Residents Of Two Communities Concerned About Water Blockade

Several residents of the Red Hill and Rehab Communities in lower Johnsonville of District # 2 in Montserrado County have given Representative, Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy W. Smith one week ultimatum to probe into a pipe borne water blockage in the area.
The ultimatum which was contained in a communication dated April 2, 2020 addressed to the Representative is requesting him to carry out thorough investigation into an alleged blockage and commercialization of safe drinking water which was brought in the communities by Bishop Nimely Jackobly Donyen of the Independent Catholic Church of Liberia (ICCL) in 2017.
Speaking prior to the presentation of the communication at the District # 2 Office near Lone Star Gas Station on the Somalia Drive over the weekend, Prince Mathias Nagbe, Secretary/ Speaker of the group disclosed that the water saga has denied them from benefiting the water that the Bishop brought as a humanitarian project.
He said that they have no other means of getting water except it is purchased as no hand pump is in the communities so they decided to constructively engage their lawmaker on the issue saying they recently approached Bishop Donyen to help address the quagmire but his reply to them was that unless the alleged blockage is removed for the flow of water to reach to the Cheerful Givers High School (CGHS) he will not do anything further because his first project has been halted.
Mr. Nagbe however maintained that water is one of their entitlements as human beings, so it does not augur well for it to be politicized but rather its importance to life should be of concern to all adding that the ICCL Clergyman initiated the project as a means of addressing the difficulties that they encounter for water throughout the years.
According to the communication, it’s alleged that the Chair of the Red Hill Community is the instigator of the ploy and that it has however being merely speculated that he (Representative Smith), the direct Representative of the people is the master-minder behind the syndicate.
But they asserted that they do not believe the rumor because they elected him to seek their welfare and advocate for essential social services for them like water which is critical to their daily lives so they urged him to institute the investigation so that the perpetrator(s) can face justice.
“We believe in your capabilities and maturity to adequately represent us at the First Branch of Government and as such, we are confident that you cannot betray that confidence,” they stressed in the communication.
Responding upon receipt of the communication, Alfred D. Tokpah, Chief of Office/ District # 2 Montserrado County thanked the people of Red Hill and Rehab Communities on behalf of Representative Smith what he referred to as a mature manner in which they had handled the issue.
He told the delegation that they have been hearing about the issue in the area narrating that the situation even led to an altercation among the residents that resulted to casualties and the destruction of some people’s properties.
“We later learnt that the case was taken to the Liberia National Police (LNP)’s Depot on the Pipe-line Road where the Bishop was told to pay for those whose properties were damaged,” he recalled.
Mr. Tokpah then informed the people of the affected communities that he will present the letter to his boss and assured them of a transparent probe which he promised will be opened to all including the community as well as district leaders and that the result to be made available.
Some community dwellers have seriously frowned on those who are behind the act terming it as devilish explaining that they are presently facing difficulties relative to carrying out the health protocol that has to do with frequent washing of hands due to the outbreak of the COVID 19 because they do not have money to buy water regularly.
“We want our Representative to please look in this matter urgently so that our lives can be saved from that deadly virus,” they pleaded.