By Patrick N. Tokpah
(Bong Contributor)
Superintendent Esther Walker has revealed that President George M. Weah has taken the initiative to construct that Health Center but without the conduct of full-scale investigation into the alleged squandering of fund allotted to the unseen Gbondoi Health Center in Bong County.
The mystery surrounding how the fund that has been allotted in the national budget for an alleged non-existing Gbondoi Clinic has left many wondering over who is chopping the allotted cash as it became an open secret that the House of Representatives passed the national budget for the Fiscal Year 2023 and there was an alleged budget line for a clinic called Gbondoi which is supposed to be located in District 6, in Bong County.
To the contrary, at a town hall meeting on Sunday, March 5, 2023, Supt. Walker said told residents of Gbondoi who have been disenchanted over the news of a clinic, that their controversy has drawn the attention of President Weah who in turn has taken in initiative to construct same.
The Bong County Superintendent told the gathering that President Weah, being is a former Peace Ambassador, has decided to restore peace and unity among the citizens and that that fund for the construction of the clinic will be provided by the President but through the Ministry of Health.
She revealed that she as an official of the county is not aware of any fund allocated to a non-existent clinic in the national budget over the past years but added that those who are involved with the mismanagement will handle it at the level of the Legislature.
Supt. Walker then asked the Gbondoi Township to make available a land space for the construction of the clinic with assurance that the ground breaking for the construction will be done shortly.
Officials of the Progressive Youth in Action of Gbondoi Town extended thanks to the government of Liberia through the superintendent for responding to their cries.
They expressed that despite the Government of Liberia has taken the initiative to construct the health center, they still need total accountability for fund that had been allotted in the budget for the past years, on grounds that it is a taxpayers’ monies.
They described the squandering of the money as wickedness and corruption to the highest degree in the county.
However, what became a breaking new for residents was when the Bong County Health Team Officer Dr. Cynthia Blapooh disclosed that there is money already available in the County Health Team’s account for the same Gbondio Health Center.
The Bong County Health Team Officer revealed that there is a plan underway for the health authority to sit with the residents of Gbondoi regarding the usage of the money that is in the account of the County Health Team.
“I can’t talk about monies allotted under the watch of my predecessors, but all I can say is, we got some money in our account for Gbondio Health Center and that we will be hosting a meeting with the residents so that they can decide how to use it,” Dr. Blapooh reiterated.
Dr. Blapooh who took over as County Health Officer for Bong County in 2022, did not reveal the total amount in dollars in the account and which budget year said money was provided for the Gbondoi Health Center but called on the residents to remain calm as they work with the county leadership and the Government of Liberia on the construction of the clinic in the area.
Many political pundits in Bong County have told the Inquirer Newspaper that the pronouncement made by Superintendent Walker is a smart move to cover up the CDC’s Representative, Josiah Marvin Cole who has been in the news recently for diverting monies allocated in the national budget for the invisible Gbondio Health Center to the Kpayah Clinic in District 3.
They told the Inquirer that the Gbondoi Health Center has been in the Budget since 2019.
