By Emmanuel Weozleh and Janet Wogbeh, Tappita
In 2016, the amount of US$150,000.00 to construct a guest house in Tappita, Nimba County was paid to Mountain Engineering Company (MEC).
The project, which was estimated to be completed within five months as a Legislative Support Project (LSP), is currently at a standstill due to the contractor’s demand for additional funds, according to Dorwohn Twain Gleekai, Representative of district six in Nimba County.
Although the US$150,000.00 was paid the contractor since two years ago, the company says it cannot complete the project except an additional US$15,000.00 is provided.
But the district’s lawmaker insists that the first amount was sufficient to complete the project, saying no additional money will be paid the contractor until the project is complete.
The project was initiated by former district Representative, Ricks Toweh, who has expressed disappointment over its lack of completion, even though the contractor was fully paid.
Rep. Gleekai, who was elected in the 2017 legislative elections, has threatened to take legal action against MEC if it fails to complete the guesthouse project.
MEC vice president, identified as Blemie, confirms that his company received the $150,000 from the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) with a retention of US$5,000.00 to be paid upon completion of the project.
However, Mr. Blemie claims that materials procured for the project were stolen by community dwellers, hindering its completion.
Court records have confirmed that one person was arrested in connection with the theft.
But the records show that the three Hundred United States dollars, which was the estimated value of the stolen items, was paid back to the company by one John Kaykay, the man prosecuted for the theft.
An investigation by the local community radio, Voice of Tappita (VOT) reveals that materials stolen were only bought for contingency, suggesting that the theft was insufficient to hamper project completion.
VOT’s investigation also discovered that two other contracts were earlier awarded to this company, but the projects were not completed, which continues to raise concerns about how public contracts are awarded.
The government agency, LACE, which paid out the money on behalf of government, is yet to respond to inquiry on the status and circumstances of the project.
Income generated from the Guest House after its completion is expected to contribute to the development of Tappita City.