Residents of Gedetarbo Clan in Pleebo-Sodoken District are demanding that the Government of Liberia move ahead with the construction of the Maryland Vocational Training Institute (MVTI) in their community, arguing that land already secured for the institution should not be abandoned for an alternative location.
The demand was made by Pleebo-Sodoken District Youth Coordinator Thomas K. Nyema, who called on Maryland County Senator James P. Biney to intervene in the growing debate over the exact location of the vocational institution.
Nyema said the issue is not whether Pleebo should benefit from the MVTI, but where within Pleebo the institution should be constructed.
He maintained that Gedetarbo already has land that was voluntarily provided by residents for the development of a vocational training center and that shifting the project to an unspecified location could undermine years of community preparation.
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"The politics surrounding where the school should be built, shifting it from Gedetarbo to an unknown location, is totally wrong and contrary to development initiatives," Nyema said.
According to him, the land in Gedetarbo was secured during the tenure of former House Speaker Bohfal Chambers as part of an earlier initiative to establish a vocational training center in the area.
Residents of Gedetarbo Clan reportedly made the land available voluntarily, after which it was surveyed and deeded for the intended development.
Nyema argued that the availability of land should be considered a major factor as the government moves toward implementing the MVTI project, particularly at a time when Liberia is seeking to expand technical and vocational education and equip young people with practical skills.
The controversy over the location reportedly intensified following the assumption of office by Representative Anthony Wole Williams after the 2023 elections. Nyema said a meeting was subsequently convened at Pleebo City Hall, where Williams reportedly indicated that the vocational school would be constructed along the Harper-Pleebo Highway rather than at Gedetarbo.
Nyema said such a change requires clear explanation and consultation with communities that have already contributed land toward the project.
The Maryland Vocational Training Institute was established through legislation initiated by then-Maryland Senator J. Gbleh-bo Brown.
The Senate passed the legislation in 2020, while the House of Representatives concurred with the measure in September 2021. Former President George Manneh Weah signed the legislation into law on September 21, 2021, and announced the establishment of the institution on October 5, 2021.
The law established the MVTI as a public technical and vocational institution intended to address skilled-labor shortages and expand employment opportunities for young Liberians.
Nyema said the legislation identifies Pleebo, Maryland County, as the location of the institution, and therefore believes the discussion should focus on selecting a suitable site within the district based on land availability, accessibility, utilities and long-term development potential.
He said Gedetarbo meets several of those requirements and should not be overlooked.
Nyema also placed the current debate within the broader history of land contributions by Gedetarbo residents.
He said the community has provided land for economic activities and government-linked initiatives for decades, but has received limited major public development in return.
"Gedetarbo has been giving land for development for many years, but the community has not benefited from major development," Nyema said.
He cited the Cavalla Rubber Corporation as one example of the community's history of providing land for economic activity.
Nyema further referenced a historical account that Gedetarbo residents provided land to the Government of Liberia in 1926, after which the government made the property available to Firestone.
Against this background, he said the proposed vocational institute represents an opportunity for the community to benefit directly from the land it has historically made available for development.
For Nyema, the MVTI is more than a physical structure. He said the institution could become an important pathway for young people in Maryland County and surrounding communities to acquire employable skills without having to leave the county.
He said many young people travel elsewhere to pursue vocational education, while others are unable to do so because they cannot afford transportation, accommodation and other expenses associated with studying outside the county.
A fully developed MVTI campus in Gedetarbo, he said, could provide training in areas such as construction, mechanics, electrical installation, welding, agriculture, plumbing, carpentry, masonry, refrigeration and other trades.
He also called for the institution to establish practical partnerships with businesses and contractors so that students can gain workplace experience through internships and apprenticeships.
According to Nyema, employers should also be consulted to help identify the skills most needed in the local economy, allowing the institution to align its training programs with actual employment opportunities.
Nyema said land should not be presented as a constraint to the development of the institute in Gedetarbo.
"We have enough land here to provide, provided the project will contribute to our economic development," he said.
He added that residents are prepared to make additional land available if necessary for classrooms, workshops, administrative offices, dormitories, agricultural demonstration sites and future expansion.
He urged government authorities to engage local authorities, traditional leaders, youth representatives, landowners and other stakeholders before making a final decision on the site.
Nyema also pointed to the recent extension of electricity into Gedetarbo as another factor that, in his view, strengthens the case for locating the institute there.
"Now that electricity has been extended to the clan through the initiative of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, it will be necessary to have the school built in Gedetarbo," Nyema said.
He said access to electricity would be particularly important for vocational programs requiring power-intensive equipment and practical training, including computer technology, electrical installation, welding, refrigeration and air-conditioning, and machinery maintenance.
He argued that combining vocational education with improved electricity access could help transform Gedetarbo into a more active center of economic and skills development.
Nyema also linked the proposed institute to anticipated economic activities in the area, including potential quarrying operations.
He said such activities could create demand for workers trained in heavy equipment maintenance, welding, mechanics, electrical work and construction.
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Beyond direct employment at the school, he said construction of the MVTI could generate temporary jobs while the completed institution could create longer-term positions for instructors, administrators, maintenance workers and security personnel.
He also expects increased economic activity around the campus, including demand for housing, food, transportation, retail services and other small businesses.
Nyema said this could help transform Gedetarbo from a community that primarily provides land for development into one that directly benefits from development projects.
Nyema is now appealing to Senator Biney to bring the matter before the Legislature and engage the relevant ministries, agencies and officials of the Executive Branch to clarify the way forward.
He wants the government to provide information on the project's funding, implementing agency, architectural and engineering plans, proposed site and construction timeline.
He stressed that the issue should not become a political contest but should instead be resolved through consultation and consideration of the practical requirements of a modern vocational institution.
"Gedetarbo deserves better as well," Nyema stressed, urging Maryland's lawmakers to work collectively to ensure that the MVTI project is implemented without unnecessary delay.
"We are ready to support any genuine initiative that improves our lives and contributes to Maryland County's economic growth," he said.
Nyema maintained that constructing the MVTI in Gedetarbo would not only fulfill the purpose for which the land was provided but could also create a long-term skills development platform for young people and contribute to the economic transformation of Pleebo-Sodoken District.
