By Gabiel Sawah
Education, health, and sports top the priority projects to be implemented with funding from the County Development Fund (CDF) for Rivercess County. In a resolution at the 2023 county sitting, about 18.4% of the fund was allotted to health, and 23.25% to education. This means 41.65% of US$ 200.000, the total amount disbursed to the County as County Development Fund (CDF) was allotted to education and health. Also, complying with the 2018 Local Government Act that promotes decentralization and the establishment of the County Council, nine persons were inducted into office as County Council members to provide supervision and oversight on funds allocated for county development. Those inducted into office included women, youth chiefs, elders, and persons living with a disability.
Citizen-driven projects have been a major concern for ordinary citizens in the county, including, the media, and local and national civil society organizations. During the 7th County Sitting in Rivercess County, US$141,000.00 was allotted to the reconstruction of Commissioners’ compounds. Also, earlier this year, the County Received US$636,385.08 or L$99,267,074.81 as County Social Development fund (CSDF) arrears. Of that amount, over 51% (i.e. $327,041.08 ) was allocated to building, renovating, and reconstructing commissioner’s offices, and superintendent residences, and purchasing motorbikes for county officials. Thankfully, the July 2023 allotment has prioritized citizens to a larger extent.
During the just-ended July 2023 Special County Development Council Sitting for the appropriation of US$ 200,000.00 received from the government as the 2023 County.
Development Fund(CDF), the county allocated US$ 31,500.00 to construct an Elementary and Junior High School in Samgbalor Administrative District, US$ 29,800.00 for the construction of an Operational Theater at the Boegeezay Health Center in Morweh Statutory District, and US$ 28,000.00 for the construction of players and referees dressing rooms and Bathrooms at Darsaw Town Sports Pitch. Also, US$ 4,500 was allocated for the completion of the Darsaw Town Elementary School Annex in Zarflahn Administrative District. Delegates also allocated US$ 21,500 to rehabilitate the 44-kilometer road from Yarpah Town to Garpu Town and US$ 7,000.00 was allotted for the Renovation of the Gblorseo Town Community Clinic in Nywoine Administrative District.
In Central River Cess Administrative District, the county allotted US$ 5,000.00 for the replacement of the entire roof of the Zammine Town Elementary School. In addition to education, delegates allotted US$ 3,000 to subsidize the River Cess University Student Union (RUSU) tuition and US$ 2,500 as a stipend for volunteer teachers at the Cestos High School. Basic infrastructure received US$ 134,400.00, constituting 67.2%, and subsidy provided to over seven institutions and local administration was allotted US$ 36,800 thus, constituting 18.4%. While US$ 180,000 was allocated for activities and projects, US$ 5,300 was for liability, and US$ 20,000 was for Administrative and Operational Costs. Also, in compliance with the Local Government Act 2018, a County Council sitting was held and nine persons were sworn into office to supervise and provide oversight on developments in the county.
As part of efforts to curb abuse and mismanagement of public resources, and ensure accountability and impact-driven citizens-led development in the county, members of the council were selected from diverse sectors in the county including, the youth, women, persons living with disability, women, chief and Elder.
As a leading civil society voice promoting transparency and accountability in Liberia, the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) was represented at the sitting in a bid to contribute to the promotion of transparency and the equal participation of citizens of diverse backgrounds. Through its Open Expenditure Initiative (OEI) activities, CENTAL has educated and trained county officials and ordinary citizens about development funds and encouraged them to ensure transparency, accountability, and citizens’ equal participation in all implementation.