- Musa Hassan Bility, political leader of the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), has pledged to complete the long-delayed Sarkonedu School project and rehabilitate key farm-to-market roads in Quardu-Gboni District.
Bility received a rousing welcome last Friday during his first official visit to the northern Liberian district. Crowds filled the Mahudu House town hall, chanting as he vowed to make education and infrastructure central to his agenda.
"We cannot talk about progress without talking about schools and roads," Bility said. "Our children deserve safe, dignified learning environments, and our farmers deserve reliable access to markets."
He assured residents that construction of the school will be accelerated under tighter oversight, with completion targeted before the next academic year. He also promised road rehabilitation, which he called vital to reducing post-harvest losses and improving market access.
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"When roads are impassable, development stalls," Bility said. "We will change that narrative."
Local leaders hailed the visit as a turning point. Elder Boakai Sheriff called the school project "a beacon of hope for the next generation."
"We have waited long for this, and now we see light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
The event featured cultural performances, drumming and singing, as residents lined the streets with banners and palm fronds in celebration.
Founded in March 1973, Sarkonedu School has long served children across Quardu-Gboni and nearby towns, once the only junior high school within a 15-mile radius.
In April 2021, a tropical storm destroyed the facility, disrupting the education of more than 500 students. The loss spurred a grassroots push, at home and abroad, to rebuild.
Community leaders later proposed a new $250,000 comprehensive facility -- an elementary, junior and senior high school with a vocational center. The project launched in May 2022 with broad support, including contributions from former President George Weah, former House Speaker Fonati Koffa, former Rep. Mariamu Fofana, Montserrado lawmaker Kerkula Muka Kamara, ALCOP leader Lusinee Kamara and Boakai Sheriff, CEO of Gboni Enterprise.
Phases one through three, foundation, elevation, and slab, have been completed. Final elevation and full completion remain outstanding. Once finished, the facility will be the first senior high school and vocational center in Quardu-Gboni District.
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