The government of the United States constructed the facilities as part of its technical and financial assistance to the reconstruction of the Liberia Coast Guard, an arm of the national security structure manning and monitoring the country’s territorial waters and maritime industry.
President Weah, flanked by officials of his government as well as partners, thanked God for his manifold blessings upon Liberia as he cut the ribbon to the building on Wednesday, January 6, according to a presidential press release issued in Monrovia late Thursday.
It is the second dedication of such facilities President Weah has performed in less than a year, manifesting his government’s determination and commitment to addressing the many challenges faced by the security sector, mainly the Coast Guard.
Few months ago, the Liberian leader, who is working with the country’s partners to improve the security sector, dedicated the first boat house built by the US on Bushrod Island, a suburb of the capital Monrovia.
President Weah at the time lauded America’s continuous and increased support to Liberia’s efforts to improve its security sector.
Making remarks at the occasion, US Ambassador Christine Elder recounted her country’s contributions and interventions in revitalizing the Liberian Coast Guard.
“When approached by the Liberian government in 2010,” Amb Elder reflected, “the United States government gladly accepted the challenge to help re-establish the Liberian Coast Guard as a specialized maritime law enforcement unit within the Armed Forces of Liberia.”
She said the US was proud of the progress made in improving the Coast Guard’s capacity to effectively carry out its responsibility of protecting Liberia’s coast and territorial waters.
The envoy said, “The United States has provided support to the Liberian Coast Guard by training and equipping Coast Guard personnel and by building new infrastructure, as many of you saw recently at the Freeport in Monrovia and now here in Buchanan.”
Ambassador Elder disclosed that her government provided a grant to Liberia to fund the refurbishment of the Coast Guard and the construction of a station facility at the Freeport in Monrovia.
The grant, she added, helped Liberia to procure all the necessary vessels and equipment, including the six patrol crafts, 16 Zodiac boats, four Ford trucks, spare boat engines and parts for the Liberian Coast Guard.
She put the cost of the Buchanan Boathouse and Boat ramp construction at $1.7 million, noting, “I’m also proud to share that the permanent fixed pier being constructed at the Freeport is almost complete, representing an additional grant of over $1 million.”
Ambassador Elder reaffirmed her government’s commitment to continuing the process of developing a Liberian Coast Guard capable of patrolling and protecting all of Liberia’s territorial waters.