GREENVILLE — Sinoe County residents are expressing outrage over the mismanagement of the County's development funds, allegedly involving top local officials and Lawmakers
The funds, earmarked for critical infrastructure projects across the county, have reportedly disappeared without a trace, leaving many of the planned developments unfulfilled.
In the 2021/2022 fiscal year, Sinoe County received US$400,000 from the national government as its annual development fund. A three-day county sitting was held to decide how this money should be allocated. Local and national leaders, along with stakeholders, participated in this session, which resulted in a resolution specifying various projects to be undertaken across the county's three electoral districts.
According to the resolution, each district was allocated US$95,000 to address priority needs. However, residents now accuse their legislators and local leadership of embezzling these funds, with not a single project completed as per the resolution.
Allegations of Mismanagement
In a recent interview in Greenville, Rancy Quayee, a youth activist and representative of one of the electoral districts, voiced his disappointment. "We are highly disappointed in our outgoing local leadership and the Sinoe Legislative Caucus who have oversight for the mismanagement of US$400,000. Not one of those projects was executed or completed across the three electoral districts," Quayee stated.
Quayee pointed to several critical projects, including the construction, completion, and rehabilitation of administrative buildings, guest houses, and city halls, which were included in the resolution but remain unstartled or incomplete.
Investigation Reveals Inaction
An investigation conducted by our fellow has uncovered disturbing details about the status of these projects. In Butaw, an electoral district that was allocated US$15,000 for the rehabilitation of its administrative building, the structure remains in a deplorable state, with local officials forced to work from home.
Current Photo of Butaw Administrative Building
Dennis Jarbah, an elder and resident of Butaw Junction, confirmed that no work has been done on the building since the county sitting in early 2023.
Jarbah expressed confusion over the situation, saying, "Since the county sitting was held, we have not seen any implementation from the resolution. Our administrative building rehabilitation is yet to be achieved."
Jarbah also called for an audit from 2022 to December 2023 to provide total accountability for the US$400,000 allocated for these development projects. He accused the representatives of the three electoral districts of being complicit in the mismanagement, citing their lack of oversight and apparent financial benefits from the funds.
Widespread Abandonment of Projects
The issue in Butaw is not isolated. Other districts in Sinoe have also seen projects abandoned following the disbursement of funds. In Kabada, the administrative seat of Kpanyan, the sole administrative building remains in a state of disrepair, despite US$15,000 being allocated for its renovation.
Current Photo of the Kabada Administrative Building in Kpanyan District
A detailed breakdown of the projects outlined in the 13th Development Sitting resolution includes:
- Rehabilitation and furnishing of the Administrative Building in Kabada, Kpanyan District: US$25,000
- Completion of Seebeh Administrative Building in Kpanyan District: US$25,000
- Rehabilitation of Jonestone Street/adjacent F.J. Grant Hospital in Greenville District: US$25,000
-Rehabilitation of Butaw Administrative Building in Butaw Administrative District: US$15,000
- Construction of Administrative Building with seven rooms, a conference hall, and bathrooms in Diyankpo City, Jadea Statutory District: US$32,000
- **Completion of Karquakpo City Guest House, Dugba River District (Furnishing, Solarization, and Hand Pump Installation): US$31,000
- Construction of City Hall within Pelekon City, Seekon Statutory District:** US$19,000
- Completion of Neequaih Public School, Sanquin Statutory District: US$14,000
Copy of the 13th Development Sitting Resolution
Despite the resolution's ambitious agenda, most of these projects remain incomplete or have not begun.
Leadership Response
In response to the allegations, former Sinoe District #3 Representative Hon. Matthew G. Zarzar acknowledged the allocation of funds but claimed his oversight function was limited due to the election and subsequent weather conditions. "The sourcing of the funding, procurement, and execution are all executive functions. My oversight was moot after the elections, and the legislature has no signatory to the account nor procurement function," Zarzar explained.
Sinoe County Senior Senator Augustine Chea added that project implementation is the responsibility of the local government, while legislative oversight is confined to the allocation of funds and the review of implementation reports from the county superintendent.
