THE ABADONED UNIFICATION PARK IN VOINJAMA LOFA COUNTY NORTHWESTERN LIBERIA WEST AFRICA

[00:00:03][music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Hey you guys, what's up? How you doing again? Welcome to the continent where we telling the untold stories of Liberia.

[00:00:48]The name is Emmanuel Kolleh. Guess where I'm today? I'm somewhere in Lofa County, as you already see from the drone shot, where I am today. This is the unification monument here in Foya Jama City, Lofa County. And this place was actually constructed by the late President William V.S. Tubman. And I like the layout of this area. Very beautiful place, calm area for people to come and relax.

[00:01:11]But guess what?

[00:01:12]>> [laughter] >> Somebody is asking why they build this.

[00:01:15]So, this monument was actually built in celebrating uh William V.S. uh Tubman uh I think a 20th unification policy.

[00:01:27]Well, what is that unification policy?

[00:01:28]That's where they said that every Liberian, irrespective of your tribe, irrespective of your region you come from, we are all one group of people, and we must live together as one. And that policy uh why they decided to use Lofa, according to the history, was the fact that um you know, when Lofa joined uh Liberia, there were more than eight different ethnic groups there, but they lived together as one. So, William V.S. Tubman said, "If these people can live together as one, Then we can actually uh you know live together as one group of people. So you see here it's in the form of star.

[00:02:04]It's all there and then you have the other side. Let me show you.

[00:02:08]This way and that star right here. And then we come up here. Let me show you this side. Just show you this way. The light is disturbing the camera but you can see from the drone shot. A lot of people come here and I see some people just come here. What are you waiting on for me?

[00:02:23]So I'm climbing the stairs and somebody said you want to be in my video. You want to be in my video?

[00:02:29]Hey, you want to be in my video? Oh, you're taking picture. So you see here what they come here is just to take picture and this is the statue of William V.S. Tubman.

[00:02:37]I mean you speak English?

[00:02:39]Yes. What's your name? Call me Jackson.

[00:02:41]Who? Jackson. Jackson, which school are you in? I think you are in Do you know about this monument here?

[00:02:47]Yes, I hear about it.

[00:02:49]Okay, what is it? What is what are you trying to do for?

[00:02:53]You don't know the monument I don't know the monument. It's my name. Well, I hear about it. All right, so you see here we just show you. So this place was actually just laid out just for that to have a unification park in Vonjama Lofa County. So you see it right here. And then not one of these parks was built.

[00:03:08]Let me go show you the other side. Come on, let's go. Let me show you this other side.

[00:03:13]There's a place right here that looks like a field.

[00:03:17]Indeed it is a field. So this park No, no, let me show you the other side first before we go to that side. So you see there there's a building on the other side.

[00:03:26]This building is the archive building, right? It was more like a a museum.

[00:03:32]Right?

[00:03:33]The sun will still disturb the camera man.

[00:03:35]>> [laughter] >> So let me just show you this guy. We don't stay long.

[00:03:38]Let me show you this side here.

[00:03:41]This is where it is like. So I'm told that this building you see here was actually a archive building, right?

[00:03:51]It's more like a place where you store document and stuff like that. But I've been told it was being used for so many purpose. So the camera just go closer and I show you. So this is the building here and they stay in tight. And that building was actually built by William V.S. Tubman. So you can see it. It's okay. Let the camera guy Let's go back to the other side. So that's it. You can see from there that is the big building and then opposite there you have the police station. But we can't We can't zoom in from there. Let me just show you. Let me just go around and show you the field they stay here. We're walking around to just show you what it is like currently. And I'm asking the National Tourism Authority right? To try to come and take charge of this area.

[00:04:29]We can brush this place. I know it's rainy season. They usually brush it but it says rainy season. But you know, we can brush the area, make the place look neat. You see every time the children come there to take pictures, it looks good. But if you allow the place to get something away, you know, like broom palm, then they also have um like I think the toilet they built over there.

[00:04:50]That's good.

[00:04:51]And now this place is usually being used for events.

[00:04:56]Some people use this area for events.

[00:04:59]I remember the last time uh let's go.

[00:05:02]The last time you had the president coming to Lofa, they had a It was in December, yeah, last year.

[00:05:09]So they had a program right here.

[00:05:12]But then I'm going to show you another area up here as part of the unification park or the monument here in Voinjama.

[00:05:19]This is another area that was built. And here you will see that uh they have different thing. I've seen the colors of uh Just show the people on the side.

[00:05:28]The the the the area we're talking about, yeah.

[00:05:31]So you have it there.

[00:05:34]There you have it. That place you see so that is in bush was actually part of the park. It's also part of the park and uh what is this place being used for? So according to the information we gather, this area that you see so uh you see the being painted red, white, and blue, uh each of these place I've been told was actually used as a symbol of the president of Liberia.

[00:05:58]Right? So, you had the president of Liberia. So, they had like a almost like a statue.

[00:06:02]They are heads. They just place the head here. So, you have 1 2 3 4 5 all over the place.

[00:06:07]It was only about the head of the president of Liberia.

[00:06:12]But, anyway, this is the counter that I would I would like to show you what is happening here. Then, because of event, let me show you the other side.

[00:06:21]But, this place all of the human head that was there I'm going to show my human head the the statue that was built here.

[00:06:25]They're all being removed. You can't see any of them.

[00:06:28]And I hope that maybe one day we'll find it. Then then, let me move away from that. Let me show you like because it's been used for event, they also constructed public bathroom.

[00:06:42]Is it public public toilet?

[00:06:45]Not a bathroom, just a public toilet.

[00:06:47]Here.

[00:06:49]Let me just show you. So, I'm sure they want up there the one for the VIP.

[00:06:54]>> [laughter] >> Sorry, guys. Sometimes I like to be crazy.

[00:06:59]So, this is one up here.

[00:07:03]And then, uh just right over there stop right there. You got You got to go up there. Then, the other one is down there.

[00:07:08]So, then one folks, I like to say thank you so much for watching this edition of The Counter. I will tell you more about Liberia, Africa, and the rest of the world. But, I'm in my own backyard, man. I'm in Lofa County. You know, this is where I come from. Keep watching The Counter that I will follow.

[00:07:24]>> [music] [music] [music] >> Woo!