Geyla Queen
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 | | Subject: Updated: Students in Liberia Block Robertsfield Highway in Demand for School Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:59 am | |
| Updated: Students in Liberia Block Robertsfield Highway in Demand for School04/09/08 - FPA Staff Report[size=10] 
UNMIL forces stand guard as students at the Kendeja High School blocked the road in protest. The students blocked the road demand for school building to continue their studies. FPA Photos
Monrovia -
Traffic along the Monrovia-Robertfield highway was paralyzed for a better part of today as students of the Kendeja High School blocked the road in demand for school building to continue their studies.
The Kendaja Cultural Center which hosted the high school was recently leased to the American billionaire Bob Johnson who is expected to build a four or five star hotel on the premises.
Vehicular traffic was at a standstill for hours as passengers just looked in awe at the scene. FPA Photos
TheInformation Ministry said it had decided to relocate the cultural center because the amount of acres of land originally bought to expand the center had been encroached upon that has made it impossible to do what the center is intended for.
Each family head at the center and its immediate environs were provided a resettlement package of US$1,000 each.
Also affected in the resettlement is the Kendaja High School that was catering to children of the center and its environs.
Violent tendencies not tolerated, SIrleaf says
A short while ago, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf declared
that her government will not tolerate violent tendencies from citizens
seeking to have their grievances addressed.
Sirleaf who was out of the capital, in Kakata, Margibi County to
dedicate the Kakata Rural Teacher’s Training Institute (KRTTI) arrived
later duirng to protest to hear the students concerns.
With the Information Ministry insisting that the school is part of the
area to be relocated, no provision has been made for the relocation of
the students as the school year is yet in session.
Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf addresses protesting students Tuesday.“We are out of school as these government officials have their children in private schools and schools abroad,” one aggrieved student lamented.
“This is to bring to government’s attention that they should have made alternative plans for us before affecting the relocation,” another said.
The students who blocked the road in their numbers also lay stones across the road as they burned old tires in the road.
Vehicular traffic was at a standstill for hours as passengers just looked in awe at the scene.
The Liberia National Police backed up by UNMIL Jordanian Formed Police Unit stood back and watched not wanting to provoke an ugly scene as prominent personalities tried to persuade the demonstrating to leave the streets and go back to their campus to continue the dialogue.
At some point when our reporter was around, the demonstrating students seemed to have accepted the plea, but no sooner had they left the highway, they returned.
This prompted the Jordanian Formed Police Unit to fire a number of teargas canisters in the air to disburse the crowd.
The street is now clear and vehicles have resumed normal traffic.
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Geyla Queen
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Number of posts : 6443
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candygirl
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| | Subject: Re: Updated: Students in Liberia Block Robertsfield Highway in Demand for School Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:41 pm | |
| i know right? the thing sef full my mouth.... | |
|
Geyla Queen
Admin
Number of posts : 6443
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Location : Atlanta, GA
Say Whatever : I'm still holding on.
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| | Subject: Re: Updated: Students in Liberia Block Robertsfield Highway in Demand for School Wed Apr 09, 2008 9:43 pm | |
| Is Bropleh’s Number Up? Sirleaf Drops Hint, Claims Deception Over Kendejah
04/09/08 - Bill K. Jarkloh, FPA Staff Writer
Monrovia - Is another Cabinet reshuffle around the corner? In the wake of Tuesday’s protest by students at the Kendejah High School over lack of classroom facility, it appears a senior minister in President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s government may get the boot.
Sirleaf dropped the hint Tuesday in Kendejah, Montserrado County, where she had gone to calm protesting students in the area.
The students mounted roadblocks and threw stones, claiming that the Liberian Government, through the Ministry of Information, had failed to complete the renovation work of the new building allocated to them.
Five-Star Hotel part of investment deal
Liberia's Information Minister Dr. Lawrence Bropleh
The school which is located near the Kendejah Cultural Center located in Paynesville outside Monrovia on the Monrovia-Robertsfield Highway was recently turned over to American billionaire Bob Johnson for the construction of a 5-star hotel. The Johnson Group reportedly paid US$80,000 as front payment covering three years. The hotel is expected to have 80 rooms, and is expected to be completed in March 2009. The group is also expected to invest over US$10M and the 5-star hotel project was said to be the beginning of a wider investment package.
During a recent ceremony, turning the facility over to the Johnson Group, Bropleh stated that residents of Kendejah would be relocated near Camp Kesselly in lower Margibi County. He said the government is expected to construct a school and a clinic for the residents.
Sirleaf herself had expressed concerns that the land on which Kendejah is built is being misused and declared that some individuals were selling the land illegally and people were buying and constructing buildings on the property. Thus, leasing Kendejah to a foreign business is purely intended to develop the beach side of the country and the 5ive star hotel will be the first of its kind in the country. "The construction will create jobs opportunities for many Liberians". She noted that the construction is another albatross between the United States and the her administration and added that the hotel will be used to host international conferences and this will boost the country's economic strengthen outside However, in the aftermath of promises made, residents and students mostly affected by the effort appears to have run out of patience.
‘Heads will roll’, Prez says
Students at the Kendejah
High School protest lack of classroom facility Tuesday.[/size]But Sirleaf warned Tuesday that her government will not tolerate violent tendencies from citizens seeking to have their grievances addressed. The President informed the students that they have a right to education, but added that the destruction of government property was not the answer to solving problems. She has instructed the Education Minister, Dr. Joseph Korto, to have the building renovated to enable the students resume classes. “I take responsibility because I am the President. But what I can tell you is heads will roll.”
Sirleaf expressed disappointment with a new structure that is supposed to host the Kendejah High School while the hotel is being constructed. Addressing journalists in Kendejah after cubring the student demonstration, through the Minister of Education Dr. Joseph Korto, Sirleaf said “I am very disappointed. I was led to believe by the Minister of Information and his team that the school at Kendejah would be relocated; and the building to house the student would be ready by the time after the [national population] census. I am really disappointed; the structure is inadequate to host the students,” the President said.
The school has three sections – elementary, junior high and high school section,” the President emphasized. She blamed what is transpiring to misinformation given her by Information Minister Lawrence Bropleh. Even though she said she “will accept responsibility because I am the President,” she promised “heads will roll”.
Dr. Korto who earlier addressed the students advised them against violence as a means of resolving problems. “Problem cannot be resolved by violence. They come and they are resolved. But don’t do it your own way,” Dr. Korto said.
The Education Minister said the children were the future leaders and would be relied on tomorrow for problems that would arise and as such should begin to hand their problems peacefully. | |
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