ON EROSION DILEMMA IN GRAND BASSA: "Along the road, there is also a lot of rock based there; we need to put borders to block the water on the short term. All those are things that the Ministries of Public Works, Lands, Mines and Energy, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and us are working to put together in terms of what we can do as a county for the short term to help in stopping the erosion. However, the erosion in Grand Bassa County is something bigger than the county and even national government. So, our goal is to raise the awareness so that our partners, donors and friends can see faith to assist."

- JULIA DUNCAN-CASSELL, SUPERINTENDENT, GRAND BASSA COUNTY 

Buchanan, Grand Bassa County -

uchanan, Liberia's second largest city, is gradually picking up with a growing wave of economic activity. Arcelor Mittal is gradually rooting itself in the stead of former LAMCO, repairing and renovating assets in order to jumpstart activities at that port city. Likewise, Buchanan Renewable (BR) a very new company has also commenced its activities employing approximately 500 persons to date. The company is engaged in securing old rubber trees and turning them into wood chips for export. Besides, they have launched a massive rubber replanting scheme of these old farms and adding some cash crops to the farms. Ecotal Bio-fuel, (previously Palm Bay) is gradually picking up.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA was in that port city recently where our Bureau Chief caught up with Grand Bassa County Superintendent Julia Duncan Cassell to discuss her tenure so far as Administrative Head. Amongst a wide range of issues, the Grand Bassa Superintendent expressed the need for national government to increase its security in the county which is still volatile. She noted that currently there are only 104 police officers and 15 Immigration officers in the entire county which is not enough. “Armed robbery has increased but the police are not equipped,” she notes adding, “Because of all the expatriates and concession attracted to this county, there’s a need that the security manpower be increased and logistics provided them.” Superintendent Cessell also lamented the precarious state of the justice system in the county. Correctional offices need to be strengthened; court houses in the districts need to be built because as at now all the cases from the districts have to be brought to Buchanan City; likewise, the county’s Circuit Court needs to be renovated and relocated from the Administrative Building which should be hosting the City Court.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Thanks, Madame Superintendent for affording us the opportunity for this interview. You assumed the position as the county’s superintendent nearly three years ago. What has been some of your accomplishments, challenges so far?

EROSION THREAT: Several homes are being threatened by erosion in Grand Bassa County, including this one on Atlantic Street. Superintendent Cassel says the situation is getting worse by the day. "You know that with global warming and climate change facing the world, Grand Bassa County is no exception and also feeling the effect. What we are doing and have done is to raise the awareness – national and international – of the danger of the sea erosion possibly looking at relocating the City of Buchanan if something is not done timely enough."

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL: Thank you very much for taking time off to visit our lovely city, Buchanan. I was appointed to the position in May 2006. What I saw then was one of the main reasons why I took the job because there was nothing here. We thought that it was important after being away to come back and give to our people what we have acquired over the years.

When we came there was no infrastructure, security was helter skelter, I mean, there was nothing put in place. We thought that no better person could help bring the county back together then we could because with all of our experience and wanting to carry on the vision of Her Excellency Madame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the Unity Party-led government, it was appropriate that we leave Monrovia and come back to our homeland and help to rebuild it and put the broken pieces back together.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Where are we now? Compared to other counties, you’re quite lucky with regards to hosting a number of companies that is creating employment for your citizens. Even with the demise of Oriental Timber Company (OTC) and the plywood company which phased out during our last civil upheaval in 2003, the Liberia Agriculture Company (LAC) is still operating. Arcelor Mittal has begun building up, Buchanan Renewal (BR) is also beginning to function. What would you say about these developments and what does it mean for the county and your administration?

ON DECENTRALIZATION TALK

"We don’t want to reinvent the wheel, but we want to know. We are saying if decentralization is to take place, the county authorities need to be in the know as to what is happening."

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL: Well, surprisingly you might as this question; but yes, we have these companies – Arcelor Mittal, Liberia Agriculture Company, Ecotal Bio-fuel, Buchanan Renewal – those are all companies that exist; but coming from where we’re coming from, 15, 16, I say almost 20 plus years of civil war where all the infrastructures are down,  people are trying to put those pieces back together in terms of building the infrastructure, building capacity, and starting some level of production.

