Gbarnga, Bong County — The Media And Civic Education-Rural Liberia, Foundation for International Dignity, and Development Education Leadership Training in Action Human Rights – three Bong-based Civil Society Organizations – have recommended that the county’s accounts remain frozen until the legal system for local government is rolled out to ensure accountability.
The three CSOs also want those found culpable of its recent investigation be made to account for their actions, and that the County Attorney of Bong County requests all contracted companies who received funding from the Bong County Social Development Funds, pursuant to the 2018 County Sitting Resolution without contracts and BOQs for authorized implementation of projects be made to refund money received.
The organizations’ recommendations were made on Wednesday, February 2 during a report session to residents of the county on an accountability research project on the management of Bong County Social Development Fund (CSDF).
With funding from ForumCiv, a development cooperation organisation,
the research project focused on verifying how the local administration of Bong County expended US$1.7m of the County Social Development Funds (CSDF) on development projects in the county between 2018 and 2021, pursuant to the 2018 County Sitting Resolution valued at US$2.29m.
Tagged the “Bong County Social Development Funds Accountability Project”, the report covered between September and December, 2021.
The three organizations found several irregularities in the management of the CSDF, awarding of contracts, and implementation of the various development projects, thereby resulting to several stalled projects.
Out of a total of thirty (30) construction projects (bridges, clinics, schools, offices for chiefs, road rehabilitation, and renovation of public facilities) delegates agreed upon at the November 12, 2018 County Council Sitting, not a single project was fully completed in the county.
Bulk of these projects are far from completion and most of them are currently being abandoned across the county.
The leadership of Bong County through the Project Management Committee (PMC), paid US$59,000 to four contractors between 2019/2020 for the implementation of four projects.
These projects were never started by those contractors with no further steps taken by the county’s leadership against the companies.
Contracts were awarded to contractors outside the Public Procurement and Concession Commission Act of 2010, and contracts were given out without bidding as required by law.
This was a gross disregard for the Public Procurement and Concessions Corporation Act and is seen as a high contributing factor for the many stalled development projects in the Bong County, according to the organizations’ findings.
Organizations’ findings on some of the stalled projects in Bong
Commissioner Residence Construction, Kokoyah District: The three organizations tour of Kokoyah District established a US$ 45,000 construction for the Commissioner residence is being stalled despite the county having paid US$ 15, 000. JEAMCO Construction Firm was contracted to do the project. A team from the CSOs contacted Madam Mary Kwenah, Commissioner of Kokoyah District, who said “there was no work ongoing and no information has been provided by the county’s Project Management Committee chairman Steve Mulbah. As a result in the delay in constructing the residence for the commissioner, I have built my own place that is almost completed using my own resources.”
Meanwhile, the management of JEAMCO didn’t respond to request concerns gathered from various communities where the company is implementing the project.
In Gbarnga, the county’s capital, the much-debated superintendent’s compound – the official home of the county’s superintendent – was captured during the organization tour of development projects across Bong County. The cost of the renovation is US$ 50, 000, 00 of which $US$ 26,000.00 has been paid by the county, but nothing substantial has been done on the project. Meanwhile, JEAMCO Construction Firm, the company contracted to do the renovation, didn’t respond to request concerns gathered from various communities where the company is implementing the project.
In Sanoyea District, lower Bong County, a maternal waiting home was to be constructed by GEOSKPOE Construction Firm. The county awarded four projects to the company: two in Sanoyea Town and Gbamokollie-ta, and two in Bong Mines and Handii, Fuamah District.
The maternal waiting home construction cost was out at US$ 15, 000.00 of which US$ 13,000.00 was paid. When the organizations’ team members contacted community dwellers Rashida Vuku Yambasu and Noah Giddings, both said: “the community cleared the project site, gathered sand, and molded bricks”.
The organizations’ findings established the engineer couldn’t give any technical statement about the project as there was nothing on site for assessment even though a whopping US$ 13,000.00 had been paid. The contractor, meanwhile, didn’t consider responding to inquiries when contacted.
Also in Gbamokollie-ta, is a US$ 22,000 clinic construction project. Some community members, including Assistant Town Chief Lawrence Fallah, said they provided local materials, like rocks, sand and local woods. Construction has started and the project is window level. The community members informed the organizations’ team that work has stopped, which led to the structure being overtaken by grass.
Sixty percent, constituting US$ 15,000 of the project cost, was paid by the county. According to the engineer hired by the three organizations, the materials used (like sand and rocks) are substandard and the amount paid is more than the work being done.
The report session brought together stakeholders, including chiefs, Bong’s assistant superintendent for development, Solomanie Swaray, Fiscal Affairs Superintendent, Paul Sulunteh, ArcelorMittal, and other institutions.
Swaray acknowledged the findings by the three organizations and said more needs to be done in checkmating projects given to contractors. Swaray, who replaced Anthony Sheriff, said the county authority would used the recommendations provided by the organizations during the next county sitting to ensure that contractors hired by the county follow the necessary PPCC Act to avoid what’s the mismanagement of development funds being uncovered by the three organizations.
For his part, Sulunteh, who has raised similar issues about accountability of projects, said the disclosure of mismanagement of county development funds by the three CSO organizations is a testament of how lawmakers, local leaders, and contractors have connived to exploit their people.
Residents who graced the occasion hailed ForumCiv for sponsering the initiative, saying it has helped to enlighten their minds about projects being done in the county despite agreeing through a resolution during the last county sitting.
For James Crayton, a Gbarnga resident, he will use the report provided by the three organizations to make an informed decision on who to elect during the 2023 presidential and legislative elections.
Crayton recommended to ForumCiv to sponsor more of such initiative that will cover previous projects undertaken by the county from the Social Development Funds from 2006-2014.