Sanniquellie Poised for A Facelift

After lying in a primitive state for years without much change in facelift, Sanniquellie, the capital city of Nimba County, is poised for a new look after the city authority mandated compulsory flat-top buildings for all properties situated along the main street.

The mandate and its effect are the result of the ongoing road construction linking Ganta and Yekepa by the Senegalese firm, CSE. Currently, the main Street of Sanniquellie has been completely demolished with houses on the right-of-way all brought down.

This mandate is a replica of the one passed by the Ganta City Council in 2015 when the road from the Coca-Cola Factory in Paynesville to the Guinea border in Nimba reached Ganta City.  Upon reaching the city and demolition beginning, the City Council asked all store owners and others who have their buildings along the main street to build flat-top buildings. 

The flat-tops will avoid having rusty zinc roofs on buildings and ensure a more modern view of the city.  Moreover, it will allow property owners along the street to maximize their construction investments by going upward, rather than spreading horizontally.

As citizens begin constructing new buildings, the Sanniquellie City Authority is compelling store owners to construct flat-top buildings so as to modernize the city or give it a facelift.

When the Daily Observer visited the city recently, it was noticed that the main street, beginning from the police station downward to the main market ground near Lake Tileh, had been cleared.

The great 'Queen Theater', owned by businessman Tomah Seh Floyd, is among some of the famous buildings demolished in the clearing of the street.

“Although it is painful, we are happy to see our city develop,” said Chester Donsia, a resident.

The main Street is taking a different shape as the Senegalese road building company designs it with a modern drainage system.

Sanniquellie is one of the oldest provincial cities in Liberia with a rich history.  It is where former Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah, Guinean President Sekou Toure, and Liberian President William V.S. Tubman met in 1959 for the founding of the Organization of African Unity, now the African Union (AU).

Despite the great African history attached to this city, it is yet to be laid out or even have a memorial hut for the AU. 

In fact, it is now that a real paved road is entering the city from Ganta and passing through to Yekepa, where the iron ore that Liberia has boasted of having has been mined since 1963.  The agreement leading to the pavement was reached during the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf with ArcelorMittal, which is currently mining iron ore in Yekepa, underwriting the US$40 million cost.

City Mayor Maima Kamara told the Daily Observer that the city authority is encouraging all those who have properties on the main Street to turn them into multi-story buildings to make the city look modern.

“If you do not have money to build a story building, lease the land to someone, but we will not have anyone building a makeshift or have an ancient design on the main street,” she said.

In another development, the City Authority of Saclepea is also urging the citizens to consider building flat top buildings on the main street when the road work, which has begun in Ganta, reaches that other Nimba city.

Saclepea City Mayor, Jeremiah Yangean, has warned that the city will no longer allow anyone to put up a building that is not a flat-top or story building on the main street.

Meanwhile, the Jungle Energy Power has begun the electrification of Bahn City, as promised by President Weah during his nationwide tour in February this year.