-West Point Residents Plead for Relocation Support as Coastal Defense Project Nears
By Sampat J.M.B. Kpakimah
Monrovia: Scores of residents of West Point Township are urging the Government of Liberia to prioritize relocation assistance and local employment as the planned coastal defense and road construction project moves forward. They warned that displaced families and jobless youth must not be left behind.
The Ministry of Public Works is set to begin construction in the seaside community to combat sea erosion, which has increasingly destroyed homes and threatened livelihoods. While residents welcome the development, they are calling on authorities to ensure that affected families are properly relocated and that community members are hired during implementation.
“As a young person living in West Point, life is difficult because there are no jobs. Sometimes it seems opportunities depend on who you know,” said 30-year-old Christopher Nimley, a graduate and disc jockey. “When projects come, workers are often brought in from other communities. The young people of West Point should be given the opportunity to work on projects taking place in their own community.”
Asatu Musa, a high school graduate with diplomas in Nurse Aid and Hospitality Management, sells cold water to survive after failing to find formal employment. She praised the coastal defense initiative but appealed for consideration. “The project is a good thing because the sea continues to threaten our homes. However, government should also be considerate of residents whose properties have been marked,” she said.
Alien Trawallay, a homeowner, echoed concerns about displacement. “We support development because sea erosion is already destroying our homes. If the land is protected, both the community and government will be proud,” he said. “We need government support to improve living conditions.”
A businessman, Robert Cafey, who employs approximately 250 disadvantaged youths, called for relocation assistance for businesses operating in areas marked for road construction. “The young people who work with me earn money honestly instead of engaging in theft or harassment,” he said.
An elderly woman whose two university-educated children remain unemployed pleaded for intervention. “I have two children with university degrees—one from the University of Liberia and the other from Cuttington University—still no job,” she said tearfully. “Government needs to help remove young people from the streets and provide them with opportunities to become productive citizens.”
Residents also highlighted worsening living conditions, including overcrowding, poor sanitation, rising costs, and growing drug abuse among war-affected youths known as “zogos.” Efforts to obtain comments from the Ministry of Public Works were unsuccessful. Public Relations Officer Benjamin Myers postponed an interview and did not respond to follow-up messages.
The township of West Point is situated along the Atlantic Coast deep in the heart of Liberia’s Capital, Monrovia. The township, which is home to over 60,000 people of diverse backgrounds, is gradually being swept away by the sea due to erosion. This has led to a reduction in its size, while its population continues to grow. However, efforts have been made by several governments through the coastal defense project as well as relocation. There is currently a million-dollar VOA-West Point Sea erosion victims’ estate located on the outskirts of Monrovia in Brewerville where many were relocated to during the past administration.
