Nimba Citizens Raising Alarm Over Last Audit Report

The last General Audit report from the General Auditing Commission (GAC) of Liberia relating to Nimba County Social Development Funds (SDF) from 2011 to 2013 is creating alarming debate among some citizens in and out of Nimba County.

The Social Development funds accountability against past leadership is creating heated argument in Nimba County and many concern citizens are calling on the Nimba Caucus to investigate the abandoned audit report.

Some citizens are calling on local radio stations in Nimba expressing disappointment in the current leadership of the Project Management Committee (PMC).

It is widely believed that the past leadership tenure has elapsed, but the last  GAC audit report has been left in the cold without any further investigation to hold past leadership for alleged mismanagement and Theft..

The GAC report titled, “On Nimba County Social and County Development Funds for the Fiscal Year 2011/2012/ & 2012 / 2013 was signed by Auditor General,  Yusador S. Gaye .

It is reported that some concerned citizens are seriously mobilizing and engaging the Nimba legislative caucus to ensure that those involved with the county alleged mismanagement and Theft are brought to justice.

The PMC is responsible for the alleged mismanagement of the County Social Development Funds (CSDF) according to report gathered from the GAC report.

The report named several individuals that managed the affairs of the county to include, Christiana D. Dagadu former Superintendent, Edith,  Gongloe-Weh , former Superintendent, Teeko T. Yorlay, Assistant Superintendent for Development ,Clinton G. Layweh , Project specialist, , Edwin F. Kruah, PMC Chairman, Peterson G. N. Walker , PMC Controller (last chairman whose tenure just expired), among others.

According to the Auditor General’s report, findings conveyed in the report were formally communicated to the Nimba County Administration for their responses.

She stated in a letter, “Giving the significance of the matters raised in this report, we urged the Hon. Speaker and members of the Hose of Representatives and the President Pro-Tempore and members of the Liberian Senate to consider the implementation of the recommendations conveyed herein with urgency”. 

Findings and recommendations from the GAC report include, “Violation of the PPCC Act in awarding contract, Project approved without PPCC requirement, unsupported payment to Nimba County Community College (NCC), repeated payment voucher numbers, third party payment, contract without bid, scholarship awarded without policy, unsupported withdrawals among others.

The report revealed that, “during the fiscal periods 2011/2012 and 2012/2013, Nimba County Administration received the amount of US$800,000.00 as Social Development fund (SDF). The SDF had an opening bank balance of US$2,239, 835.08. 

The total cash available as SDF during the audit periods amounted to US$3,039,835.08. The county received US$200, 000.00 as County Development Fund. A deposit of US$53, 797.30 the source undisclosed was also deposited in the CDF account.

The opening balance in the CDF amount was US$351, 623.51. Therefore, the total amount available as CDF during the audit periods was US$605,420.81.

Section 1.7.1.1.6   held the PMC liable because they failed to disclose sources of funding.  The said section stated , “The PMC’s failure to disclose its sources of  income could lead to Theft and abuse of  Public funds, while the follow-up sections recommended that the PMC disclose a source of US$16,293.00 and US$53,797.30 deposited in the SDF account .

The audit also stated, “We also observed that a series of disbursements amounting to US$1, 114,663.60 were made from the SDF account maintained at the Liberia Bank of Development (LBDI) without supporting documentations.”

However, since the said audit was reported about the SDF, there has been no other audit report from the past leadership and no accountability to ease the growing debate among some citizens in Nimba the County for the Social Development Funds.

Report has it that, during the last county sitting in Sanniquellie, Nimba County, the PMC report to the County council was resisted by majority of the delegates on grounds that the report was flooded with huge discrepancies and it was seized by the presiding who established a committee for review and up to present there has been no further common grounds to ease the growing debate.