By Patrick Stephen Tokpah
-Bong
Some residents of Bong County are accusing Senator Johnny Kpehe over his failure to fulfill a key promise made during his campaign in the county.
The frustrated Bongese said, Sen. Kpehe failed to construct a state-of-the-art ambulance hub in Gbarnga as promised during the 2023 Elections.
The citizens, who once rallied their support behind Kpehe for his generosity and commitment to development, now express disappointment over what they see as an unfulfilled pledge.
During the 2023 General Elections, Kpehe repeatedly assured the people of Bong County that he would establish a modern ambulance hub to ease transportation difficulties for patients in health facilities across the region.
His campaign, supported the installation of traffic lights at three major intersections in Gbarnga, earned him public trust and an eventual election.
In August 2024, Kpehe held a groundbreaking ceremony at Kalando’s Filling Station along the Gbarnga-Ganta Highway, marking the start of the project.
The event was attended by residents and representatives from the Bong County Health Team. At which time, Kpehe reaffirmed his commitment, stating that the ambulance hub would be completed and handed over to the county health team by January 2025.
The estimated cost of the project was placed at over US$100,000.
However, from August of last year to present, there has been no visible progress. No materials have been brought to the construction site, and not a single block has been laid.
The senator’s inaction has sparked outrage among citizens, with many regretting their decision to elect him.
Some residents in the county, especially radio callers have accused him of abandoning Bong County, only making brief, overnight visits to see his family.
Annie Togbah, a resident of the Kokoyah Road Community in Gbarnga, expressed her frustration, stating that Kpehe was frequently seen in the county before his election but has since become largely absent.
In response to the backlash regarding the ambulance project, Senator Kpehe shifted the blame to the Bong County Health Team, specifically Administrator Sam Siakor.
Senator Kpehe revealed that, Siakor requested a temporary halt to the ambulance hub project, asking him instead to focus on completing an unfinished clinic in Yila, Kpaai District1.
The senator claimed the Health Team deemed the Yila Clinic an urgent priority due to pressing technical health concerns.
The Bong County Senator reassured residents that once the clinic is completed and the health team submits the necessary ‘BOQ’ (Bill of Quantities) for the ambulance hub, construction will commence immediately.
When contacted for clarification through text message, the Bong County Health Team Administrator Sam Siakor confirmed that he had indeed asked Senator Kpehe to redirect resources toward the Yila Clinic.
He revealed that the senator has already provided 100 bags of cement to accelerate the clinic’s construction.
However, Siakor did not provide specific reasons for prioritizing the clinic over the ambulance hub but assured residents that the hub’s construction would proceed once the clinic was completed.
“We asked the senator to complete the Yila Clinic first. Once that is done, he can begin work on the ambulance hub with the health team’s guidance,” Sam Siakor noted.
Despite these assurances, frustration remains high among the residents of Bong, who are eager to see tangible progress on the ambulance hub.