President George Weah on Monday, 26 March, once again, demonstrated his burning desire for the rapid development of the country by risking his life to ride a boat accross the Stockton Creek in down town, Monrovia from Providence Island to the Barlay Island opposite Clara Town.
The purpose of the visit, according to the President, is to earmark the Island for the construction of a modern conference centre with a seating capacity of 3,000 by the Government of India. This is a laudable and welcome news. It goes to show the President’s desire to see Liberia develop.
It is hoped that all relevant environmental impact assessment (EIA) will be conducted prior to undertaken the construction, particularly as it relates to the 1971 RAMSAR Convention for Wetlands. One take away from the President’s visit, despite the EIA concern, is the attraction of the needed funds for the construction. Therefore, should the EIA advised against the construction in that location, the President should identify a suitable location either along the Bomi, RIA or Redlight -to Kakata Highway to construct the Centre. Better still, the President could move it to a county in the South East as it about time we disabused our minds of mistaken “Monrovia for Liberia”.