SINJE TOWN, Feb. 7 (LINA) -The Assistant Clan Chief of Kiazolu Clan-II in Grand Cape Mount County, Chief Jomo Kiazolu, has expressed concern about the importation of light poles into the country for use by the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC).
The Chief’s statement comes in the wake of the ongoing light poles erection along the Ibrahim Babangida Highway, a project which is being implemented by LEC.
In an interview with the Liberia News Agency recently in Sinje Town, Chief Kiazolu said it saddens him to see a country with high quality woods that can be used for light poles continue to import woods from other countries for erection as light poles.
According to Chief Kiazolu, currently the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) plantation in Zaway Town, Garwula District, has quality woods that were planted purposefully for light poles but are not being used by national government.
“In 2015, we had a district meeting in which the then Managing Director of LEC was in attendance where we officially turned the woods over to the LEC,” Chief Kiazolu narrated.
“The LEC official told us that people could purchase the trees and use them for light poles in this country,’’ he added.
The Kiazolu Clan Chief revealed that the clan is shocked to see LEC importing woods which, he described as substandard, while quality woods in the plantation are not being used.
Meanwhile, Clan Chief Kiazolu is calling on the Government of Liberia to see reason to go into the plantation to get trees for light poles.
In 1979, when there was an increase in logging activity and hunt for timber, the Government of Liberia out of fear of deforestation in the country, decided to establish a plantation to grow trees.
With funding and technical assistance from the German Government through GTZ, the Government of Liberia secured ten thousand acres of land in Zaway Town, Garwula District, Grand Cape Mount County and planted mainly Palm Carribia trees, a tree that is used for light poles.
Other trees that were planted on the FDA Plantation include the Acacia tree which is used to produce pencils and matches.
Currently there are several thousands of trees in the FDA plantation in Zaway Town but due to prolonged unused, several have overgrown.
