Published: March 12, 2025
CAPITOL HILL – Grand Kru County Senator Numene T.H. Bartekwa, Chair of the Senate Committee on Concessions and Investment, has petitioned the Senate Plenary to summon key government ministers over the prolonged delay and abandonment of major donor-funded road and development projects across Liberia.
Senator Bartekwa, in a formal communication to Senate Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, called for the appearance of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Public Works, and Finance & Development Planning to provide explanations on the stalled projects.
Stalled Donor-Funded Projects
The senator outlined three major donor-financed projects that have either been abandoned or significantly delayed, raising concerns over accountability and government efficiency.
He recalled that on December 10, 2018, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Bank for Development and Investment (EBID) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Liberian government for a US$100 million grant, sponsored by the Indian government, to fund Phase I of the Coastal Highway Project. According to the agreement, this phase would cover 96.6 kilometers from Barclayville in Grand Kru County, through Sasstown, to Klowne in Sinoe County. However, six years later, there has been no progress on the project.
Similarly, in 2021, the African Development Bank (AfDB) pledged financial support for a 60-kilometer road connecting Kelipo Kanweakan in River Gee County to Putuken in Grand Gedeh County. Yet, to date, the project remains untouched.
Another critical project—the 40-kilometer road from Karloken in Maryland County to Fish Town in River Gee County—was initially launched with AfDB sponsorship but was abandoned in 2020. Senator Bartekwa questioned why the project had been left incomplete, leaving affected communities in limbo.
A Call for Accountability
Senator Bartekwa underscored the importance of these projects in Liberia’s national road development agenda, emphasizing that donor commitments have yet to translate into tangible results.
“The people in these regions welcomed these infrastructure commitments with great hope, yet their expectations have been met with silence and inaction,” he asserted. “It is imperative that we investigate whether the delays stem from inefficiencies within the government or challenges from donor partners.”
The senator urged the Senate Plenary to summon the relevant ministers to provide a detailed account of the status of these projects and clarify why they remain stalled.
Following the reading of his communication, the Senate Plenary, acting on a motion from River Cess County Senator Wellington Geevon-Smith, referred the matter to the Joint Committee on Public Works, Finance, and Foreign Affairs. The committee has been mandated to engage the relevant government agencies and report back to the Senate with its findings.
As the investigation unfolds, residents in the affected regions continue to seek answers, anxious for the long-promised infrastructure that remains unrealized.
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