An island close to Chicken Soup Factory, known as Victoria Island, has been cut-off because no bridge connects the island to the mainland to facilitate the movement of people residing there.
Victoria Island, established 15 years ago, has more than 3,000 inhabitants, but access to it has been difficult over the years, which makes it next to impossible for little children, students and elderly women and men to daily leave the island.
According to the Chairman of Victoria Island, Kaiser G. Smith, the lack of a concrete bridge is undermining the growth and development of the island. Chairman Smith stated that the inhabitants have tried to construct a monkey-range bridge, but when it rains the river overflows the bridge and nobody can leave the island.
He is appealing to President George Manneh Weah and the government, as well as Montserrado County Senators, Saah H. Joseph and Abraham Darius Dillon, to construct a concrete bridge for the island during this dry season.
He noted that, due to the lack of a bridge leading to the island, there is no clinic, school, handpump water, and electricity has not reached the area.
Chairman Smith maintained that Victoria Island, which is located in Lower Johnsonville, district #2, Montserrado County, has been abandoned. He said the island is part of Montserrado County, those residing there are Liberians who should also benefit from the development of the nation.
Meanwhile, the Chairlady of the Victoria Island, Josephine P. Henries, said the monkey-range bridge is not safe for the residents of the island, especially the children; therefore, it is about time that the government, under the leadership of President Weah, to come to their aid.
She emphasized that they have managed to live on the island during the dry season, but during the rainy season living on the island is too difficult for them, particularly when pregnant women are in pain or when people get sick in the middle of night.
She noted that they are vulnerable to emergency situations on the island, and if government, including their senators, would join ranks to construct a bridge for the island it will go a long way in transforming the living standard of the people.
Henries said every dry season the inhabitants work on the monkey-range bridge because of the huge population residing on the island, but when the river gets full the bridge does not last, which is risky for the people.