Yes, Arcelor Mittal is here in Grand Bassa County and according to the Management Development Agreement (MDA) their head office is supposed to be in the county, but has not yet. However, we are hoping that sometime between now and next year, Arcelor Mittal will live up to what it said in the MDA. I just want to say that Arcelor Mittal is not going to operate like LAMCO did. LAMCO had all of the works. Arcelor Mittal is saying theirs is going to be completely different.

LAC who never left during the war is still here and have about 6,000 of our citizens employed with them is doing their portion. Buchanan Renewable, who has not started production yet, has hired at least 500 to 600 of our citizens.

Ecotal Bio-fuel is still waiting to jumpstart their production. They are hiring on a low scale because like you know, like everywhere else when all of these companies actually got the final go-ahead to start production the economy in the world started to fall. Because of that, it’s affecting the economy and Grand Bassa County is no exception to it.

Not withstanding Arcelor Mittal has brought some level of confidence back to the county. If you went through the concession areas and see the reconstruction of the railroads, you can now look from the bridge all the way as far as your eyes can go. You can look to the port and you can see the work being done there. Over there in the loop all of the houses are being renovated. The Stephen Tolbert Hospital in the concession area is functional. These are signs that the economy is picking up; those are signs of security.

If you went to Buchanan Renewable (BR) site you will see the number of people going back and forth. You know they are into cutting down old rubber trees and replanting new ones which is necessary because a lot of our private farmers had those farms about 40-50 years ago. So BRE is here to help revitalize the rubber industry in this county. In the same process they are helping local farmers engaging in a number of activities including rice farming. They also have the 100 women farmers engaged in food crop planting, etc.

The Ecotal Bio-fuel, who is supposed to be rehabilitating what was known as Palm Bay (the old oil palm plantation), we are looking forward to that too.

While they all are here, you see the road rehabilitation. The road work is being done to some extent. Arcelor Mittal has opened the road from Compound #3 all the way to Bong and Nimba counties. Instead of going through Margibi and Bong counties, it’s easy now to access Nimba through Compound #3 up to the St. John River boundary and on to Yekepa. Before this route was opened, those farmers who couldn’t bring their goods through that route to Buchanan are now doing so because the road network is opening. It is a blessing for those using this route.

FrontPageAfrica: Each year, Arcelor Mittal is to provide specific amounts to three counties - Grand Bassa, Bong and Nimba. What is the amount allocated for your county and what have you all decided to do with it during the first year?

ON RELOCATING RESIDENTS

"What we have done is that US$270,000 was given to the county to help relocate some of the citizens from that area. In addition, bring awareness, demarcate and consider the area a disaster area. So that’s the process we’re in right now. Community teams are being put into motion. We are talking to the people, working along with them as well as helping them relocate."

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL: Well, this is public knowledge. Arcelor Mittal is giving US$3 million to the three counties. Nimba gets US$1.5 million; Bong, US$500,000; and Grand Bassa, US$1 million. What are we doing with ours? We are doing exactly what the people want done. We just completed the County Development Agenda where it went from village to village, district to district and then to the county level where the people decided what the priority was for them. It all ties into the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) that government has identified that the major problems in the country currently are roads, schools, and health centres. Now, people within the county has decided in which area within the county they will like to see in which areas they would like to see these schools being built, the roads opened and health centres being placed. So these are all in this PRS.

What the people of Grand Bassa have decided that they want done with their money which is supposed to be used for social benefits of the people is that certain percentage have been apportioned to education. Education is the bedrock. Other percentages have been appropriated to a road network because we figure that in this county if roads are not opened you can’t take materials in to build schools; people can’t bring their produce to markets; you can build clinics thereby, people will still be brought to the clinics in hammocks because of the lack of roads to get to these clinics. So the road network is very important to the people of Grand Bassa. So they’ve decided that this money be broken down by percentages and what percentage goes where. You are also aware that we have been granted the authority to establish a community college. That portion of the money for education will go towards the establishment of a community college and improving schools within the county.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: During our last visit here in 2007, precisely for  the celebration of World Environment Day, you raised the alarm about the erosion gradually encroaching on the city especially Atlantic Street, Small and Big Fanti Towns. What does the situation look like one year on? What has your administration done or put in place to remedy the situation?

