The Office of the Superintendent of Maryland County has blamed the continuous closure of the Harper Community Radio Station on the lack of interest shown by stakeholders.
Trainer Bill Jarkloh standing infront of the Harper City Hall in Cape Palmas The comment by the Office of the Superintendent was a response to inquiries by a team of community radio trainers of the Liberia Media Center (LMC). The LMC trainers visited the county late November but found that the station has been closed since March 2011 due to transmitter deficiency.
But the Administrative Assistant to the County Superintendent, Daniel Williams, reasons that the station has been off the air because neglect as it is not usually considered in the allocation of development funds of the County. He spoke with me in Harper City, Maryland County.
Mr. Williams said Radio Harper is an important tool in stimulating development and social works in the county, appealing to the County authorities and people of the County to considered apportioning part of the Development funds of the county for the benefit of the Station.
Alphonso Wright is an official of Radio Harper. Here he interviews a resident at the General Market in Harper The Harper Community Radio operates a 350 watts transmitter that covers the entire county, but since the transmitter developed problem last march it is yet to be repaired or replaced due to the lack of funds.
An official of the station, Alphonso Wright told the LMC that the people of Maryland, especially Harper through the Board of Directors has not shown interest in the Radio, a situation which has contributed to the plight of the station.
Consequently, Mr. Wright, who is one of Radio Harper's directors, said the Office of the Superintendent and other interested community people has established an interim Board which has been trying to work towards the reopening of Radio Harper. A random interview with the cross section of residents of Harper has indicated the need for the radio to restore broadcast activities.
Marketers, students and commuters told the LMC that the people of the community has contributed to a drive by the Board of Directors to restore the radio, but expressed surprise that the resumption of broadcast has remained an issue.
The residents accused the management of the station of inefficiency, blaming Martin Nyenkan, the Station Manager of not showing interest in the Radio. Martin Nyenkan was not in Harper at the time, and the LMC was told that he was not scarce from work at the station apparent due to his busy schedule at the Cavalla Rubber Plantation.
But Mr. Nyenkan refuted the claim, saying that the Station has closed because of the transmitter problem, and that his office is working harder to ensure that it secures funds for its repair; reports Bill K Jarkloh/1 Nov. 2011.
Maryland Administration Accuses Contractors
...Supt's Office Cites Insincerity
The Office of the Superintendent of Maryland County has envisage the need to renovate the Harper Administrative Building to provide adequate offices that will allow the free and unhindered operations of all offices representing central government.
Here is Mr. Daniel Williams, the Administrative Assistant to the County Superintendent Mr. Daniel Williams, the Administrative Assistant to the County Superintendent, said the County's Administration has been running the affairs of Maryland from the Harper City Hall where it is at Present.
He told a joint interview of Radio Harper and the Liberia Media Center recently that renovation of the Harper Administrative Building has become inevitable if the County Administration should avoid the embarrassment of inadequate offices.
Cataloging some of the County's development achievement, Williams hinted the County Administration's renovation and refurbishing of the JJ Dossen Hospital at US$50,000, the purchase a truck to facilitate the road construction works, construction and rehabilitation of schools, clinics and roads amongst others.
He however called on the people of Maryland County to consider the seat of government in the County, Harper City.
The Administrative Assistant to the Maryland County Superintendent, who said some $600,000 is of the County Development Funds (CDF) presently in the county's coffer, noting that plans are at foot to commence the reconstruction of the County Administrative Building in Harper.
He said four clinics and five schools have so far been constructed at the level of the four districts in the county. Besides, he spoke of the rehabilitation of the River-Gee to Harper Highway through a firm contracted by central government.
But he complains the insincerity of some contractors who usually run with funds given them without completing the term of their contracts.
He clarified that all contractors at the used by county authorities are approved by the relevant central government authorities without local authority input, although attempts to contact the Ministries of Public Works, Finance, Justice and Internal Affairs, who are usually involved with the bidding of contractors, have not materialized.
However, Williams made specific reference to a contractor firm he identified as KASAD. According to him, KASAD was given several thousands of dollars for the rehabilitation of the Cape Palmas High School, but the contractors absconded without completing the contract.
The Administrative Assistant noted that the County Administration has informed Central Administration at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the matter.
He then called on Marylanders to contribute to the development of the County, and urged the Maryland County Legislative Caucus to cooperate with the County Administration in forging the development agenda of the programs County; reports Bill K Jarkloh/21 Nov. 2011.
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