From Eldred Wlemongar Thomas | GNN Correspondent | Grand Kru County|
At long last citizens of Parluken City, Grand Kru County were the happiest when a state-of-the-art communication was erected aimed at providing the people of the County with reliable access to modern communication with the presence of officials from the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, and a member of the House of Representative, Cllr. Jonathan Foniti Koffa to witness the dedication and turnover of the Universal Access Telecommunications tower to the area amidst jubilation from citizens.
Residents of Parluken and citizens of surrounding areas over the years experienced difficulties in communicating to other parts of Grand Kru and Liberia causing them to be disconnected from the world.
The hundred feet and solar powered Universal Access telecommunications tower will now serve Parluken city and surrounding areas in providing access to telecommunication.
The Universal access tower was made possible through the lobby of district two Representative Fonati Koffa and brought by the government through the Liberian Telecommunications Authority and the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications under the Universal Access program and was undertaken by KNET, a telecommunication firm.
Performing the dedication and turnover of the communication tower, Post Minister Cllr. Cooper Krauh said it the move is in fulfillment of the George Weah administration’s effort to ensure the creation of access to modern communication especially in the rural parts of the country.
“The Universal Postal Union had declared access to telecommunication as a human right as a member of the ITU, the move demonstrates that recommendations and resolutions passed by the international telecommunication body are upheld by Liberia, Minister Kruah explained”.
The Postal Affairs Minister added that upon the launch of the Universal citizens can now communicate using ORANGE and LONESTAR GSM Companies, adding the second site of the Universal tower is expected to be mounted in Gbarpolu County and other areas across the country.
Minister Kruah puts the cost of the project at over two million United States dollars when completed to ensure telecommunication access to the fifteen counties of Liberia.
The Post Master General said upon the lunched of the Citizens Minister Kruah admonished citizens of Parluken to take ownership of the communication facility and ensure its protection and maintenance, noting they have suffered for too long for such communication facility over the years.
The Post Affairs boss noted the Universal Access tower dedicated and turned over to the people of Parluken is part of the George Weah government plan objective access to telecommunication with the provide similar facility in fifteen counties of Liberia.
Minister Kruah said it the decision of President George Weah himself for the Universal Access tower to be constructed in Grand Kru giving several appeals and continuous lobby by the county’s district Representative Cllr. Fonati Koffa.
“The decision to build the tower in Grand Kru was also based on one of the requirements of the Universal Access program to provide the service to mainly remote areas as in the case of Parluken city in Grand Kru county, the Postal Affairs Minister intimated”.
Two hundred phones and a SIM cards were also unveiled and presented to the people of Parluken by LTA Commissioner Isreal Arkinsaya after which Rep. Koffa informed the audience that President George Weah has pay for the purchase of SIM and scratch cards for the two hundred phones provided amidst jubilation from the Peluken citizens.
LTA Commissioner Arkinsaya added that in the communication package from President Weah, a solar charging power system has been provided where a minimum charging fee can be decided by local authorities in area.
The LTA official recounted that the project was initially started in 2016 and got operational now which seeks provide access to communication to all sectors of Liberian society, a move the George Weah government places high concentration on.
For his part, Grand Kru Representative Fonati Koffa who received the tower reassured citizens of more development initiatives under the George Weah administration aimed improving the living standards of Liberians.
“I am so much over joy to finally see my people of Parlukun, Grand Kru and Liberia by extension receiving such telecommunication package after decades, something have long yield for, and Representative Koffa intoned”.
Grand Kru lawmaker extended thanks and appreciation to President Weah, the LTA, Ministry of Post its citizens for their patience while modalities were been worked out for the tower to reach their area.
Also speaking with some citizens of Parluken city who were overwhelmed with joy expressed gratitude to their Representative Fonati Koffa, Ministry of Post and Telecommunication, Liberia Telecommunications Authority and President George Weah for such development package long anticipated.
“During the absence of this cell phone tower we felt abandoned and was disconnected from Grand Kru and other parts of Liberia, but thank God for this tower sounded Parluken citizens mainly women and business people”.
According to them, they now feel a part of society as they can communicate with relatives, friends and business partners among others with the construction of the Universal Access telecommunication tower in that part of Grand Kru County.
The dedicatory and tuned over ceremony was characterized by a traditional welcome of a delegation led by Representative by the Minister Post and Telecommunications Cllr. Cooper Kruah, LTA Commissioner Isreal Arkinsaya among others.
The occasion was graced by women groups, youth traditional leader, local government officials and citizens of Parluken city and its surrounding communities.
Latest development say some two thousand mobile phone users per minute have began taking advantage of the newly constructed, dedicated and tuned over Universal Access tower in Parluken city in Grand Kru County.
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