleeping areas of the then sleeping sites of enslaved Africans in the South of the US due to poor setting management. The huts they sat under were infested with tiny moving bugs, and horrible flees. One account revealed how a rat jumped into one of the huts and physically attempted to challenge one of them but quickly called for help. They said there are no tour guides and no proper visitors' educational platform about the dos and don'ts of the waterfall. They said Kpatawee waterfall is simply a no man's land. At the same time, Minister Lidgerwood Rennie focuses more on politics than on the Kpatawee waterfall and other tourist sites around Liberia. The Minister should concentrate on refurbishing tourist sites, having tourist guides, increasing security presence for visitors, and making the area conducive for foreign and local visitors.
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My comrades lamented that there was no internet service in and around the waterfall. Bothe Cellcom and Lonestar companies are conspicuously absent at the Kpatawee's waterfall, to the detriment of visitors. There is no first aid, no mini clinic, and no attention. Electrical lines are lying all over the walking paths, some visibly seen by the roadside and others even crossing the road with no possibility of visitors traveling to the side of the narrow bushy path.
Does Minister Lidgerwood Julius Rennie know that Tourism also constitutes the vocabulary of his Ministry? Does the Minister indeed have a background in tourism? Does the Minister know that tourism is one of the vital sectors in Liberia which is capable of generating massive revenues for government coffers? In any case, I cannot blame the Honorable Minister entirely. I also accused Pres. Weah for not thoroughly investigating the career background of his appointees, as a result, some are simply occupying space and drawing on taxpayers' money, this is the condition the CDC's Minister Rennie currently finds himself in. Minister Rennie is only interested in the chicken egg, but not in the chicken itself. I was compelled to apologize to my friends from the US for Min. Rennie's inability for not simply doing his job properly.
