Published: July 21, 2025
LOGUATUO, Nimba County – As torrential rains swell the Louhn River and daily life becomes a gamble with death, residents of more than nine towns in Nimba’s Electoral District 3 say they are done waiting—and done pleading—for help from their lawmaker.
Their frustration is directed squarely at Representative Nehker Gaye, whom they accuse of years of inaction in the face of deadly river crossings, economic paralysis, and failed promises to construct a bridge over the Louhn River—a vital but treacherous passage linking Districts 3 and 4.
“This river is killing us,” said Elder Mahnker Tarseh of Old Loguatuo. “People are drowning. Pregnant women are dying trying to reach clinics. And our lawmaker has done nothing.”
River of Despair
Once a lifeline for farming and trade, the Louhn River has instead become a symbol of abandonment. During the rainy season, it routinely overflows, cutting off entire communities and turning routine journeys into high-risk ventures.
“People use dugout canoes or makeshift ferries to cross,” said Susana Wright Sesay, Zone Chairlady of Old Loguatuo. “Children, mothers in labor, elderly people—anyone can be swept away. We are not asking for favors. We are asking to stay alive.”
Farmers are reportedly forced to haul produce on foot across the Ivorian border to reach buyers. Others simply abandon their crops. Parents carry children on their backs, hoping not to slip in the fast-moving waters. At least a dozen people have died in recent years, residents say.
Appeal to Another Lawmaker Sparks Political Showdown
After what they described as two years of fruitless appeals to Representative Gaye, residents took an extraordinary step earlier this year: they petitioned neighboring District 7 lawmaker Representative Musa Hassan Bility to fund the bridge instead.
Their formal resolution—signed by more than 700 community leaders and youth representatives—asked Bility to intervene where Gaye had failed. But rather than welcoming outside help, Gaye reportedly blocked the initiative.
“When our lawmaker heard that we had reached out to Rep. Bility,” said Anthony Duahn of Duahnplay Town, “he went on the radio and said that as long as he is alive, he will not allow Bility to build that bridge.”
Residents were stunned. “This is not about politics. This is about saving lives,” Sesay said. “People are dying, and he is worried about who gets credit?”
A Groundbreaking, But No Ground Moved
In what many saw as a politically calculated maneuver, Representative Gaye held a groundbreaking ceremony for the bridge on March 2—three months after residents petitioned Bility. Flanked by aides and with promises of swift construction, Gaye pledged work would begin by March 20.
Four months later, the site remains untouched. No machines. No contractors. No explanation.
“It was a photo-op,” said one community elder. “We were hopeful, but it’s clear nothing was planned.”
Residents say they were further dismayed when Gaye claimed the project was initiated under instruction from Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung. Several are now appealing to Koung directly, hoping the nation’s second-highest office can do what their own representative has not.
A Silent Office, A Rising River
Repeated efforts by The Liberian Investigator to get a response from Representative Gaye have been unsuccessful. Calls and text messages to his office since Wednesday have gone unanswered. During a brief call Saturday, Gaye declined to speak on the matter.
Meanwhile, the river continues to rise.
Local radio talk shows have been flooded with angry callers. Town meetings are becoming increasingly tense. And while communities wait for a bridge, they say the real chasm is the one that has grown between them and their elected representative.
“This is not just about crossing a river,” said Sesay. “This is about whether our lives matter.”
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