GANTA, Nimba – The construction of the Ganta New Market has been at a standstill since March 2015 when the roofing stage of the project was completed.

It is unclear when the project, which is funded by the UN Women and supervised by the Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund, will be completed.

Speaking to The Bush Chicken in Ganta, the head of the Gompa City Corporation, Benjamin S. Dokpa Sr. explained the cause of the delay in the project.

“I spoke to Mr. Sekou Konneh, who was once the head of the Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund, and he told me the reason that the market project has come to a standstill is because those who are heads of the project have all left the country and are in America on vacations,” Dokpa said. The mayor expressed concern that project leaders may be wasting government resources.

The New Market construction officially started in 2014 and was expected to be presented to the people of Ganta in July 2015, but six months later and the building is only halfway complete.

Another view of the unfinished Ganta New Market. Photo: Arrington Ballah

Dokpa says he has started negotiating with both the district representative, Jeremiah Koung, and the head of the contract to have the remaining cement taken out of the warehouse and sold to avoid damages.

He said the money received would be kept until the project is ready to continue.

In 2009, a special Land investigation committee was set up by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to look into matters of land dispute in Ganta. The committee was headed by the current Liberian Football Association president Musa Bility.

Bility recommended that Sirleaf declare eminent domain to build a market in the area of dispute. The maneuver would give the government the right to expropriate the property for public use with compensation. He made the suggestion because several individuals and families were making claims to the land in a situation where it was not clear who truly owned the land.

Later, the land in question was declared government property under eminent domain, but a new location in the Deakehmein community was identified as the location of the new market.

 Featured photo by Arrington Ballah