IPNEWS: Samuel Stevquoah, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs-designate, has disclosed that the long-delayed renovation of the Executive Mansion remains far from complete, with overall progress estimated at only 40 percent.
Speaking before the Liberian Senate Committee on Executive during his confirmation hearing, Stevquoah painted a grim picture of the current condition of the nation’s most important seat of power.
“The fact is that the Executive Mansion is not fully renovated,” he said. “Experts put the renovation at 40 percent. The fourth floor is about 70 percent done, but there are still rooms that are boarded up, with wires hanging from the ceiling. The third floor, which houses my deputy for administration and the Office of the First Lady, is only about 35 percent complete. The rest of the floors are in complete ruins.”
Stevquoah added that the situation has grown so dire that water leaks from the roof into the parlor the venue for major national events.
“When you are in the parlor of the Executive Mansion, where important programs are held, water filters from the roof while the programs are ongoing,” he said.
The minister-designate expressed the President’s wish to relocate to the Mansion but said the ongoing back-and-forth regarding renovation works has made it impractical. “It is the President’s desire to move to the Executive Mansion,” he said, “but given the current state of the building, it is not helpful to do so.”
President J Boakai, he noted, still resides in the private home he built years ago when he served as Managing Director of the Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation (LPMC).
Senator James Biney, Chair of the Senate Committee on Executive, lamented the repeated failures by successive administrations to complete the rehabilitation of the historic structure, which was gutted by fire.
“The same promise Madam Sirleaf made and didn’t complete the mansion renovation, the same with President Weah,” Biney said. “So this time, the Ministry of State should begin factoring into the budget what needs to be done to finish the renovation work on the Mansion.”
