Residents of Nimba County are calling on Superintendent Kou Meapeh Gono and her administration to account for the funds raised during the recent funeral service of Senator Prince Yormie Johnson.
The aggrieved residents are claiming that over two million United States dollars were used for the funeral, with $500,000 secretly withdrawn from the county’s annual $1.5 million social development fund, without any transparency or consultation with the county administration or lawmakers.
The residents are demanding that the county leadership, headed by Superintendent Gono and lawmakers, publicly disclose the exact amount of funds used for the funeral service.
According to Urey Jackson, the head of the group, their action is aimed at holding the county officials accountable for how public funds are being spent.
Jackson expressed frustration with the lack of impact from the $1.5 million annual social development fund allocated to Nimba County.
He argued that the citizens are still suffering from poor infrastructure, including bad road networks, inadequate health facilities, and underdeveloped schools. He emphasized that the funds should be used to address these pressing issues, rather than being spent on an individual’s funeral.
He also noted that the government of President Joseph Boakai and Vice President Jeremiah Koung contributed over $338,000 towards the funeral, while the county administration allegedly withdrew $500,000 from the social development fund without informing the public.
In addition, Nimbaians both within Liberia and abroad reportedly contributed half a million dollars to the event.
Regarding the Liberia Senate’s involvement, FrontPage Africa has learned that the Senate, of which the late Senator Prince Johnson was a member, was responsible for arranging the funeral service and transporting Johnson’s body to Nimba County.
When contacted, Senator Nya D. Twayen Jr. stated that he had no knowledge of the funding involved and directed inquiries to the County Superintendent, Kou Meapeh Gono. However, Superintendent Gono declined to comment when approached by FrontPage Africa.
Former Superintendent Fong Zuagele, who was responsible for the financial aspects of the funeral service, told FrontPage Africa that they would report any information they deemed necessary. “My man, forget about those things. We enjoyed ourselves; who will ask us for any reports? Whenever they ask us, we will just play around with it,” he said.
Since 2007, ArcelorMittal Liberia has provided $1.5 million annually to the county. However, there have been no significant improvements in the county’s development.
According to reports, this funding has been primarily used for sports and social activities, rather than infrastructure or other critical development projects.
Source: FPA
