PHOTO: The county’s Administrative Building
By J. Peter S. Dennis, dennisrealone@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- The central Bong County is expected to host its County Council Sitting, as Civil Society Organizations have threatened lawsuit, if it goes ahead in the absence of implementation of the General Auditing Commission (GAC) report unveiling massive corruption.
The GAC among other findings revealed in the report that Bong County Administration headed by superintendent Esther Walker and controversial PMC Chairman Stephen Mulbah paid four contractors amounting to US$59,000 for projects without evidence of work done.
Bong last conducted the sitting on November 12, 2018. Of the agreed projects at the then sitting, not a single has been fully completed and dedicated.
The Bong County leadership, particularly the Bong Legislative Caucus had earlier set Saturday, April 30, 2022 as the sitting date.
However, up to press time, not a single announcement is released by the County leadership on the itinerary of the sitting as everyone is in limbo.
Recently, Bong county administration announced vacancies for new members of the Project Management Committee.
The tenure of the current PMC headed by Steve Mulbah has reportedly ended.
In a radio announcement issued last weekend and signed by Superintendent Esther Walker, all positions for the PMC including Project Management Committee (PMC) Chairman, Controller and Treasurer are up for grasp with its April 28, 2022 deadline.
The announcement of the vacancies is in accordance of the Budget Law ahead of the County Council Sitting.
The sitting was earlier planned for April 15-16, but was later postponed after threats from three (3) civil Society organizations including the Foundation for International Dignity (FIND), Delta Human Rights Foundation and the Civic Education Rural Liberia.
These three civil society organizations in February released an investigative report on the reported mismanagement of funds by leaders in the county.
They also accused lawmakers and other county officials including the Project Management Committee of violating the PPCC Act in awarding contracts to companies.
The group wants the full implementation of the Local Governance Act of 2018 in the county.
Human rights activists Aaron Juakollie, and Jessie B. Cole say the Local Governance Act of 2018 provides the opportunity to the local people to decide projects and allocate the needed budget at every council sitting.
They narrated that until projects earmarked during the 2018 sitting are actualized, they will not allow members of the Bong caucus conduct the county sitting.
Aaron and Jessie argued that although they are seeking for the implementation of the Local Governance Act, but implementing the audit report before county sitting is vital as the county’s account is almost at zero without tangible.
Three groups have since threatened to seek legal interpretations from the Supreme Court if there’s a county council sitting without the implementation of the Local Governance Act of 2018 and without accountability.
Legislative Caucus Chair assures citizens of implementation
Earlier, Bong County Caucus chair Madam Moima Briggs Mensah pledged the county leadership commitment to ensuring that the recent General Auditing Commission damaging findinsg on Bong’s mismanaged resources are implemented in conformity with the laws of Liberia.
The General Auditing Commission report on Bong County Social Development Funds covers between 2018 to 2021.
The GAC among other findings revealed in the report that Bong County Administration headed by superintendent Esther Walker and controversial PMC Chairman Stephen Mulbah paid four contractors amounting to US$59,000 for projects without evidence of work done.
The GAC also established that the administration of Bong expended the amount of US$396,820 on projects without evidence of Bid Evaluation Reports, National Competitive Bidding, Contracts, Article of Incorporations, Business Registration, and Tax Clearance.
The GAC said the administration of the county disbursed the total amount of US$366,000 and L$1,920,000 to twelve (12) institutions as county support without evidence of supporting documents.
The total allotment approved by the Bong County Council Sitting for liabilities to contractors amounting to US$760,380 for projects, only US$468,900 was paid, thus resulting in outstanding liabilities of US$291,479.
There was a variance of US$222,664 between the total amounts disbursed to Bong County Administration as per the Fiscal Outturn Report 2018/2019 and the total amount received as per the Expenditure Report.
Further, there was no evidence of supporting documents to prove how the payments were done.
It can be recorded, the Plenary of the House of Representatives in August 2021, ordered the GAC to conduct an audit of Bong County Development Funds from 2018 to 2021 and make available findings to serve as the basis for the investigation of corruption allegations among county officials.
Since the release of the report, it has triggered mixed reactions in Bong County as hundreds of residents want justice and reckoning.