IPNEWS: Questions are now mounting over whether or not Shawky Fawaz, chief Executive officer of SSF Construction is working for the opposition against the interest of both the government of Liberia and the people of Grand Cape Mount County.

It is now three years since President George Weah made a promise to the people of Grand Cape Mount County during his nationwide county tour that his government would pave the first 15 miles of the Madina to Robertsport Road beginning from the Madina junction.

The company that was singlehandedly chosen was SSF Construction Company owned by a Lebanese businessman and mafia Shawki Fawaz, a one-time GAC inductee under the former Unity Party-led government for massive corruption.

SSF Construction Company was recommended by some of his cronies in the Weah’s led government according to sources. Sources tell IPNEWS that the cronies misled the president into believing that SSF would pre-finance the project and have the project done within no time.

Nearly two years have passed since the government did not have the direct funding for the project, the President agreed that SSF be awarded the project on a single source (no objections), when the project was awarded to SSF, sources tell IPNEWS that SSF had no means to pre-finance the project and all the banks refused to give loans for the project.

A source within SSF tells IPNEWS that Mr. Fawaz used his contacts in the government to prevail on the Ministries of public works and Finance to make funding available for the project. Since the project was a major priority for the president and the government, both Ministries decided to make the resources available for the start of the project.

SSF Construction Company didn’t provide a dime for the project as they lied to the president that they would pre-finance the project. The project became a government-sponsored project but on the contrary, Mr. Fawz began to divert the funding that the Ministry of Finance provided for the Robertsport Road Project to other unfinished projects that he has, thereby delaying the Robertsport Road Project and making the president look like a liar to the people of Cape Mount.

Fawaz also allegedly switched the project starting point from Madina junction to Robertsport City. Instead of the project starting from Madina junction, the project is now starting from Robertsport city.

“We also gathered that Mr. Fawaz has been telling the people of Cape Mount that it is the government that is responsible for the delay of the project.” A source narrates

In November 2021, the Government of Liberia announced that construction works on the Madina–Robertsports road in Grand Cape Mount County would start.

The announcement, by Acting Public Works Minister Ruth Cocker-Collins, followed the signing and awarding of the contract to SSF Entrepreneur by the Government through the Ministry of Public Works.

Madam Cocker-Collins, speaking during an assessment of the project site, said the project is worth US$7.18 million under a pre-finance arrangement.

She said the Madina – Robertsports road project is a major initiative of the Government, adding that the Public Works Ministry will assign its engineers and monitors to the project to work closely with the contractors for its successful implementation. She clarified that the road will remain pliable while the construction works continue.

Since its inception in 2018, the Weah-led government, through its flagship development agenda, the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD), has made the construction of roads its top priority.

The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works, has constructed several roads in Monrovia and its surroundings. These roads, paved with asphalt and concrete, have linked several neighborhoods.

Despite these efforts, access to rural areas still remains strained with large numbers of rural communities inaccessible, in particular, during the now-endless rainy season. The Government, knowing fully well that service provision to rural areas is key to addressing poverty in Liberia, has made road construction its top priority.

It may be recalled that top officials of government including Minister of State Nathaniel McGill, Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, Senator Zoe Emmanuel Pennue of Grand Gedeh County, and other officials took a visit to Robertsport Road to ascertain the damage that occurred on the road due to erosion.

Then Acting Public Works Minister said all was set to begin on the Robertsport Road at the end of November 2021, beginning with the entire length of the road of 41.5 kilometres.

“We have completed the process to get our contractor on the road and in the dry season, the work on the road will get started. The first 15 kilometers will get started. We are completing the contracting and will come to the public to say how much the road will cost,” Minister Collins said.

According to the Minister of Public Works, based on the concern relating to the damage to the road, a team of contractors is carrying on what she termed as temporary work before actual construction work can start.

“So, we actually came because of the concern the people have raised that the road broke. And so, we could not sit back and wait for the dry season to come; it concerns us, and that is why we have come to see the problem,” she said.

Madam Collins added: “The spot that got spoiled, I think you can see we have brought everything out of the covert and the contractor will get it fixed. Even though we will fix it temporarily, we are going to make sure that it is ok for cars to pile on it before we can finish the road.”

At the same time, former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Mr. McGill, said President Weah has decided that his administration will connect every county capital. He added that the President has instructed that the road be paved with asphalt.

“The President has committed himself to make sure that the road is fixed and when we say ‘fixed’, we are going to put asphalt pavement. The intent is the entire 41.5 kilometers of the road should be completed before the President’s first tenure ends, that is his goal,” Minister McGill said.

He added, “On behalf of the President, we are here. The President sent us to come to see the job. You know the last time when the President was here, he said he wants to fix this road and so when the road was cut, the President reminded us that not just to fix the bridge or the place that is cut but to make sure that we fix the entire road.

“The President came to Grand Cape Mount and he made a commitment and you know the President is a ‘talk and do’. The President says this is not the time to sit in the offices. Monrovia is not Liberia. Liberia belongs to every sector, there are people who are outside of Monrovia that deserve better,” he said.

Grand Cape Mount County is noted for its tourist attraction as one of the best areas in the world to practice surfing. Adding up, the Minister of Finance said the road, when completed will boost the tourism sector of the country.

“This road could improve our tourism sector for the future. So, we need to make the investment here for businesses to come here so that tourists can ride on good roads to come to Grand Cape Mount County,” Minister Tweah said.

According to him, the current leadership at the Ministry of Information is doing well by rebranding the tourism sector and the government is going to provide more funding to the sector.

“You can see the beauty, the ocean is right behind us, in 10 years to come, and when you come here you will see that this landscape will be different, Grand Cape Mount tourism sector will be different. They say this is one of the best surfing places in the world. So, the Germans, the Americans, and people from all around the world will be trooping here,” she said.

He added: “The President came here, and he drove on this road during his county tour and he was very strong [in saying] that we have to fix this road. So, I say the Ministry of Finance under the mandate of the President will do all it can to find the money to fix this road.”

Also speaking, the Co-Chair on Public Works and Rural Development at the Liberian Senate, Zoe E. Pennue, was glad to be part of the team to do an inspection on the road.

Senator Pennue added: “We can assure you that the Committee on Public Works will work along with the Executive to make sure that the entire road in Liberia including the Southeastern Road is fixed.”