Maryland County — Speaker Bhofal Chambers says the 2023/2024 national budget has captured 200,000 United States Dollars for the construction of a modern technical college in Pleebo Sodoken District, Maryland County.
Speaking on community radio on Saturday, 8 July 2023, Mr. Chambers said the idea to construct a technical college is a collective effort of his colleagues.
Mr. Chambers is a long-serving representative of Maryland County Electoral District #2, dating back to 2005.
He is seeking a fourth six-year term as a member of the House of Representatives.
He explained that the allotment in the budget is not physical cash, but it's a projection that needs people with financial knowledge to understand and explain to others.
He continued that his intention to allot the USD200,000 in the national budget is not to gain individual glory, but for the entire district to benefit from a technical college.
He maintained that the issue of a technical college has been a major concern of the people of Pleebo District and as much, adding that citizens will not oppose it.
Speaker Chambers added that during his first year as Representative of Pleebo District, he fought hard to have a vocational school built in the district.
Although he chaired the Maryland Legislative Caucus during former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's regime, Chambers said the plan didn't work.
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He mentioned that the discussion of a technical college didn't start today, but since he got to power as Representative of Maryland County.
Chambers indicated that due to the establishment of Tubman University in Harper, they have decided to have two or more vocational schools in Pleebo Sodoken District.
Meanwhile, Speaker Chambers has cautioned his kinsmen that the district can't be built if the people there aren't united.
He stressed that if the district can have more than three vocational schools, it should be embraced by the entire citizens of Pleebo District rather than criticizing the idea.
He said the idea to build a vocational school in Pleebo Sodoken District wasn't a dream during former President Sirleaf's 12 years of rule.
However, Chambers said with President George Manneh Weah's recent visit to the county, citizens were informed about a vocational school to be built in Pleebo.
He called on citizens to accept the gesture and avoid destructive criticisms because his intent is not to gain individual glory but to help others achieve their goals.
"Let me say this, our intention to have advocated for a vocational school to be built is not for us to be praised as an individual because we believe it's a collective effort. But it's for us to help our people who can't afford to go to college or university," he said.
For his part, Maryland County former Senator H. Dan Morais has lauded Speaker Chambers for such an initiative and stressed, it's in fulfillment of some promises made to the people of Maryland County.
