Careless Leadership lands Bassa Citizens in Abject Poverty and Leaves the County Underdeveloped

A prominent son of Grand Bassa County, Rev. Wynston Dixon,  says careless leaders are continuously landing citizens of Grand Bassa County into abject poverty and keeping the county undeveloped.

Grand Bassa County, a jewel of untapped potential, is strategically nestled by the Atlantic Ocean and home to four significant concessions—Liberia Agricultural Company (LAC), Equatorial Palm Oil (EPO), and MMG Gold—the highest number in the country. This abundance of resources, coupled with the presence of several logging companies, paints a picture of a county brimming with opportunities, eagerly awaiting exemplary leadership to unlock its full potential.

Rev. Dixon said “It is a fortunate circumstance to have a multibillion-dollar company in Bassa. ArcelorMittal Liberia contributes one million dollars to the county each year; that’s 10 million dollars over the last ten years. However, despite this, Grand Bassa County remains underdeveloped. The question arises: why?  Is it a lack of leadership or corruption of the leaders? This contrast is glaring when we witness our leaders driving $80,000 vehicles, seeking healthcare abroad, and sending their children and grandchildren overseas for education. Meanwhile, Ma Musu’s children and grandchildren succumb to a lack of medical services, and Ma Yatti’s children receive subpar education.”

He furthered “We are all too familiar with the challenges in our county; there is no need to reiterate them here. Instead, let’s reflect on what could have swiftly transpired in our beloved county if we had leaders with foresight over the past decade. Imagine a scenario where every container entering Liberia by sea doesn’t have to pass through the Freeport of Monrovia. Grand Bassa hosts the Second-Largest Port in Liberia (Port of Buchanan). Instead, operating on a three-shift schedule, the Port of Buchanan becomes a significant employment hub, providing opportunities for at least 5,000 of our citizens. This is the potential we could have realized with visionary leadership.”

Rev.  Dixon stressed that the leaders could have saved a lot of money by leasing/purchasing the existing structure of the Faith Healing Temple of Jesus Christ campus in Upper Buchanan instead of building a new university campus., adding that the late Mother Wilhelmina Dukuly started it as a school, and it is located on the oceanfront, making it an ideal location for a university.

“The sea breeze would make the learning environment more comfortable for the students. The county could have spent less than $500,000 to have a modern university, purchase five new buses for transportation, and pave the three-mile road from Lower Buchanan to Upper Buchanan, compared to the current structure that costs 1.5 million dollars and looks more like a chicken farm. The only way to access the current university is through a death trap bridge that puts our students’ lives at risk daily.”

Rev. Dixon in his view asserted that Grand Bassa County should be fully electrified. The CLSG Power Station, located in the Benson River Community, is to supply electricity to Grand Bassa. All that is needed is for the country to pay its debt and distribute the power. “That Power Station is brightly lit at night while the entire county sits in darkness. The people’s resources are used to run the generators of these failed leaders.” 

Rev. Dixon called for the building of a state-of-the-art cold storage where fishermen/women could store their fish in the morning after fishing all night and ship them to different places for sale. That would create many new jobs.

“Bassa High School and all the other high schools in the county should have a state-of-the-art Science laboratory and Computer Lab. After ten years, please name three high schools that meet those criteria. Each district in the county should have a fully stocked state-of-the-art clinic, which would create jobs for nurses and doctors and provide the medical services needed by the suffering masses.”

Rev. Dixon unveiled possible investment strategies, “the leaders need to envision a public transit railroad system from Nimba through Bong and Grand Bassa Counties to Rivercess County. Envision the current Liberian Government Hospital, a referral hospital, could have been replaced with a state-of-the-art 300-bed capacity hospital with access to performing EKGs, CAT scans, etc., a burn unit, a state-of-the-art delivery department, and a dental and vision department. Operating with a 1.5-million-dollar budget, it could be a model hospital.”

“Envision purchasing two Brand New Vehicles for the Police Department yearly. Envision the establishment of a modern fire department for the county. Envision dissolving the Legislative caucus and establishing a County Development Committee that would operate with a plan and a timetable for implementing that plan. Our Legislators are to deal with policies and oversight, not run the county.”

