[By: Pewu Y. Sumo]
Monrovia — Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah has said that the government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Public Works, has ruled out the asphalt paving of roads across the country due to constant rain. He termed the weather conditions during this time of the year a “strange phenomenon.”
Minister Piah issued the clarification at today’s Ministry of Information (MOI) press briefing. The Information Minister said his colleague from the Ministry of Public Works was very clear that the government would not take the risk of constructing or rehabilitating roads with asphalt while it is raining.
“The Public Works Minister, at the just-ended cabinet meeting, was clear that there is no way he can take the risk to build the roads with asphalt while it is raining because it will be a waste of resources,” Minister Piah said, referencing the statement made by the Public Works Minister.
According to the government spokesperson, the strange situation of persistent rain has slowed the pace at which the Ministry of Public Works has been operating.
“Sometimes, when it is raining, you ask yourself whether you are in November or December,” Minister Piah remarked.
Minister Piah’s statement, however, has stirred debate as to whether this “strange heavy downpour of rain” is merely an excuse to halt asphalt paving in Liberia. When quizzed about a remedy for the situation, the Information Minister maintained that the government is only able to pave durable roads with asphalt during sunshine.
It can be recalled that in 2022, Madam Ruth Coker-Collins, the then Minister of Public Works, linked the slow pace of the RIA Highway construction to “climate change” and heavy rains. Her statement at the time drew huge criticism from the opposition community, which impacted the outcome of the 2023 general and presidential elections.
At the time, Madam Coker-Collins stated that “climate change” and persistent rainfall were the primary reasons work had stalled.
She argued that engineers could not perform backfilling or paving during the heavy downpours, leading to the hazardous conditions—including mud and deep holes—that frustrated commuters. The Unity Party (then in opposition) used this situation as a key campaign message.
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