Are Lawmakers Using County Development Fund As Personal Contribution To Lofa Stadium Project?

By S. Siapha Mulbah
Lawmakers in Lofa county have announced that they are ready to use the county development fund intended for the people and citizens of the county to manage their own development program according to law as the caucus’ own contribution to the construction of the county sports stadium.
The legislative Caucus of Lofa pronounced that the money set in the 2025 national budget for county development will be wholly diverted to the Lofa County Sports Steering Committee as a support to the construction of the county sports stadium that is expected to be completed in a period of 24 month.
Members of the Caucus led by Deputy House Speaker Thomas Fallah graced the sports steering committee project fundraising dinner Saturday evening at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, pledging to use the county fund as their contribution to the project.
According to the Deputy Speaker, they as lawmakers of the county met in majority from the Senate and House deciding to take such action so that the amount which he put at U$150,000 can be given to assist in fast tracking the stadium construction.
This decision had since been meted with series of mix reaction as some prominent sons and daughters of the county sees the pronouncement as a political decision that falls beyond the powers of the lawmakers.
While everyone is concerned about matter to support the intent of building on the ideas of constructing a well-meaning sporting facility for the county that will celebrate Lofa recent outstanding history in the county meet, the citizens are asking that the caucus review its action because the usage of the County Development Fund is to be decided by the county not lawmakers.
The constituents expressed disappointment that caucus members have not committed their own personal funds to the initiative. Critics argue that local leaders should lead by example when it comes to investing in community projects.
Proponents of the stadium project believe that the funding will significantly improve athletic opportunities for youth and serve as a venue for various community events. As the project moves forward, many are watching closely to see how effectively the pledged funds will be used and what impact it will have on Lofa County’s sports landscape.
Mohamed Kamara, Chairperson of the Lofa County Council voiced out after the pledged of the caucus stating that according to the Local Government Act of 2018, the Lofa County Legislative Caucus has no authority to allocate or pledge any funds from the County Development Fund (CDF), noting that the allocation is the responsibility of local authorities, with approval from the County Council following a county sitting
Kamara emphasized that the Caucus acted in error. “They have no authority to do this,” he stressed. “The funds in question are designated for the county by law. Why would they even consider pledging it?” he concluded by asking.