…Over his District being used as secret refuge for returning migrants; says he is unaware of their presence…
CAPITOL HILL, MONROVIA: Bong County District 5 Representative Eugene Kollie has written the plenary of the House of Representatives alarming over the used of his district as secret refuge site for returning migrants.
In his letter to plenary, the Bong County lawmaker craved the indulgence of his colleagues to invite before full plenary the presence of the head of the Liberia Repatriation Resettlement Reintegration Commission to provide justification on the entity’s decision to use that part of Liberia as a ‘Secret’ site for returnees from Buduborum Camp in Ghana.
It can be recalled during a recent press conference, Mr. Worzie, head of the LRRRC, revealed that many of the returnees face significant challenges, including drug addiction, mental health disorders, and a lack of family support.
According to Worzie, 80% of the returnees constitute drug addicts, among them 15 individuals with mental disorders, 16 pregnant women, 115 unaccompanied minors, and 300 persons with no trace of family sources.
But the Bong County Electoral District #5 Representative Eugine Kollie expressed discontent about the Commission’s recent decision to use his constituency as a transit point for Liberian refugees returning from Ghana.
In a statement addressed to his constituents on Thursday, May 30, 2024, via his official Facebook, Representative Kollie criticized the LRRRC and its Director General, Mr. Patrick Worzie, for what he described as a poorly planned and politically motivated process.
The CDC lawmaker highlighted the lack of due diligence and preparation, which he believes could have severe repercussions for the district and Bong County as a whole, pondering as to whether an intensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment was conducted.
He also demanded clarity on the benefits District #5 would receive from the repatriation process and the timeline for its completion, noting that he was not informed about the decision to relocate over 700 refugees to his district.