By Laurina B Lormia
(Cub-Reporter)
The Port of Buchanan is calling on the Government of Liberia through the Liberian Senate to recognize the urgent need for a coastal defense project as a national emergency.
Addressing the press on Saturday June 8, 2024, the Executive Director of the Port of Buchanan, Jonathan Kaipay, said the Senate should allocate funds in the upcoming national budget to initiate this critical project.
According to Kaipay, President Boakai needs to take this proposal to strategic partners and developing countries that are or have experience in coastal defense; seeking their expertise and assistance to protect Liberia’s vulnerable coastal regions.
“The situation is not only affecting the port of Buchanan but the entire Grand Bassa County, the coastal defense project will mitigate these risks through collaborative efforts and international support, ensuring a sustainable and secure future for Liberia,” he stressed.
“During the President Sirleaf’s administration, there was a coastal defense process that was introduced to collaborate with international partners and investors and some money was placed in the national budget to see how they were going to develop a national coastal defense project,” Kaipay recalled.
“Over the years, the coastal defense budget was about US$2 million; the port of Buchanan is a huge investment all by itself and if we should still be calling it an emergency, that is, it is beyond NPA’s management and financial capacity, because it will cost millions of dollars,” Kaipay asserted.
However, the Managing Director of the National Port Authority (NPA), Sekou Dukuly is working with management under the development strategies to reach out to the Legislature particularly the Senate to visit the Port and carry on some major assessments.
“The management of the Port is also concerned about working with the Legislature to champion this coastal defense allocation whether in the budget or bilateral arrangements,” he stated.
“Their visit will not just focus on the Port of Buchanan but other major ports in Liberia, because the senators that will be visiting the port are from these coastal counties and they will see the threats that the sea pose to the Port and city of Buchanan,” he reiterated.
“The Port management is trying to work with other strategic partners who have technical skills and knowledge in those areas; to do a holistic assessment, that will capture the coastal defense, expansion and development of the Port,” he stressed.
“If you do not have the flexibility to study how you are going to protect the Port, the expansion will be needless, because if you expand without the proper protection then of course you are in danger,” he reminded.
