Sinoe Citizens Raise Alarm Over Poor School, Broken Promises from Logging Company

Sinoe County: Citizens in the communities affected by DEPT Logging Company in Sinoe County are raising serious concerns about poor living conditions especially the deplorable state of the only school building in Gbalawein City.

According to residents, a previous logging company called Madra operated in the area for over five years but failed to fulfill most of its promises outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This failure has sparked new fears that the current company, DEPT Logging, may also fail to deliver on its promises despite signing a fresh MOU with the community.

Local sources say the community is in urgent need of basic social services, with health and education at the top of the list.

A female classroom teacher at the Gbalawein Public Elementary School told our reporter that the current school building was never intended for learning it was originally a residential building for Madra staff, handed over to the community after the company pulled out.

She explained that although Madra had promised to construct a new school, the project was never completed in its five years of logging operations.

“There are over 150 students attending this school under very poor conditions,” the teacher said. “Our children deserve a better learning environment.”

Efforts to get comments from DEPT Logging Company officials regarding the MOU were unsuccessful at the time of this report. However, attempts are ongoing to engage both the company and the local leadership for responses.