Quite frankly, and from the strike of any imagination, the President did not have to surprisingly travel on the A. B. Tolbert Road from the Roberts International Airfield after attending a summit in Japan before expressing grave shock about the fantastic re-mixed washboard and pot-holes road that truly characterized the A. B. Tolbert Road situated in the heart of the renowned erstwhile Paynesward and now Paynesville.
Interestingly so, the stretch of road from GSA Junction straight to Parker Paint Area with emphasis on the Redlight Community has been in a very terrible shape punctuated with insecurity-driven holes that profoundly stalled the free flow of traffic and most often causing uneasiness for the pedestrians who will have to be dodging cars shying away from the hole-infested road, motorbike riders who are unconcerned about observing the traffic rules as well as escaping from operators of heavily loaded wheel-barrows that spring up abruptly in every direction.
The irony here is that not that the President has not travelled on that stretch lumbered with such grave security (traffic) obstacles, but what has often been observed is that when information about the President’s travel on that frustrating Redlight Road so to call it gets out, one will quickly see road maintenance crew carrying out some overnight half-baked damage control (patching) as a gift of impression for the President in order to divert her attention and providing no room for quizzical reaction.
But unlike the now notoriously condemned A. B. Tolbert Road where no advance notice was sent out thereby enabling the Yes Sir men to perform what they are good at during overnight only to appease the President and not the people who are destined to utilize the facilities as a result of their taxes and the proceeds accrued from the management of their bountiful resources, the tale of the A. B. Tolbert Road should in no way disturb the President to the point of vowing not to travel on it any more.
As it was in the beginning, did her campaign trail of 2005 and 2011 not take her to the A. B. Tolbert Road or her campaign teams had no expectation of reaching out to those bona fide Liberians who were equally part and parcel of the elections’ process; let alone forming a part of places targeted to benefit from roads and other developmental projects as enshrined in the platform of the now second term cruising incumbent?
With all due courtesy, while the President enjoys the luxury of air travels it should have descended upon the Chief Executive who is under Constitutional obligation to ensure that the reflections of their (people’s) taxes and proceeds from their rich and attractive resources are at least felt in wheresoever they may dwell through the roads, bridges and other factors of production among others as she continues to benefit from the air travels. Moreover, this President is no stranger to the City of Monrovia. During her tedious years as a key player in the opposition community, her voice was never ever silent on compelling the previous administrations to deliver to the people those most needed goods and services as well as making practically real their social responsibilities to the wellbeing of the state and people.
The current Chief Executive has long been well informed about the growing setbacks hampering the growth and development of this country and politically, that’s where she drew her strength to take the bull by the horn with the guarantee of turning things around and changing impediments confronting infrastructure expansion to a positive, fruitful and praiseworthy reality and achievements, the respect for social justice and the rule of law based on due process coupled with other promises.
Besides the cursed A. B. Tolbert Road, it has been widely circulated that had the President made it known that she would be driving on the Redlight Road a day before the reckless container tragically ended the life of a little young Liberian school boy who was crying pathetically with death frozen in his eyes calling on bystanders to cut off his stuck hand so that he can remain alive because of the death-threatening road marred with dangerous holes; obviously, the tragedy would not have existed in the first place because those overnight road maintenance crew would have patched up most of those death-driven holes before the President drives through.
Since Sunday, few days after the death of the poor little young Liberian school boy, people can be seen fanning the heat at the Redlight by patching holes and struggling to put in place some measures that will ease the burden placed on the road; some thing they could not have ever dreamt of until after a young Liberian school boy had to be the victim of others’ irresponsible awareness to ensure that the road is kept out of danger range, thereby turning out as the sacrificial lamb at the heart break of the family members, friends, sympathizers and a great lost to the Republic of Liberia.
The President knew all about the A. B. Tolbert and Jamaica Roads including other roads in and around the city long time ago and most importantly as far back as in the beginning. Vexation is not the solution, calling on officials to lead or step aside is a belated vibration, what is of paramount concern is making good out of a very bad and distasteful situation.
Make no mistake, people of this nation ,the Chief Executive was told of the fate of the roads, bridges and other most needed infrastructure as far back as in the beginning.
