AN SOS FROM LOFA

Prominent citizens from county, including Finance, Defense ministers and lawmakers must show leadership  in preparing county for Independence Day celebration, simmering ethnic tension.

LOFA COUNTY, one of Liberia’s most populous was tapped a year ago as the venue for the 2011 July 26 Independence Day festivities.

LIKE PREVIOUS counties tapped for the unique honor, the county finds itself unprepared and probably unready for the task this year, unless serious development initiatives are undertaken in the next few weeks leading to the celebration.

THE ROADS leading into the county is currently in a deplorable state with the only visible sign of progress located on a cocoa farm in the town of Sazanor.

IN TWO YEARS, the farming initiative development covering 14,820 acres and 6,000 hectares nucleus cocoa plantation is matched by a complementary out growers-smallholders program has shown remarkable progress. The plantation located in Sazanor Town, Quardu-Gboni District in Lofa County lies 20 kilometers from Voinjama, the county’s capital and 414 kilometers from Monrovia, Liberia’s capital.

WHILE WE APPLAUD initiatives undertaken by the Chairman of the ruling party, Varney Sherman to raise money for the construction of a clinic in the Quardu District, we feel strongly that the incumbent government and organizers of this year’s festivities begin strategizing on how it can come up with visible progress ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.

MANY OF THE residents FrontPageAfrica spoke to on the weekend lamented the fact that ongoing tension, especially in the aftermath of last year’s violent turn branded as a fight between Muslims and Christians, is a contributing factor to the current state Lofa now finds itself.

IF THIS IS TRUE, then the leaders must begin taking initiatives to bring sanity to Lofa as it prepares for the Independence Day celebration.

THE COUNTY as it stands today is in total darkness at night with very little sign that light is at the end of the tunnel.

WHAT LOFA desperately needs is a wake-up call to order, one which will send a message to the rest of Liberia that the county is open for business.

SADLY, the county boasts some prominent figures currently serving in government who should take the initiative and begin plotting a strategy for redeem the county from carnage and prepare it for a transition from war to peace, from violent to peace and from soul-sinking to soul searching.

THIS IS SOMETHING the people of Lofa desperately needs and is counting on its leaders to take leadership role in unifying the county for the celebration of the country’s independence.

WHAT LOFA NEEDS now is a sign that the county’s worst days are behind and the best days are still ahead.

IT BEGINS and end with the likes of Brownie Samukai, Augustine Ngafuan, Eugene Falakpakai and others putting their best foot forward and working with the superintendents and county leaders to ensure that Lofa rises again.

FAILURE TO TACKLE this issue head on will leave to a major embarrassment for a government, who has a son of the Lofa soil as vice president when the celebration comes along in July. The message must be clear and simple: That Lofa is open for business and is ready to lay the ghosts of violence to rest as it strives to pick up the pieces of war, violence and chaos.