Meanwhile, Senator Crayton Duncan, who is also the chairperson of the county legislative caucus, said he's aware of the sitting but said he's surprised that up to now, following the resolution, there has been no result to show progress on those resoluted projects.
Senator Duncan said he has written the LACC, IAA and GAC to conduct a forensic audit of Sinoe County's local administration from 2021 to 2023.
He said while it is true he has an oversight function, he said responsibility was given the outgoing local leadership of Superintendent Lee Nagbe Chea to ensure those projects are implemented, but nothing absolutely was achieved. He accused the local leadership of being responsible for the abandonment.
Corruption Scandal Unfolds
The scandal deepened when it was revealed that former Superintendent of Sinoe County, Lee Nagbe Chea, is at the center of a major corruption investigation. During the induction ceremony of the current superintendent, Hon. Peter Wleh Nyensweh, Chea claimed his administration left over US$73,000 and more than L$30 million in Sinoe's account. However, a bank statement from the Central Bank of Liberia, obtained by investigators, contradicts his claims, showing a total balance of only L$30,711,690.00 and US$48,434.00.
Copy of Sinoe County Development Funds Account Statement from CBL
The evidence suggests that funds meant for county development were misappropriated, sparking widespread outrage among Sinoe residents who are demanding a thorough investigation. Local leaders and activists are calling for immediate action, emphasizing that the misuse of public funds undermines the development and welfare of the community. The disclosure from the Central Bank of Liberia is seen as a critical step in the fight against corruption, highlighting the need for greater transparency and accountability in public financial management.
As of press time, attempts to reach former Superintendent Lee Nagbe Chea for comment were unsuccessful but, for his part, Alvin B. Wesseh, former Assistant Superintendent for Fiscal Affairs and Administration, provided insight, said, following the sitting and resolution, disbursements through financial aid that was captured were settled respectively.
But when quizzed on those infrastructure projects, Wesseh said that, as far as he was concerned, only one project he can remember doing payment for, adding that the rest of the money is in the county development account.
Photo of payment check of the Neequiah School Project In Sanquin District
"The only project in Sinoe that I paid eleven thousand United States Dollars towards was the Nequiah public school in Sanquin, Electoral District #3 of Sinoe County. No other project was done as far as I am concerned with documents in my possession," he said.
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The former Sinoe fiscal superintendent said if anything was done behind his back regarding the account, he is not aware, adding that there are three signatories to the account but was unable to clarify the withdrawal mandate of the account at the bank.
"We are three who are signatories -- the superintendent, the PMC and I are on the account committee," he said.
Wesseh said the bank balance announced by Superintendent Lee Nagbe Chea during his official turning over was not correct, adding that the local leadership in December 2023 was instructed by the Sinoe legislative caucus to disburse US$25,000 for Johnston street bridge project to the FJ Grant Hospital for the backfilling of its ongoing solar plant project.
Copy of the Receipt from the FJ Grant Hospital Administration
"The Sinoe Caucus wrote [us] the local leadership in 2023, with the instruction to disburse US$25,000 for the resoluted bridge project for Johnston street to the FJ Grant as support from the county for the ongoing solar plant project and we presented such money to the hospital and they issued us receipt," he said.
On the issues of the instruction from the Sinoe legislature, Senator Crayton Duncan as chairperson confirmed, given the significance of the solar plant project in the County.
"As regard to the US$25,000, all members of the caucus agreed and instructed the local leadership but not to disburse the Johnston street bridge project money, but rather to go into the county's coffers, because the leadership in addition to the sitting money, they met little over US$40,000 in there and that we expected them to take the US$25,000 instead of going into resoluted project fund," he explained.
Copy Letter from the Caucus to the Local Leadership on the Hospital Project
Wesseh, the former Fiscal Superintendent, said no resolute infrastructure projects apart from the Neequiah Public school and that of the US$25,000 to FJ Grant for backfilling solar plant was achieved from the 13th county sitting in Sinoe.
