By Patrick N. Tokpah (Bong Contributor)
Residents of Bong County are calling for accountability in budgetary allotment to a ghost clinic, as the Legislative Caucus Chairperson, Representative Moima Briggs Mensah demands Finance Ministry to disclose the recipients of such money in the county.
The Caucus chairperson said if the Ministry of Finance refuses to inform the county about budgetary allocations made to the Gbondoi Clinic in the past budget years, she will ask the Supreme Court to subpoena the budget.
Representative Mensah told journalists that the Ministries of Finance and Health need to clearly state how much has been allotted in the budget for that clinic that never existed and who has been receiving the money.
She frowned at the decision of Representative Marvin Cole to have reportedly advocated for a budget line to a ghost clinic and expressed concern about the individual who has been receiving such monies.
The lawmaker has assured residents of the county that she will make sure a proper accountability is provided on the Gbondoi Clinic fund in the county’s budget.
“I will make sure that those who have been eating the Gbondoi people clinic money account for it. I’m not going to joke with this ghost clinic money because it is wickedness to the highest degree and criminal,” Rep. Mensah noted.
The Ministry of Health has revealed that Rep. Cole’s assertion of being advised by the Ministry to divert potions of the Gbondoi Clinic money to Kpayah Clinic has no iota of truth.
However, the Director of Communications at the Ministry of Health said the Deputy Minister for Administration has denied receiving communication from Bong County Electoral District 3 Representative Cole requesting her office to transfer funds intended for the construction of the controversial Gbondio Health Center to another facility in the county.
After being alleged of squandering funds meant for the construction of the Gbondio Health Center in District 6, Representative Cole through a press conference held on February 23, 2023, justified that he was duly advised by the Ministry of Health to divert said funding toward the construction of the Kpayah Clinic in Bequelleh Clan, Jorquelleh District 3.
He further indicated that a formal communication was written to Madam Norwu Howard, the Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Health on May 16, 2022, requesting her office to instruct Bong County Health Team Administrator Abraham Jusu to transfer US$25,000 out of some US$ 50, 000 intended for Gbondio Health Center toward the completion of the Kpayah Clinic construction.
In an interview with local community radio in Gbarnga on March 2, 2023, via a telephone call from Monrovia, the Director of Communications at the Ministry of Health, Felecia Gbesioh said, Min. Howard publicly clarified in their administrative chatroom that at no time did she receive a letter from Representative Cole requesting for the transfer of US$25,000 toward the construction of a health facility in Bong County as being claimed.
