Olympic Village Project Faces Set Back

LNOC President Philibert S. Brown

Thursday, 6th July 2006
By Patrick K. Wrokpoh

The Liberia National Olympic Committee has revealed that Liberia risks losing US$150,000 allotment intended to commence the first phase of the construction of an Olympic Village project if the Liberian government does not make available its share of US$30,000 needed to begin the project as agreed upon with the financier of the project.

Making the disclosure yesterday to journalists at the Liberia National Olympic Committee (LNOC) offices on Benson Street, the president of the LNOC Mr. Philibert Brown, said the Olympic Committee, has met all the required conditions set by the chief financier of the project, Association of National Olympic Committee of Africa (ANOCA) to construct the Olympic Village for Liberia.

He said what is now required to get the project started is for the Liberian government to make available the US$30,000 as a pre-finance to commence the project before ANOCA can make available its US$150,000 promised the country to complete the first phase of the project.

The LNOC president said in keeping with the require conditions set by ANOCA the country should acquire six hector of land before it can benefit from the Olympic village project.

He said to meet this condition the LNOC has purchased ten acres of land and has opened a special account for the Olympic Village project to which, both the LNOC and the Ministry of Youth and Sports serve as join signatories. He said the land has already been surveyed.

Mr. Brown said other conditions required under the project but have already been met by the LNOC include, the establishment of local chapter for the project as well as carrying out the technical drawing of the project.

According to him, the technical drawing of the project was done in Senegal by an architectural firm, and that it cost the LNOC US$2,000.

The LNOC president said it cost the LNOC US$15,000 to meet up with all these conditions stressing that the Olympic body took the amount from its administrative funds just to ensure that Liberia does not forfeit those benefits allotted to the country under the project which, is in three stages.

He said at the end of the first phase of the project, which is expected to be by October this year, the continental Olympic body would dispatch a team to Liberia to have the project dedicated.

He pointed out that the LNOC authority has been assured by the Liberian government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, that it would make available the US$30,000 to get the first phase of the project started when the fiscal budget for 2006-2007 is approved.

He said the government is doing well, but noted that with the fiscal budget just been submitted to the National Legislature for deliberation, time was not in the favor of the LNOC to meet the October 2006 deadline set by ANOCA for Liberia to qualify for the second phase.

Dwelling on what he said could be a possible solution to begin the project, Mr. Brown said the LNOC has been assured by the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI), that it is prepared to release the amount to the LNOC to commence the project, but want the Liberian government through the Ministry of Finance to commit itself that the money will be refunded if the fiscal budget is approved.

According to Mr. Brown, he has informed the Youth and Sports Ministry on the offer of the LBDI but quickly pointed out that there has been no response yet in this direction.

He however, revealed that the LNOC is seeking other avenue to raise the amount and has accordingly written a letter to some business institutions and individuals to assist with the US$30,000 so as to begin the project.

He made particular reference to the Lebanese and Indian communities in Liberia, the Lone Star Cell Company, Cellcom, Bridgeway Corporation among others