“Imagine LAMCO left many houses in several of the loops in Bassa. Grass and weeds have taken over some of them. Envision that those houses could be renovated and given to some of our school administrators, teachers, and nurses to live in to supplement their meager salaries. These nice concrete houses only need a roof, windows, and doors.”

Rev. Dixon, who hails from Owesgrove,  mentioned that the Farmington River Bridge has become a death trap. Several of the railings are missing, and parts of the bridge are coming apart. Our senators and representatives cross this bridge weekly to attend sessions. Envision having all the significant bridges inspected every five years.

“The primary road to Buchanan must be restriped at least every five years. Six feet of Asphalt on both sides of the road are covered with bushes. Broken-down vehicles must remain on the main road, which has caused several deaths. Envision an active Public Works Department in the county.”

“Who owns Hotel Buchanan? Rumor has it that it is owned by one of our Senators and a former president. Regardless of who owns it, what is more important is whether the hotel pays royalties to the city of Buchanan for using its name. I challenge all Bassa media outlets to do investigative reporting and answer these two questions.  Envision the vast amount of royalties that the county has lost.”

Rev. Dixon in a teary mood closed this statements in memory of Little Susan Tiah, who died a week ago, which was an unnecessary death at the Liberian Government Hospital.

“I will quote a portion of the article published by Ablee-Jay Media after the unfortunate ncident.’’

It was a sad moment at the Liberian Government Hospital in Buchanan after 6-year-old Susan Tiah was pronounced dead after she was involved in a tragic fire outbreak in Buchanan.

Little Susan Tiah, who comes from an unprivileged family, got severely injured in a fire outbreak on Monday, April 22, leaving her entire body burned.

Susan was rushed to the Liberia Government Hospital for treatment. However, the necessary medications were unavailable until the Board of Ablee-Jay Media responded to an SOS call by providing USD 200 for the medication and transferring the child to the JFK Hospital in Monrovia.

Medications prescribed by the hospital were purchased to treat the kid, but the doctors found it very difficult to find the vein of little Susan due to the severe burn on the body and lack of the adequate machines needed at the point to detect the vein.

Anthony Johnson, another bystander, told reporters that there’s no need for the citizens to vote for representatives and Senators, claiming that they’re not leaders who have refused to work together to push one agenda in the interest of the Liberian people.

“It saddens my heart to see an old hospital catering to thousands of patients daily struggling to operate due to low budgetary allotment.”

He furthered, “It’s a shame on the leaders of Grand Bassa who have served for over nine years without transforming this hospital but pretend to be good during elections. We know the child’s condition was critical, but the struggle to get medication and the lack of sophisticated machines at the hospital hampered the kid too.”

The crying parents were captured walking out frustrated and crying in the name of their leaders to ensure that the hospital was fully supported.

Dixon stressed “one comment made by a reader of the article is: “If that child belonged to an official in this government, he or she would be flown out of Liberia for better health while we who elected them can be going through those difficulties.”

He warned those hailing leaders that are doing the wrong things to stop.

“Please, the sycophants who are always paid to write positive things about our failed leaders please do not sell your integrity for a few hundred dollars and sacrifice the future of our young people. I visited Bassa in March last year. I was deeply disappointed by how dirty, bushy, and undeveloped it was. In my opinion, the county leaders have committed economic crimes against the citizens of our beloved county.”

“Envision if we had good leaders over the last ten years. With a county so blessed with natural and financial resources, every resident child of Bassa should be offered a FREE education from kindergarten to sixth grade, including free textbooks and other necessary school supplies. Free means there are no additional fees for anything academic. An Endowment fund should be established for all colleges and high schools in the county to provide essential funding for the future of these institutions.  Because of the mismanagement of our resources in the county, young girls are prostituting themselves to support their families. Young boys and girls are selling all day and not being educated. 80% of our schools lack adequate furnishings like chairs, desks, whiteboard /blackboard.” 

“Just as we have the right to applaud them, we have the right to boo them, and that is all they deserve. The people of Bassa deserve better, and we will demand better for our citizens. I call upon all groups, UNIBOA, Bassa High Alumina Association, the Youth Group of Bassa, the Women Group, the Bishops, Clergy, and the churches in and out of Bassa, connected to Bassa, to join the fight to free our suffering masses of Grand Bassa from poverty.  It is the people’s right to benefit from all these concessions in the county, not just the leaders.’’