By Stephen N. Tokpah
-Bong (freelance)
The Development Education Leadership Training in Action Human Rights Foundation (DELTA Human Rights Foundation) Executive Director, Jesse B. Cole, has written the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) complaining Bong County Administration and the County Council of Bong County for awarding a single renovation contract twice to a construction company called JEAMCO from the County Development Fund of Bong County.
The Bong County Administration awarded JEAMCO a contract to renovate the Superintendent’s Compound in Gbarnga, Bong County in 2020. The contract was signed on March 6, 2020, with the completion time at July 6, 2020.
According to the DELTA Human Rights Foundation Executive Director, the County Authority at the time paid US$ 50,000.00 as full project cost but the Superintendent’s Compound was not renovated and turned over by JEAMCO.
“After the 2023 elections and the County received new local authorities based on the Local Government Act of 2018, we were very much surprised to see the new leadership of the County headed by Superintendent Hawa Loleyah Norris awarding the same project with the total sum of US$ 149,000.00 plus to the same construction company JEAMCCO, who had earlier received at full payment of US$ 50,000.00 and never turned the completed project over to the authority of Bong County,” Cole stated.
He wandered what’s the motivate behind the County leadership to continue awarding contract to JEAMCCO without completion despite being paid; but leaders in the County continue to award the same contract twice to the company.
Cole further said JEAMCCO Construction Company was awarded five (5) construction contracts from the 2018 County Council Sitting in Bong County, adding “those constructions were not done and they are at a standstill.”
The five contracts included completion of the Commissioners’ Compound, construction of an Elementary School, completion of a clinic, another construction of elementary school in Kokoyah District in Bong County.
“JEAMCCO was also awarded the very Superintendent’s Compound in the same 2018 resolution for US$ 50,000 and the project was paid for, while US $15,000 each was paid for the other four projects in Kokoyah with no work done and having the projects at standstill,” he revealed.
The DELTA Human Rights Foundation Executive Director in his communication to the LACC said even though, the County Administration is aware of the General Auditing Commission’s (GAC) audit report on the County Development Fund and Social Development Fund of Bong County for the Fiscal Year, especially on June 30, 2021, regarding JEAMCCO’s inability to complete the projects.
Director Cole narrated that “The Auditor General recommended that the contractor should complete the project consistent with the scope of work, technical specifications, and payment terms.”
The DELTA Human Rights Foundation big man further revealed that the Auditor General also recommended that a penalty should be imposed on the contractor for not adhering to the technical specifications of the scope of work and completion of the project in time as spelled out in the contract.
Based on this information, DELTA Human Rights Foundation also wrote the County Council of Bong County on July 18, 2024, to call on the County Administration to put a halt to the new contract signed with JEAMCCO and it should investigate past contracts awarded to JEAMCCO.
But to date, no serious effort had been made and there had been no called session from the County Council to respond to some of the requests made by DELTA Human Rights Foundation.
With this information and with no serious responses about these issues from the local authority of Bong County and with the threat it’s posting to the future development of Bong County, “We at DELTA Human Rights Foundation, a National Human Rights Foundation request your (LACC) presence in Bong County to conduct an investigation into this issue to prevent the County from losing this fund for Development.”
However, Bong County’s Superintendent Norris said the ongoing renovation work will give a facelift and recondition the building for use.
“This building is the official residence of Bong County Superintendent,” she said. “You are aware that money spent for the renovation of the compound under the past regime was made available as a result of the 2008 County Development Sitting in Gbarnga, but the project wasn’t done.”
The Bong County’s Superintendent revealed in a local Community Radio interview on October 19, 2024, that the current renovation is being managed by JEAMCCO Inc., the same company that was hired previously.
She said there is no need to give the project to a different contractor because JEAMCCO agreed during the bidding process to pre-finance work during the past regime.
Superintendent Norris further noted that the US$144,000 initially allocated by the County Council to complete the renovation was a reduction from the past administration’s US$149,000 allotment, something which past regime claimed to have paid US$50,000.00 to JEAMCCO INC.
Superintendent Norris said she remained committed to the development of Bong County, adding, “I will not be carried away by negative propaganda.”
In July of this year, the Bong County Council approved Superintendent Norris’s 100-day Action Plan’s budget.
The budget contained US$302,913 for projects such as the fencing of the Gbarnga Administrative Building (US$50,922), renovation of the Superintendent Compound (US$144,000), and cultivating beans in the 13 administrative districts.
