Kakata — Margibi County Superintendent O'Jay G. F. Morris Jr. has threatened to issue a stop order on the reconstruction of the C.H. Rennie Memorial Hospital if the Ministry of Health fails to temporarily halt the project and include the county administration in the rebuilding process.
The Superintendent's warning comes amid ongoing reconstruction activities at the hospital site, which the Margibi County Administration says are proceeding without its consultation or involvement.
On August 15, 2021, a fire destroyed the C.H. Rennie Memorial Hospital--the county's only government-run referral facility--severely damaging critical sections including the operating theater, emergency room, inpatient pharmacy, finance office, records section, and other administrative units.
Former President George Manneh Weah broke ground for the hospital's reconstruction in August 2023, but the project reportedly stalled until the Unity Party-led government took office. In late 2025, the Boakai administration resumed reconstruction efforts, a move that has since triggered complaints from county authorities over alleged exclusion from the planning and implementation process.
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In a February 3, 2026 communication addressed to Health Minister Dr. Louise Mapleh Kpoto and obtained by FrontPage Africa, Superintendent Morris expressed concern that reconstruction activities were advancing without the involvement of the county leadership.
"While we fully support the government's efforts, channeled through the Ministry of Health, to improve healthcare infrastructure, the exclusion of the county leadership from the planning and implementation process is now a matter of serious concern," Morris wrote.
The Superintendent reminded the Minister that his office serves as the President's representative in the county and is mandated to oversee all government projects, programs, and activities within the county.
"This office plays a critical role in local governance, exercising oversight responsibility to monitor and supervise all government programs and projects to ensure they meet required standards for the benefit of the people," the letter stated.
Morris further asserted that the land on which the hospital is being rebuilt was not purchased by the Ministry of Health but was provided by the Margibi County Administration.
"Let me be clear that the land for the construction was not paid for by the Ministry of Health but was given to the Ministry by the county authority, contrary to insinuations by some officials that the land was purchased," he noted.
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The Superintendent has formally requested several project documents from the Ministry, including the contract agreement, project drawings and specifications, work plan and schedule, project duration, bill of quantities, and the identities of the contractor and supervising engineer.
He is also calling for a temporary halt to construction activities, warning that if the Ministry fails to comply, the county administration will issue its own stop order until a formal meeting is convened between the Ministry of Health and Margibi County authorities.
According to Morris, such engagement would promote transparency, clarify institutional roles, and ensure alignment with the county's development priorities.
"We believe that constructive dialogue and collaboration will strengthen the project's impact and ensure shared ownership and long-term sustainability of the C.H. Rennie Memorial Hospital," he said.
The dispute reflects a broader pattern of inter-agency tensions within the Boakai administration, with similar conflicts emerging over the regulation of driver's licenses, license plates, and traffic management--functions currently claimed by both the Ministry of Transport on one side, and the Liberia Traffic Management, a foreign company, backed by the Liberia National Police, on the other.
