IPNEWS: The Port of Buchanan in Grand Bassa County is sitting on a time bomb and the entire facility could be destroyed by intensifying sea erosion if nothing tangible is done to avert this threat.
The Buchanan Port which sits on a land space of 16,000 acres, is regarded as the biggest port in the country, but major operations havse been threatened by massive sea erosion.
Speaking to a team of reporters at the weekend during a second in a series of visit by central administration of the National Port Authorities (NPA), Director Jonathan Lambort Kaipay informed reporters that the entire costal defense wall erected several decades ago is has been broken with the vexing sea eroding into the main facility. The visit was led by the Executive Director for Communications at the NPA Mr. Pewee Baysay.
Kaipay, a former Senator of Grand Bassa County, disclosed that he has informed the Legislature through the wing of the Liberian Senate for intervention through allocation for the construction of a well-built costal defense wall.
In an alarming tone, Mr. Kaipay urged government to see take the matter at hand at the port as a national emergency by doing needful.
Due to the constant erosion with the latest being the latter part of last month, the Buchanan Port Manager disclosed that properties have been destroyed.
He said this has also put some anticipated investment plans by many companies in harm ways.
“Sea erosion is affecting the entire Buchanan, most specifically this port. The Senate is having a retreat here, and so we thought it wise to reach out to them so that they will come and see these challenges. We are expecting their visit by tomorrow. My appeal is that they must see this as a national emergency. We need to put money in the budget for the costal defense project. We need to avert this situation.”
“The port remains strategic for the national recovery of our country. The port users’ opportunities plus future investment are at stake and so there is a need for urgency.”
Kaipay noted that it would cost a little over US$2M to do the entire costal defense of Buchanan, and so perhaps, a little over a million United States Dollars would help solve the situation at the Port.
