MONROVIA – The House of Representatives, through its Committees on Ways, Means and Finance, and Health, is reviewing a communication from Rep. Moima Briggs Mensah (District #6, Bong County) requesting the appearance of the Ministers of Finance and Development Planning, and Health to explain the processes and procedures through which the budgetary allocations for Gbondoi Health Center were disbursed and expended since Fiscal Years 2019-2022.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh – [email protected]
She said since 2019, more than US$143,000 has been approved in the national budget for the construction of the health center which should have been located in her constituency, but the center is nowhere to be found.
She noted that US$40,000 was allocated for 2019/20, while in 2020/2021, US$23,330 was approved and US$23,176 for 2020/2021. She added that in the Special National Budget of 2021, Gbondio Health Center got 30,000 USD, and the National Budget 2022, US$50,000.
Despite all these budgetary allocations in the approved budgets, there are no facilities and all efforts to meet with officials of the Ministries of Health and Finance have not materialized.
Rep. Briggs, who is the Bong county caucus chair noted that in the spirit of coordination and in line with her legislative oversight duty, she wrote Min. Tanneh G. Brunson. Deputy Minister for Budget and Development Planning at the Ministry of Finance & Development Planning requesting answers, but she has refused to respond to her request.
She said it would be in the interest of the people of Gbondoi, Salala Electoral District #6, to know the obstacles and delay in constructing said facility or what has been done with the allocated amount over the years.
“Few months ago, I made it known to the Liberian people through plenary that the facility called Gbondoi Health Center was not visible and if there were plans to construct one it should have started long ago after reviewing the legislative allotment made over the years” Rep. Mensah added.
Following her thought on the matter, a motion was proffered by Grand Bassa, District #5 Rep. Thomas Alexander Goshua, calling on plenary to forward the communication to its committee on Health and Ways Means and Finance and Development Planning to report in one week. And the motion was accepted.
There have been heated arguments between Representatives Moima Briggs-Mensah and Marvin Cole (District #3, Bong County) over the alleged misapplication of funds for the construction of the Gbondoi Health Center.
Rep. Cole once told reporters that monies allocated for the construction of the center was diverted to another project through a special arrangement with the Ministry of Health, but the Ministry has denied ever having any arrangement with the lawmaker for the diversion of funds intended for the construction of the health center.