NIMBA COUNTY, Liberia — A seasoned community radio journalist, Mr. Chester Dolo, has issued a passionate appeal to members of the Nimba County Legislative Caucus, urging immediate action and accountability over the rising number of fatal road accidents across Liberia, with Nimba County emerging as one of the hardest-hit areas.
Dolo described the surge in deadly road crashes as a national emergency that has moved far beyond statistics, becoming a tragic human reality defined by shattered families, lost potential, and grieving communities.
At the center of his appeal is the heartbreaking death of Ms. Bestina Wehyee Tokpah, a promising businesswoman and devoted mother whose life was abruptly cut short due to what Dolo characterized as the reckless conduct of an unregulated driver. He said her passing has left young children without a mother and plunged her family and community into deep mourning.
According to Dolo, Ganta City alone has witnessed multiple fatal incidents in recent months. He cited the deaths of Bryant Mesleh, who was struck and killed instantly; Rany Gbatu, whose loss remains fresh in public memory; and Matthew Brimah, a journalist who died after being hit by a speeding motorcyclist. He also recalled a particularly disturbing incident near the God’s Willing area in Ganta, where a young man was struck by a motorcycle and subsequently dragged by an oncoming truck.
Beyond Nimba County, Dolo referenced the tragic crash near Gbarnga—widely known as the “Ja Rule accident”—in which eight passengers, most of them residents of Ganta, along with the driver, lost their lives in a single incident.
Despite the growing list of victims, Dolo lamented that justice has been slow or nonexistent in many cases, leaving families without closure or accountability. He criticized the lack of meaningful traffic reforms, noting that each tragedy often ends with shock, mourning, funerals, and silence.
Focusing on the Monrovia–Ganta highway corridor, Dolo warned that road accidents now occur with alarming frequency, turning routine travel into what he described as “a gamble between life and death.” He argued that commercial taxis and buses have increasingly become death traps due to excessive speeding, weak enforcement of traffic laws, and a deeply flawed driver licensing system.
“These crashes are not unavoidable accidents,” Dolo stressed. “They are the result of weak laws, poor enforcement, reckless driving, and a system that places little value on human life.”
He challenged lawmakers and relevant authorities to urgently review and strengthen traffic legislation, summon enforcement agencies to account for failures, and reform policies governing driver licensing, vehicle regulation, motorcycle safety, and accident liability. He also called for the enforcement of speed control measures and safety protocols capable of saving lives.
Dolo specifically urged the Nimba County Legislative Caucus—including Senators Nya D. Twayen Jr. and Samuel Gongben Kogar, as well as Representatives from the county—to take immediate legislative and oversight action. Copies of his appeal were also addressed to Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung Sr. and Madam Ma Kou Meapeh Gono.
“Our people are dying daily—needlessly and preventably,” Dolo concluded, describing the death of Bestina Wehyee Tokpah as a national wake-up call. “The time to act is now.”
