By J. Peter S. Dennis, dennisrealone@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia—There are indications that authorities in the central Bong County are sidestepping certain public procurement practices and are awarding two major projects to contractors.
Two of the projects being awarded by Superintendent Loleyah Hawa Norris and other local leaders include the renovation and fencing of the Superintendent Compound and the fencing of the Administrative Building in the County’s capital city, Gbarnga.
Architectual drawing
But officials here have said they are not breaking the law and the policy regarding the awarding of contracts.
Recently, the Development Officer of Bong County, Mr. Sediki Kromah announced that the Local administration awarded the Gbarnga Administration Building fencing project to Success Construction and Engineering Company of Liberia INC- two months after acquiring Business Registration from the Government of Liberia.
The Company obtained its Business Registration from the Liberia Business Registry on May 7, 2024 after filing on April 15, 2024 under the signature of Patience B. Randall, Registrar General.
The Success Construction and Engineering Company is yet to provide performance work history to the media.
Superintendent Norris’ Pastor, James Paye of the Christ Vision is reportedly an executive of the Company. It’s also reported that Superintendent Norris has a relationship with Mr. Joseph Kolleh Cammue- the newly established Company CEO.
Mr. Cammue is also the CEO of the Success Medical facilities in Gbarnga with several branches out of Bong.
This outlet has also gathered that he’s using his personal email address (josephcammue31@gmail.com) on the entity’s letterhead. The three contacts on the letterhead carry different registrants including Pastor James Paye (0886833642), 0777441798 (Joseph K. Cammue) and 0775952654 (Charles G. Gweh).
Mr. Gweh’s position was disclosed up to the time of this investigation.
The Gbarnga Administrative Building fencing project is valued at fifty thousand six hundred forty one United States Dollars ($50,641.60 USD).
The funding is part of the Superintendent’s 100-Days developmental plan approved by the County Council on the 1st of July 2024.
The Council approved $302,913.36 USD for the 100 days considering major projects including the renovation and fencing of the Superintendent Compound ($144 thousand), the Gbarnga Administration Building fencing ($50,641.60) and the planting of beans (1900.00 USD) across the 13 administrative districts of Bong County. Other items are also captured.
Up to press time, the County administration headed by Superintendent Hawa Norris has not named additional bidders.
Also, the county leadership has not provided a link or whatever to any publication announcing a bid in line with the Public Procurement Concession Commission (PPCC) and the Public Financial Management (PFM) Laws of Liberia.
Inconsistency
Bong County Superintendent Hawa Norris told Journalists that she had “no intend of taking money from the County’s account to fence the building, but was going to lobby with her friends to get funding for the project”.
“I will even come to you as press people for your contribution because this project will help to save the county’s access. This Superintendent is not a sitting Superintendent. She can move” Madam Norris told journalists during her second press conference in her officer in Gbarnga.
Days after this assertion, the County Council headed by a Civil Society actor Mr. Aaron Sackie-Fenlah approved the budget for the project.
No Request for Quotation
The regulation was back passed as there was no request for bid, receipt of bid, Request for Quotation, a bid panel evaluation of the quotation received, and a selection by a bid committee by the Bong County administration in the awarding of the project to Success Construction and Engineering Company INC.
According to the amended 2010 PPCC’s regulation, the threshold in the case of contracts for the procurement of goods shall be US $10,000 and above done through a Request for Quotations (RFQ).
Section 54 subsection 3 of the Public Procurement Concession Commission Act of October 2010 states that “bidders shall be given adequate time to prepare and submit their quotations, but each bidder shall be permitted one quotation which may not be altered or negotiated”.
Superintendent Compound Fencing
Like the Gbarnga Administration Building project, same was applied.
The renovation and fencing project is in the tone of US $144 thousand.
The contract was re-awarded to JEAMCCO INC. with no competitive bidding process in the re-awarding process.
JEAMCCO INC. was given the contract because “they started the project and were previously hired by the former administration in doing the work. They have the blue print, and are knowledgeable about the contract” Bong County Development Officer, Sedike Kromah told journalists at a major tour of the compound and the Gbarnga Administration building.
Under the administration of former Superintendent Esther Yamah Walker, JEAMCCO INC was selected to renovate the Superintendent Compound with a sum of US $50 thousand as approved by delegates during the last County Council Sitting in November 2018.
US $26,000 was paid, but the entity defaulted on the project citing the last administration’s failure to pay the balance of US $24,000.
County’s response
When contacted by our reporter, Bong County Information Officer, Pastor Christian G. Kangboe texted that “nothing was violated”.
Civil Society Organizations vs Civil Society actor ire
Mr. Jesse Barchue Cole, Lead Human Rights Defender of the Delta Human Rights Foundation- a leading Human Rights group in Gbarnga, Bong County says the action is counterproductive and in total violation of the laws.
Mr. Cole noted that the county should do the needful to avoid many actions. He also wants the project on hold.
His institution, Delta Human Rights wrote “It is sad to see the Bong County Council and the County Administration of Bong County award the Renovation Contract for the Superintendent Compound in Bong County to the same JEAMCCO Construction Company that received US$26,000.00 in 2020 on checks number :97792 and 97797 and no work was done at the Superintendent Compound. During a research by FIND, DELTA-HRF and MACE-Liberia, JEAMCCO Construction Company did not respond to FOI request served them up to today even though they received money from the Bong County Account and has not given any account of said money. On March 5, 2020, JEAMCCO received the total of 26,000.00 USD from Bong County Account (Bank Statement). The audit report also proofs this, then, how can you the County Council and the Bong County Administration approve US$149,000.00 plus for the same renovation project with the same project without any bidding process announced? This is too much now, and DELTA-HRF is calling on the County Council to put a hold on this awarded contract until the citizens understand how JEAMCCO Construction Company used the previous US$26,000.00. DELTA-HRF requests the County Council and the County Administration to do the needful in order to avoid many actions. This here is business as usual and if we all have to ensure what is not business as usual, the needful must be done and all necessary information to this issue must be published. DELTA-HRF hopes for the best for Bong County”.
Mr. Aaron Sackie-Fenlah, chairperson of the Bong County Council- the body responsible for the management of the county’s funds and projects’ allocation according to the Local Government Act of 2018, has not utilized all efforts to speak with the media on these claims. Call logs and messages are available.
Citizens’ reactions
Many think that the Success Construction and Engineering Company isn’t fully established and known to be given such a huge contract.
They also believe that the county’s administration should have investigated before re-awarding the contract to the two companies that they think “don’t have the capacity to complete”.
Bong County residents also think the unilateral decision “doesn’t speak to accountability” as the leadership has promised.