By Grace Bryant Mollay
The government has accused the administration of George Weah of diverting US$29 million in World Bank funding that was designated for a key infrastructure project in the southeast, an alleged misappropriation that reportedly stalled progress on the vital Ganta-to-Zwedru road corridor for over two years.
Public Works Minister Roland Giddings, speaking on the radio program ‘Class Reloaded’, revealed that the funds were intended for the Southeastern Corridor Road Asset Management Project (SECRAMP)a major public-private initiative to pave 225 kilometers of roadway from Ganta in Nimba County to Zwedru in Grand Gedeh County.
However, under the Weah-led Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government, only 19 kilometers of road were completed before the project came to a standstill.
“The previous administration diverted $29 million from the World Bank’s Tapita-to-Zwedru allocation to unknown expenditures, effectively halting the project until we came into office,” Giddings stated.
He explained that the World Bank had to restructure the agreement and withdraw certain financial guarantees in response to the misuse, leading to the suspension of work.
Contractors eventually left the site due to unpaid arrears exceeding US$5M debts the current administration says it has since settled.
Minister Giddings announced that the government of President Joseph Boakai has now fully reactivated the road project, with visible construction activities ongoing from Ganta to Tappita.
Contractors are currently focused on laying the road’s base course ahead of the rainy season.
“If you travel the route from Ganta through Saclepea to Tappita today, you’ll see real progress. Work has resumed, and contractors are fully mobilized,” he said.
Beyond Tapita, contracts have been finalized for a 40-kilometer stretch leading to Toe’s Town. Procurement processes are also underway for the final leg of the corridor from Toe’s Town to Zwedru including a 10-kilometer extension to the border with Côte d’Ivoire.
Giddings noted that full financing for the entire corridor has now been secured through a combination of sources, including the African Development Bank, the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), and ECOWAS.
When completed, the corridor will provide the first all-weather, paved road connecting Monrovia to Liberia’s far southeastern counties dramatically cutting travel time, boosting trade, and improving access to health care, education, and public services for thousands of residents.
The minister also highlighted ongoing work to improve regional connectivity, including the construction of a major bridge over the Cavalla River, linking Grand Gedeh County to Côte d’Ivoire.
The bridge is being funded by ECOWAS, and the Ivorian road network is already paved up to the Liberian border.
“We inherited a project in disarray and have brought it back on track. Thanks to the commitment of our partners and the leadership behind the ARREST Agenda, this long-awaited corridor is becoming a reality,” he said.
He added that final legislative approval for the OFID financing is expected soon, paving the way literally for a fully connected and economically vibrant southeastern Liberia.
