After five months of constraints faced by the faculty and students of the Grand Bassa Community College (GBCC) to access their campus, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has offered to reconstruct the damaged bridge leading to Paynesberry the site of the college.
The USAID commitment was disclosed during a consultative meeting held with the College’s president, Dr. Samuel Monweh, Grand Bassa Legislative Caucus, county administration and the GBCC Board.
According to Dr. Monweh, USAID informed them of its readiness to reconstruct the bridge that got damaged in July this year, but also requested the government’s commitment through the Ministry of Public Works and the county leadership to provide some of the materials for the structure.
He said some of the materials needed by USAID are in Little Kola, a town in Grand Bassa Electoral District #5.
The damage of the bridge in July created a huge challenge for the smooth operation of the College, a situation that led GBCC to hold classes on the campuses of some high schools in Buchanan.
The situation stalled some major works of the college for six months, placing huge financial burden on the administration under an interim leadership headed by the Baptist Church Senior Pastor, Dr. Samuel B. Reeves, Jr.
As it stands, students and administrative staff walk to school under strenuous condition due to the inaccessibility of the campus by vehicle.
The constrained return of the college to its campus is due to the pronouncement of high school authorities that they would no longer host the GBCC on grounds that their effective lessons for all three morning, afternoon and night sessions have begun.
Many of the schedules of the College were arranged for afternoon and evening, but could not be actualized owing to the high school administrators’ recent pronouncement.
It can be recalled that the USAID team joined Senator Jonathan L. Kaipay and the Grand Bassa County Engineering Team on August 22 on an assessment tour of the bridge.
The report has since been submitted to the Ministry of Public Works.
Although Dr. Monweh did not mention the cost of the project, the Public Works Ministry put the bridge reconstruction at US$2 million.
Rebuilding the bridge will not only impact the college, but also the thousands of residents in Paynesberry and Dwens Town areas.
LINA
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