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL: The situation, I would say, is getting worse by the day. You know that with global warming and climate change facing the world, Grand Bassa County is no exception and also feeling the effect. What we are doing and have done is to raise the awareness – national and international – of the danger of the sea erosion possibly looking at relocating the City of Buchanan if something is not done timely enough.

What we have done is that US$270,000 was given to the county to help relocate some of the citizens from that area. In addition, bring awareness, demarcate and consider the area a disaster area. So that’s the process we’re in right now. Community teams are being put into motion. We are talking to the people, working along with them as well as helping them relocate.

Along the road, there is also a lot of rock based there; we need to put borders to block the water on the short term. All those are things that the Ministries of Public Works, Lands, Mines and Energy, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and us are working to put together in terms of what we can do as a county for the short term to help in stopping the erosion. However, the erosion in Grand Bassa County is something bigger than the county and even national government. So, our goal is to raise the awareness so that our partners, donors and friends can see faith to assist.

I was in Helsinki, Finland about a month ago and there was a program on erosion and Liberia was featured. Sitting there and being from Grand Bassa County to see what the county used to be, I was saddened. I grew up on Atlantic Street and see what it is now and what could happen if something is not done in a timely manner. It’s a shame how far the sea erosion has come.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Let’s change the subject a little. Grand Bassa County was in the news some time back, precisely the LAC. This has to do with the expansion of LAC which the some elders of the District resisted. This sadly led to the death of its Plantation Manager, Bruno Micheils. What’s the situation now from your vantage point?

ON SECURITY SITUATION

"Currently, there’s still work to be done as regards the security situation in the county. Right now, in the county, we only have 104 police officers which we think is not enough."

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL:Well the situation now is that we’re in a dialogue. The situation with LAC, its expansion and the elders was something that this government inherited. All of this happened because the people were not engaged, informed and involved. Now, this government, you know the president has always stated that concession agreements will be reviewed. Arcelor Mittal had its contract reviewed after which Firestone Agreement was reviewed. This was used as a benchmark. Now LAC’s Agreement is being reviewed.

However, in the process LAC has given us a proposal that if they should expand what benefits will be there for the people. So we are in conversation with the people. We are working to make along with LAC so that those people whose crops were damaged get paid; government is in the process of releasing the money. The Ministries of Finance and Agriculture are about to go and pay those people whose crops were damaged during the last regime.

Government has to plan along with the LAC and the citizens as to what it is that they want. Relocation and resettlement of the people is also being reviewed right now. As the agreement is up for review right now I think we have a better grip on the situation, I think it will be handled well then it was in the past regime.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: When LAC’s plantations manager, Bruno Michiels was murdered, a number of people from Zondo Town and its environs were arrested and brought to Buchanan for investigation, I think subsequently charged with murder. From where you sit, can you give me an update?

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL:The case is in court. Though I’m not in the judicial sector, but from my knowledge and for the benefit of our people, I think the case should be coming up during the November term of court next week.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Still at LAC, news circulated in the media that county officials including you were on the payroll of LAC receiving rice and cash from the company. What’s your official response as regards the allegation that was reported in the media?

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL: Well, my personal position is that change is hard but change is for the good. So people cannot accept when change happen. It may have happened in the past from what I was told that government officials got from LAC because of the salary and it coming late so LAC used to give compensation to government officials. But since we took office, if other people are doing it, I am not doing it and I’ve made that statement and I stick by it. I can’t speak for the other officials but I can speak for my office and for myself.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA:  What’s the security situation in the county?

FESTIVAL IN DECEMBER

"December 12, 13, 14 are going to be a three-day event where we are launching the Grand Bassa Educational Endowment Fund. So, we are asking all of our brothers and sisters to come back home and assist us in the educational sector, health sector any which way that they can. The atmosphere is here. Grand Bassa is okay for tourism. So part of our three-day festival is to show case what we have and could happen in this county."

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL: Currently, there’s still work to be done as regards the security situation in the county. Right now, in the county, we only have 104 police officers which we think is not enough. We are bordered by the sea coast and government does not have a coast guard right now and the Immigration has posted only, I was told, 15 officers. We would like to see that beefed up so that they would be able to patrol the coastal area. We are told that drug trafficking and other criminal activities happen along the sea coast.

