Margibi County — A FrontPage Africa investigation has learned that the construction of the US$1.5 modern high school project under the Ministry of Education’s Improving Results in Secondary Education (IRISE) Project with funding from the World Bank has been stalled despite the near completion of similar projects in Bong and Nimba Counties.
The MOE’s IRISE Project in Liberia on October 13, 2022, broke ground and turned over ten acres of land to Liberian-owned JLN incorporated construction firm to begin the construction of the US$1.5 million state-of-the-art senior secondary school in Kakata City.
The IRISE’s project focuses on improving equitable access to quality secondary education with an emphasis on the preparedness of senior secondary students in public schools.
The Kakata modern high school project, similar to the two in Bong and Nimba that got simultaneously started, was expected to be completed in 14 months and was to be dedicated within the term of former President George M. Weah.
According to reports, the stalled Kakata proposed ‘Model School’ is a complex comprising three Academic Buildings to host Classrooms, Administrative Areas, Laboratories, and Multi-purpose learning spaces with necessary functional site utilities and external site and recreation facilities.
The project started with a semblance of progress as the walls were raised to slab level but would soon stall without any reason from the authority.
The project reported abandonment has triggered concerns from citizens of Margibi County raising concerns.
“We are interested to know the reason behind the abandonment of this project when other counties are celebrating the near completion of their school projects.”, an educator who wished to be anonymous remarked.
Continuing, he stated, “Someone must say something. We are aware that this project construction was to be carried out within 14 months, but how come the project is not completed and is being abandoned?”
Meanwhile, authorities in Margibi County, especially educational authorities remained tapplipped on the project abandonment due to reported little or no information on the situation that led to the project being stalled.
