By Enoch Sando in Rivercess, Liberia
There are growing calls in some quarters for outgoing local and national officials of the Unity Party (UP) led government to give account of development funds they have been administering over the years.
One of such development funds is the County Social Development Funds (CSDF).
In the southeastern Rivercess County, a Civil Society Activist has called on the County authority to make available a comprehensive report of US $380,000 reportedly received from the government of Liberia for County Social and Development Funds.
Speaking on a local radio talk show in the provincial capital, Cestos City on Tuesday, Charles Harrison Teah said in order for citizens of the county not to be left in doubt, the current administration should make a report to the citizens on the utilization of the USD$380,000.
Rivercess County in December 2015 held a County Council sitting for the first time in four years, when members of the County Legislative Caucus placed a hold on an amount of US$1million, 145,000 US dollars.
They said then that the hold was being placed on the county development funds for what they called former “Superintendent Wellington Geevon-Smith’s failure to give them reports.”
Months after the county council sitting, the Liberian government made available an initial amount of $380,000 as part of the US$1million, 145,000USD.
Upon the receipt of the money, there were calls for another sitting to be held to ad portion the money, a statement, which allowed the county Assistant Superintendent for Development to inform the citizens on a local radio that they as leaders of the county were meeting to prioritize the County’s priorities.
But in a recent interview, Rivercess Senator Dallas A.V. Gueh, who is the Secretary of the Legislative Caucus, told the citizens that up to now no report has been received on the status of those projects that were prioritized by them.
When quizzed by Journalists on the status of the US$380,000, Senator Gueh said he believed the money has been exhausted.
This statement has sparked mixed reactions across the County, prompting widespread calls for the current administration to make a comprehensive report on how the money was spent before inauguration of the new President slated for January 22, 2018.
The issue of local government not making reports have been a longstanding problem in Rivercess County over the years.
Meanwhile, a few days ago outgoing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ordered the Director General of the General Services Agency (GSA), Mary Broh to ensure that all officials submit an inventory of all government assets including vehicles in their care.