Right now the theft of rubber is important as people are opening a number of buying points along the route.

Armed robbery has increased but the police are not equipped. They do not have enough manpower to cover the entire county. So we are running into problems so by the time we get the news they perpetrators of the armed robbery have already left the area.

District#3 is one of our largest districts and because of its population, a lot of drug activities go on there according to what I’m told from the DEA. I’ll like to see the security beefed up in this county. Because of all the expatriates and concession attracted to this county, there’s a need that the security manpower be increased and logistics provided for them.

Right now, our Immigration does not have transportation. Our Correctional Offices be strengthened. The LNP is doing their best with the minimum manpower that they have. UNMIL is here, specifically the Ghanaian Contingent has been very instrumental in assisting us with the security issues in this county but notwithstanding we would like to see more giving towards that.

As regards the Judiciary, the court system, we would like to see all the courts have somewhere decent even in the districts because as it is all of the cases have to come to Buchanan. Right now the Circuit Court I still down. We’ve been talking to the Chief Justice, other donors; UNHCR promised us three years ago that they would have rehabilitated the building, it’s not done yet. So as a result, the Circuit County is using the City Court, while the City Court is using where out there in the market that is not even conducive for a court house.

The judiciary has an important role to play so we’ll like to see all these thing things come on board, be developed including all the magisterial courts throughout the county. The County Attorney needs to be empowered and strengthened. We’ just got a new County Attorney. Since his assignment, he’s been out of the county on training and workshops.

We need to see more defence lawyers and prosecutors in the county because of the nature of the county. We have a lot of concessions here, we have a lot of expatriates here, and we have our own people here who will need justice. Justice delayed is justice denied.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: You mentioned the scarcity of lawyers. How many are based in the county?

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL: Right now we only have one. The American Bar was trying to open a centre where they could assist with some of those legal cases but up till now we’re still waiting for them to come on board. A lot of the lawyers come from Monrovia to litigate cases. They come and right after the court session they leave depending on the nature of the case. But there is a need, especially to my own Bassa citizens, a lot of them are lawyers. We are asking them to come home and lend their hands. For all of these cases now being delayed and delayed because they can’t get put on the docket, can’t have the right lawyers, or for whatever reason, it’s not being heard on time.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: The issue of electricity in Buchanan City, what’s happening here?

ON CRIME RATE

"I’ve gotten a lot of complaints from citizens, precisely Compound # 1 to 3 that since the opening of the different buying stations at the various locations, the criminal rate has gone up and it’s all because people coming from Firestone, LAC, Weala walking around with even up to US$100, 000 in their bags and buying rubber."

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL: About two years ago the president launched something in the area of electricity where all of the counties were given generators. We were given a 40 KVA. Through our partners, we were able to electrify the city. We had the current on for certain hours because of the fuel. The Superintendent’s office is not an income generating office. We rely on the Ministry of Internal Affairs budget and this will not enable us supply fuel to the generator. We can only run it for certain hours. This was just for street lights and also to make sure the offices had current to work.

Buchanan Renewable also donated a 250 KVA to the county. We had a town meeting and the citizens agreed to prioritize the generator. So the Bassa – Liberia Business Association was given the generator to come back with a proposal to us as to how they would ant to run and maintain the generator. They’re still trying to do the framework and secure it somewhere.

The Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy is talking about rural electrification. Arcelor Mittal is saying that with their new power plant they’re going to build, they’ll electrify the city for a minimum cost. So we are working with them as regards electrifying the City of Buchanan. However, the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy is now looking at rural electrification in terms of mini-hydro, bio-fuel technology, etc.

For now, Buchanan City is relying on the two generators and the Bassa-Liberia Business Association is doing a survey as to what is prudent and reasonable to sell current, who do you sell it to and at what time frame. That whole process is being managed not by government but by the Bassa-Liberia Business Association.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Grand Bassa County had a lot of ex-combatants following disarmament and demobilization. What their situation as we speak?

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL: The ex-combatants are her. They now call themselves “progressive youth” which we have been working with them to some level. About three months ago NCDDRR said they were launching the final phase of the program. We attended it and the final case load was established as being in the hundreds. So of them underwent skills training from LOIC, USAID, ADRA and were able to get a job with some of these companies.

