The Liberia Agricultural Company (LAC) has begun building modern houses for its tappers and factory workers and renovating schools in Grand Bassa County following public criticism of workers’ living conditions and the poor state of some school facilities.
Several months ago, media specialist and LAC School System alumnus Garmondeh Wremongar Blojay Joe criticised the company over alleged worker exploitation and poor housing conditions at its Wallfall and Arrow camps.
In April, Joe also posted photographs showing the deteriorating conditions of schools associated with the company. The pictures showed cracked floors, damaged ceilings, leaking roofs and broken desks.
Since then, LAC has started constructing modern housing units in several camps, including Kissi.
The company has also completed renovations at St. Joseph High School and St. Michael Elementary and Junior High School. The work included refurbishing the schools’ libraries and science laboratories and providing additional equipment for students.
LAC has also provided round-the-clock internet access and electronic library services on the school campuses.
The company has extended its renovation work to Wroahzohn Public School in Compound #3, Grand Bassa County. The school provides daycare and elementary education to more than 275 pupils.
The school’s principal, S. Volley Nuangar, said the facility was in poor condition before the renovation, with damaged ceilings, broken desks and an unkempt environment.
He thanked LAC management for the work, saying the improvements had made the school a better place for pupils and teachers.
“We want to tell LAC management thank you for what they have done for us. We really appreciate them,” Nuangar said.
He said this was the second time LAC had renovated the school since its establishment. The company also supplied chairs and desks and provided a lounge for teachers.
“The learning condition here is much better now,” he said.
Nuangar added that the improvements would allow the school to enrol more pupils, explaining that teachers previously lacked proper desks and other basic facilities.
However, he said the school still faced serious challenges, particularly with staffing and the payment of teachers.
According to him, only one teacher is on the government payroll, while four others work as volunteers and earn about LRD$6,000 a month. He said the volunteer teachers had not been paid for the past three months.
Despite the renovation, the principal said the shortage of properly paid teachers remained a major concern for the school.
Meanwhile, LAC has committed to maintaining the Bassa-Gio road corridor, which runs from Compound #3 to Big-Joe Town in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County. The company carries out routine maintenance along the road.
LAC has also pledged to repair the bridge linking Compound #3 to Zondo, a historic town in the county.
The housing project, school renovations and planned road and bridge repairs come as the company faces public scrutiny over conditions at its camps and the welfare of communities around its operations.
While the improvements have been welcomed by the school principal, concerns remain over the unpaid volunteer teachers and the need to address workers’ living conditions.
