Ahead of their return from this year's agriculture break, some lawmakers of Liberia's 53rd national legislature are busy holding consultations with residents in their respective constituencies about their engagements and disengagements at the Capitol Building since their election a little over a year ago in October 2011.Of course, residents of some communities are complaining that they are yet to see their lawmakers whom they entrusted to represent them at the Capitol Building.
Among those busy with their voters is Montserrado County electoral district number two lawmaker, Sekou S. Kanneh, who over the weekend concluded consultations with residents of 19 communities in his electoral constituency.
During these series of consultations, the Montserrado Lawmaker informed his people that for the first time in history, plans are far advanced for the commencement of construction of a public high school in the district, assuring them that their children and relatives will now have the opportunity to attend affordable school at the benefit and advantage of poor parents and guardians.
He said the project will also benefit even well-to-do parents and guardians who are constrained to send their kids to schools out of the district because of the lack of a public high school.
The project, which is estimated at Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars by the Ministry of Education, is being funded by the Liberian Government through, what the lawmaker calls, mature and productive lobby with colleagues at the Capitol Building.
In the current fiscal budget (2012/2013), an amount of US$150,000 has been allocated for the start of construction works, which the lawmaker said is expected soon.
Stressing the importance of having a public high school in his district, Hon. Kanneh expressed hope that the amount can be increase to Two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars or even more for continuation of the project.
In the last budget year, the amount of US$ 2.4 million was given to Montserrado County as share of the CDF, of which US$151,340,000 was given district two.
The amount, as recommended by the District Development Council (DDC), has been broken down among four competing priorities. An amount of US$ 45,000 has been allocated for the construction of clinic in Mount Barclay; US$ 65,000 for the construction of a youth center in Jacob's Town; US$ 30,000 for the construction of a market at Peace Island and US$ 10,000 for the provision of scholarships to residents of the district's nineteen communities at various universities in Monrovia.
The names of beneficiaries have already been recommended and submitted by the communities and they are now on the desk of Montserrado County Superintendent Grace B. Kpan awaiting action.
The lawmaker assured constituents of his hopes that the amount in scholarship contribution will increase in next budget year.
Hon. Kanneh, Co-Chairman of the House of Representatives' Standing Committee on Investment and Concession, reported to his constituents that during his tenure as their representative, he has been able to fund, from his private resources, rehabilitation of major roads in the district, including those of Niklay Town, St. Francis and Peace Island communities.
The projects were made possible with the help of the Ministry of Public Works. Another road rehabilitation project is being discussed with the Ministry of Public Works. The road connects Johnsonville, Dry Rice Market and Mt. Barclay.
Rep. Kanneh is also member of various committees on Public Accounts, Transport, Commerce and Industry at the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, the Montserrado lawmaker has announced the enrollment of a batch of thirty five (35) students into phase two of a self-sponsored Community Empowerment Program (CEP). This records seventy (70) Liberians now that have benefitted from CEP, which the lawmaker's office has estimated at over Three Thousand United States Dollars.
Few months ago, about the first batch of thirty students from the district graduated from intense computer training.
Apart from the CEP, the lawmaker has personally spent over Six Hundred Thousand Liberian Dollars in scholarship funds since his incumbency in 2011.