TRADING ACCUSATIONS

"Firestone is claiming that LAC is buying their rubber; LAC is claiming that Firestone is buying their rubber; Firestone and LAC are saying that Salala Rubber Company is buying their rubber. So we have all of these companies trading accusations."

For the ones that did not get work, BR said they would hire some and Arcelor Mittal said they would hire the rest. Whatever MOU that was signed between NCDDRR and Arcelor Mittal in training these ex-combatants and youth, I was told that Arcelor Mittal could not keep up their part of the bargain. I’m not sure, because I was in Monrovia and happened to have met with them, they do not have a training facility for heavy mechanics and other skilled workers; that’s why they sent a number of Liberians to South Africa for training. They stated that they cannot absorb these ex-combatants for training. These boys want to be trained in driving, mechanics and the lack but Arcelor Mittal does not have facilities here. So what they’ve said, I don’t know whether this was not brought up in the negotiation with the NCDDRR or they mistook it, but they told these people they were going to be provided on the job training. So Arcelor Mittal said we can’t take them because we don’t have the facilities but find anywhere to put them and we’ll pay the money.

Through all this, I was told that the YMCA got involved and they would be the mediator between NCDDRR, Arcelor Mittal and the ex-combatants. Time is of essence. The ones sent to BR are working and under training. The ones sent to Mittal Steel have heard nothing. They approached me about two weeks ago at a leadership meeting and I said look give me a chance to talk to Arcelor Mittal and NCDDRR. In the process we had the cabinet retreat in Kakata and I had to leave to go to. I came back and I had to go to the Agriculture Fair in District #3. I was told they came to the office here, I wasn’t here and I was told that there was a meeting on the Fair Ground and they decided to go there because they thought I was there; but after I spoke to the leader of the group, I decided that is was time that we meet with the parties. These boys say they want something durable rather than brush the city and along the highways.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: What’s the way forward?

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL: Good question you asked but I was not part of the planning. If I was part of the planning I think all of these things would have been put on the table from the get-go. What is the way forward? Is to talk to both groups when the come in before we meet with these ex-combatants, because we have to have something definite to tell them, because it has the propensity to turn into something different if something is not done right away. However, they have been very considerate; talking about 52 persons.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Just two final questions – the rubber brokers issue. What’s happening with the rubber brokers association in your county?

ELECTRICITY DILEMMA

"For now, Buchanan City is relying on the two generators and the Bassa-Liberia Business Association is doing a survey as to what is prudent and reasonable to sell current, who do you sell it to and at what time frame. That whole process is being managed not by government but by the Bassa-Liberia Business Association."

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL: I’ve gotten a lot of complaints from citizens, precisely Compound # 1 to 3 that since the opening of the different buying stations at the various locations, the criminal rate has gone up and it’s all because people coming from Firestone, LAC, Weala walking around with even up to US$100, 000 in their bags and buying rubber. They are buying rubber from those stealing rubber from the poor farmers in these areas trying to survive.

When we were growing up on my father’s farm, in order to sell rubber you had to have a farm. Your card indicated the size of your farm and you knew what time of the year to sell rubber. You just didn’t sell rubber any time of the year and what quantity of rubber to sell. Now-a-days everybody is selling rubber.

Unfortunately, the people who are selling rubber do not have any farms. So my question is what are the guidelines that these brokers are using to purchase rubber from these people? Firestone is claiming that LAC is buying their rubber; LAC is claiming that Firestone is buying their rubber; Firestone and LAC are saying that Salala Rubber Company is buying their rubber. So we have all of these companies trading accusations.

That’s why I put a freeze on these buying stations in the county. I’ve just fond out that the rubber association and the various rubber companies have been meeting with the Ministries of Agriculture and Justice to put together a set of guidelines to govern their work. They’ve just e-mail it to me. I’ve not printed it yet to peruse before the meeting later today.

This is what I’m talking about. You’re talking about decentralization. You have all of these companies coming to do business in the county. If such a meeting is going on, somebody from the Superintendent’s Office should be a part of the meeting so we know. If I had not put a freeze on the brokers buying rubber in the county, I would not have known they’ve established guidelines already and only waiting for the President to peruse and give her approval on.

We don’t want to reinvent the wheel, but we want to know. We are saying if decentralization is to take place, the county authorities need to be in the know as to what is happening.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Finally, your thoughts on anything I didn’t touch on during the interview.

