Reliable reports from Nimba County show that lawmakers of the northeasterly county of Nimba have fingered development funds allocated in the previous budget for the county and that the action is sparking unease amongst their electors to the extent mass demonstrations have been planned.

The tension is reportedly said to be brewing among citizens residing in the county over allegation that their senators and representatives in parliament have begun the personal distribution of money allocated in the 2007/2008 fiscal budget intended for the development of the county.

In the 2007/2008 National budget, each county was allocated significant share for county development aimed at fostering developments in all of the aspects at local levels.

But according to reports gathered by the Analyst, instead of carrying on the county development initiative drives, the leadership of the Nimba Legislative Caucus had requested authorities of the Internal Affairs Ministry to give them 10 percent of the county Development Fund as supervisory fee for projects to be undertaken in each electoral district of the county.

Our information gathered from some sources close to the Nimba Legislature told the Analyst that the Internal Affairs Ministry after being coerced several times by the Nimba Legislature Caucus disbursed the supervisory fee to Representative Evans Koah for onward distribution to other members of the Caucus.

Though the sources did not say that Representative Koah signed any document to this effect, they however said that the lawmaker received the plump envelope and carried it to a site that had been mutually agreed upon by his fellow caucus members and each lawmaker received his ‘consideration’.

According to our sources that preferred not to be named, the Nimba legislators had initially requested from the Internal Affairs Ministry 4000United States Dollars to whet their appetite.

But with stiff insistence and pleading by authorities at the Ministry, the honorables gladly consented to receiving US$400 United States Dollars each as first payment while awaiting another tranche that has been promised them for settlement in due course.

Our sources further disclosed that representative Evans Koah who served as disbursing officer collected the 400 United States Dollars for each of his colleagues including Representatives Jackson Fiindor, Francis Karnway, Edwin Gaye, Martin Farngalo, the county senior senator Prince Johnson and for himself, who had gone to work out the deal with the MIA.

The sources indicated that Representatives Worlea Saywah Dunah, Nohn Rebecca Kidau and the county junior senator, Aldolphus Dolo rejected their allotment of the so called supervisory fee on ground that the county development fund was not intended for personal self aggrandizement, but rather for the development of the county.

But a statement from the Secretary General of the Nimba Legislative Caucus,Rep. Dunah has distanced himself from receiving any of the 400United States dollars, indicating that he was attending the African Caribbean Parliamentarian Conference in Slovenia from May19-24, 2008 and as such  he was not a party to the decision.

Upon his return from the conference the statement said, Rep. Dunah as secretary General of the Caucus convened a meeting, where he formally informed his colleagues of his opposition to the distribution of funds intended for community development.

Meanwhile, reports from the county say citizens of Nimba are reportedly fed up with their representatives and are planning a mass demonstration against them for making bad use of the county development funds.

According to the sources, the citizens are requiring the concerned lawmakers to restitute the county development fund of 400 United States Dollars to the Internal Affairs Ministry

When our legislative reporter covering the Capitol contacted the offices of the lawmakers who allegedly took their diabolical supervisory fees, but some staffers in the respective offices said their bosses were not available for comment  

Local Officials Review Development Programs

Search for Common Ground / Talking Drum Studio in collaboration with Nimba County leaders held a two-day forum in Ganta, Nimba County on June 27 and 28, 2008.

The forum brought together Senators, Representatives, Superintendent, Commissioners and City Mayors and more than one thousand citizens. 
 Day one of the forum focused on assessing progress made so far towards the county development plan.

The forum also created the opportunity for increased communication between the county leadership and the people on major development and governance issues.

For the first time, the citizens had the opportunity to be publicly briefed by the Superintendent on development activities and expenditure incurred from the County Development fund and program ideas to be funded by funds committed by the Liberian Government and Arcelor Mittal Steel.

The superintendent reported that lessons learnt from the 2006 development projects were incorporated into the 2007 development plans, which have improved the implementation process for this year.

The leaders informed the citizens that the Mittal Steel committed money for the first and second years is yet to be used because of disagreement between the Legislative Caucus and the Executive over the setting up of a dedicated committee for the management of the money. 

The second day of the forum focused on conflicts associated with access, ownership and utilization of land.

The participants identified 26 land related conflicts with varying magnitudes and risks of erupting into violence. During the discussion, it was agreed that the Legislature from each of the districts spearhead the resolution of land conflicts within their respective districts by setting up neutral committees that will work in collaboration with the superintendent and other county officials.

The citizens warned of the danger of politicizing and infusing ethnicity into land conflicts. There was a general consensus among the participants that the failure to resolve the land conflicts runs the risk of undermining development programs in the county.

The meeting ended with citizens recommending to the lawmakers that the Ganta land conflicts be handled quickly and led by Representative Noah Kidau as Ganta falls within her district.  The forum was made possible with funding from the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID).