The Superintendent of Nimba County, Kou Meapeh Gono, has disclosed that the county's leadership has embarked upon the construction of two modern early childhood schools as part of the county support to the national education agenda.
Speaking at the inauguration of the IRISE Module school in Ganta on Monday, July 21, 2025, Gono said her administration's decision to construct the schools in Sanniquellie and Bahn is geared toward buttressing the central government effort in improving the education sector.
But she could not provide the cost of the two projects, despite making more emphasis on their viabilities.
She stated that Nimba County is not sitting idle in the development drives under the ARREST Agenda especially when it comes to the education policy of this Unity Party led government, so the construction will strengthen the early childhood education, which is cardinal in the education growth of the pupils.
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"We believe that education is the real investment that is why this school year -- the county's own contribution to education will be to construct two modern early childhood education facilities in Sanniquellie and Bahn," she said.
"We will not wait for the central government to do everything -- we will continue to support the effort of this government because the people of Nimba believed in this government," she added.
It is not clear whether the decision to construct met the approval of the County Council, looking at the numerous challenges facing the county development agenda, where nearly all the cities are still under development, no water system, alleys yet to be laid out and many more.
Nimba County Council is said to be functioning under staff, over the absence of the two Civil Society Organizations representatives as is enshrined in the formation of the County Council, according to the Local Government Acts.
Many believed that the absence of the CSO representatives on the county council makes the council vulnerable to the executive, in terms of dominating all decisions or agenda they put forth.
The Daily Observer established that the remaining seven members of the council, headed by the women representative on the council, Beatrice Dokai, do not have the capacities to scrutinize county development plans as well as the county yearly development budget submitted by the superintendent.
Most of the County Council meetings are held under closed and in some cases specific media institutions are invited.
Even though Supt. Kou Meapeh Gono is said to be doing her best across the county, in terms of rehabilitation of most public facilities, but there is still doubt about how these monies were scrutinized and how transparent or accountable the leadership is handling the utilization.
"We are seeing the good work, but the way the money is handled is a concern, no publication of the county budget, no update on how it was handled, and we don't know how competent those on the council are to critique or analyze budget," said one Danwheyee, at the dedication ceremony on July 21, 2025.
Recently, the Daily Observer established from some of the affected property owners at the Sanniquellie Airstrip that the leadership allocated about US$380,000 resettlement packages for anyone whose properties will be affected from the rehabilitation of the airstrip (although the rehabilitation is at the standstill)
"We were told that US$ 380k were set aside for some of us whose properties were affected, but at the payment , they began disbursing Liberian dollars, which doesn't commensurate the value of properties affected," said one of the occupants, who climbed to have all legal documents in her possession for her properties.
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However, many appeared to be happy about the ongoing development in the county but still looking forward to accountability and transparency in utilization and awarding of contracts in line with the government's fight against corruption.
The two pre-primary schools in question were hit by a storm early this year, destroying the roofs, but it is not clear whether it is renovation work or construction of new buildings.
Upon her appointment as Superintendent of Nimba, Madam Kou Meapeh Gono carried on a speedy renovation of the superintendent compound in Sanniquellie and procured a brand new morrow jeep, allegedly in the absence of the County Council.
