The Nimba Superintendent, Kou Meapeh Gono, has addressed allegations regarding a scrap deal that is reportedly brewing tensions among local leaders in the county.
The concerns arose after a news report accused Superintendent Gono and Nimba District #8 Representative, Saye Mianah, of mishandling or unlawfully removing metal scraps from the railway area.
Even though the media report failed to quantify the tonnage of metal scraps illegally removed, it said the scraps were collected from the what was left from the railroad rehabilitation works done by ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) workers. Reports indicate that said scraps were intended to be turned over to the local community where it was stockpiled.
In reaction, Superintendent Gono, at a press conference held on August 12 in Sanniquellie, denied the accusations, explaining that the scraps were collected and intended to be donated to the county by AML.
She narrated that the three affected counties, including Bong, Bassa, and Nimba, were recently invited by AML in Gbarnga for a meeting, at which time the donation documents were given to them for the scraps.
She said upon the donation, AML offered to undertake the procurement process for them, which they refused. According to her, the county set up its own procurement procedure in line with the Public Procurement and Concession Commission(PPCC), in which a bidder was chosen with the concern of the scraps committee and the committee.
She expressed disappointment in her accusers, who she claimed are in the habit of character assassination, linking her with dubious games.
In an angry voice captured on video and broadcast on one social media, she said if she were corrupt, she would not have brought an auditor into the county.
There is yet to be a clearer picture about the craps deal. However, in less than two months upon the appointment of Superintendent Meapeh Gono, she renovated or refurbished the superintendent's compound to its pre-war status. She then purchased a brand new 4x4 vehicle, which some car dealers estimated the cost to be about US$60,000.
There are mixed views over the superintendent's huge expenditures, with some wanting to know where she got the funds used to rehabilitate the building and purchase the car. However, others have praised her for renovating the building which had been dilapidated since it was last renovated in 2010.
"The new superintendent is doing her best by renovating the compound, which has been in bad condition for more than 10 years," said one Ma Esther.
"Even though she did her best, we still want to know the cost of the renovation, the source of the money, the company, and whether there was any bidding process with PPCC," said an elderly man.
Nimba County has been rocked with scrap deal tensions before, putting the 53rd Nimba County Legislative Caucus and the county authority, headed by then Supt. Fong Zuagele, in public disrepute.
The erstwhile National Union for Development and Progress of Senator Prince Johnson collapsed after Senator Johnson was expelled for not taking sides with the bulk of the lawmakers in the scrap deals.
When the multi-million-dollars worth of scraps were turned over to Nimba by the government, two companies, including North Star, a Liberian firm, and the Ghanaian firm, 'Western Steel', entered a bid for the scrap.
At that time, some county officials wanted the deal to be given to Northstar, while others wanted Western Steel.
When Mr. Dorr Cooper took the leadership of Nimba as superintendent, the scrap deal was overturned, bringing on board Sethi Brothers, and edging out Western Steel.
Prior to Sethi coming, then-Superintendent Cooper was allegedly given a brand new two-cabin pickup, though he said he bought it on his own. The alleged offer spiked tension, with many accusing the local authority of taking a bribe.
Both Sethi and Northstar mined the scraps. However, to present, the public has yet to know the number of tonnage mined and the amount accumulated.
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The administration of President George Manneh Weah at the time did not do much to curtail the disappearance of metal scraps from across the county, something Supt. Nelson Korquoi was always linked to.
The Scrap deal also brought both Supt. Edith Gongloe Weh and her principal deputy, Development Superintendent Cooper Myers, to public disgrace, when about 35 steel beams disappeared in Sanniquellie in early 2010.
However, the citizens are counting on the Unity Party-led Government of President Joseph N. Boakai to do more by cracking down on corruption in the local government, especially Nimba County, where auditing and prosecution of locals is yet to happen.
Meanwhile, it is no secret that the scrap situation led to mixed reactions within the community. Perceptions vary on the rapid development initiatives undertaken by Superintendent Gono, including the refurbishment of the Superintendent's compound and the purchase of a new 4x4 vehicle. Questions about the funding sources for these projects led to further discussions among the public.
