By Bill W. Cooper
Lofa County Senator, Momo Cyrus has voiced serious concerns regarding the allocation of funds for health centers across the country, specifically targeting the apparent disparities between counties.
His assertion comes in the wake of a distressing announcement by Senator Gbarpolu County Senator, Amara Konneh, who revealed that clinics in his county were running empty of essential drugs due to a lack of funding.
Deliberating on the matter as raised by Sen. Konneh during yesterday’s session, Sen. Cyrus openly accused Grand Bassa, Bong, and Nimba Counties of receiving a disproportionate share of their allotments from the 2024 budget for health clinics, while other counties, including Lofa, have yet to receive even half of their allocated funds.
The revelation from the Senator, however, raised serious concerns from his colleagues, thus sparking outrage and discussions among Senators about potential favoritism in budget allocations, particularly given the political affiliations of key figures in the Senate.
He wondered, “Why is it that counties like Grand Bassa, Bong, and Nimba are receiving almost all of their allotments for health clinics while other counties, including Lofa, are left struggling?”
“Or Is it because the Pro-Tempore is from Bassa, or is it because the Vice President is from Nimba? Or is it because the chair of the Senate Ways, Means and Finance Committee is from Bong County? These are serious questions that need answers,” he noted.
Liberia, since the end of the civil conflict, has been struggling for serious infrastructure development, including affordable health services, education, electricity and road connectivity, as the issue of equitable distribution of resources has long been a contentious topic, where regional disparities in development and access to services are prevalent.
Since its passage, the 2024 budget has been a focal point of debate in the Senate, with various lawmakers advocating for increased funding for health services, education, and infrastructure, but the allocation process has come under scrutiny, with accusations of favoritism and political maneuvering overshadowing the discussions.
As per a comparative analysis of budget outturn for the county health sector in 2024, Bong was allocated US$255,000 and received US$130,000, accumulating to 50.90%, while Bassa’s allocation was US$342,163,000 and received US$310,563,00, amounting to 90.76 per cent.
Also, Nimba was allocated US$480,000 and got US$337,487,000, amounting to 70.30 per cent, and Lofa, which the President is from, was allocated US$565,000 but surprisingly got 142,500 000 representing a mere 25.22 per cent.
This, the Senator decried, “Despite being apportioned the highest allocation for health services in the country, as of December 2024, Lofa received the least outturn (actual funds received) among the four counties mentioned.”
“This drastically affected the efficiency of healthcare delivery in the county. Institution like the Tellawoyen Memorial Hospital, the only referral hospital in the county, was severely underfunded during the 2024 budget year, and this is seriously alarming.
Also, it is unacceptable that our clinics are empty, and our people are suffering because of a lack of funds, and at this point, we need to ensure that every county receives its fair share of the budget, especially when it comes to healthcare,” he emphasized.
He added, “We are all here to serve the people of Liberia, regardless of where they come from. As such, we must ensure that every county receives the resources it needs to provide adequate healthcare to its citizens.”
The Senator, at the same time, called for a comprehensive review of the budget allocation process and added, “This issue needs to be investigated because we need transparency in how our resources are allocated. The people of Liberia deserve better.”
Meanwhile, some of his colleagues rejected his assertion, describing it as false and misleading, noting that all of the countries are facing similar problems as his county, as it relates to budget expenditure.
Sens. Edwin Melvin Snowe, Darius Dillon, Johnny Kpehe and Nyan Twayen all rejected his claims, adding. “This is not true because if you want to dwell on this, the question would be why Lofa is being denied its budget? Is it the county that the President is from?”
“Are you telling us VP, Sen. Moyee, or the Pro-Temp are more powerful than the President? Or are they the individuals who are running the government now, and the President is just sitting with the title? Let’s address this issue with sincerity because all county is affected,” they added.
However, following the debate, a motion was then proffered by Grand Kru County Senator Albert Chie to invite all county Health officers next Tuesday to a consultative meeting with the Senators by 10:00 a.m.
The motion also mandates that the Ministers of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, and Health Minister, Dr Louis Kpoto and the Civil Service Agency (CSA) Director, Josiah Joekai, to appear before full plenary next Thursday to answer to Senator’s concerns.