BOOMING CITY

"The post office; you can mail a letter today and it can be in the US in about a week’s time. The post office is functional. The list goes on and on. The port is functional. CEMENCO has a depot here. A lot of the counties do not have what we have. We have Sethi Brothers; we have Eagle Store. So you don’t have to go to Monrovia to buy building materials."

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL: Well, you first question posed to me as to what have we accomplish since we’ve been Superintendent almost three years?

We can say to you and we are proud to say since we came, not only have we tried to bring the people together and to give them that sense of security that yes good things can come out of Grand Bassa County only if the people work together, but this administrative building was renovated. You can see that when we came the whole building was leaking; there was leaking all in our office. When we came, in the past as old as Grand Bassa is there’s never been a Superintendent’s residence in this county and we came having nowhere to sleep. The first three weeks we slept at LAC Guest House. We fixed a place in Arcelor Mittal Compound where we could be. But we said no, we’re too far from the people.

We, now through the County Development Fund, have built a Superintendent’s Compound that anybody wanting to come to this county have a place because prior Superintendents always had their own residences in the county. So now anybody wanting to be Superintendent, there is an official Superintendent’s Compound with a guest house that can host government officials and we can boast of. Other counties had superintendent’s residence before but they’re all damaged. I don’t think any of them have rehabilitated any of theirs so far.

Also, throughout our five statutory districts, nine administrative districts – if you went to District #1, on the civil compound, we just rehabilitated and renovated the administrative building. In #1, also, if you went to Lloydville, you will see the Town hall and the Commissioner’s Office there that has been renovated. If you went to Edina City, the city hall was renovated there too and is functioning.

In District #2, if you went on the Civil Compound, the Commissioner’s Office is being renovated and it’s there. Also in Tubmanville, there’s the Tubmanville Town hall is being built.

In District #3, they already have an office there. So we did a guest house there and did some roads there.

If you went to District #4 on the Civil Compound, there’s a newly built building for the Commissioner. We’re trying to put back the strength in local government; trying to build from that level so the authority can be exerted through their office. They can have a place to meet. We’ve also done some WATSAN projects around the county depending on what the people say they want in their district.

In Bejoe Town, the Commissioner there too also has his office that was renovated through the county development Fund. The Demonstration Elementary School was also renovated through the County Development Fund. We’re also doing some benches too for places where there are school buildings but no seating capacity.

Those are some of the things we’ve done. Through the administration, as well as other donors, if you can remember, the Police Station used to be in this building. Through UNOPS and the Norwegian Government, we have a separate police station and only a sub-station in this building.

The post office; you can mail a letter today and it can be in the US in about a week’s time. The post office is functional. The list goes on and on. The port is functional. CEMENCO has a depot here. A lot of the counties do not have what we have. We have Sethi Brothers; we have Eagle Store. So you don’t have to go to Monrovia to buy building materials.

You have all the major banks here in Buchanan. You have Central Bank that’s housed in this building. This building houses almost all of the line ministries.

We have LBDI; we have ECO Bank in the loop and another branch on Tubman Street. We have Global Bank and we have UBA that’s coming to construct a building just down the road. We have TOTAL gas station here.

If the authorities were not open to investment and informing the people as to what is happening, we wouldn’t have all the attraction we’re getting in this county. I think it’s through our leadership and the cooperation of people that these things are happening to our people.

FRONTPAGEAFRICA: Any message to you compatriots in Liberia and those in the Diaspora?

SUPERINTENDENT JULIA DUNCAN CASSELL: My message is that Liberia is for us all and there’s no where else that we have to go but home. This is our home. We should all find our identity with our particular county. Right now we are planning for this county the “Dumboy Festival”. Dumboy is unique to Grand Bassa County. The first agriculture fair in Liberia was held in 1966 in this county. We are saying that we want to continue that legacy.

December 12, 13, 14 are going to be a three-day event where we are launching the Grand Bassa Educational Endowment Fund. So, we are asking all of our brothers and sisters to come back home and assist us in the educational sector, health sector any which way that they can. The atmosphere is here. Grand Bassa is okay for tourism. So part of our three-day festival is to show case what we have and could happen in this county.