Nimba County authorities have unveiled a series of ambitious development plans for the 2025 budget year following several days of consultative meetings with key county stakeholders and the 55th Legislative Caucus of Nimba.
In an interview following the meeting, Superintendent Kou Meapeh Gono detailed some of the major development projects set for the upcoming budget year, which include the rehabilitation of several government compounds in the county. These projects target the Buutuo Civil Compound, the Tappita Civil Compound, Saclepea, and Bahn, among others.
Gono emphasized that these projects are historic and essential for restoring the government compounds to their pre-war status, underscoring their importance as seats of government. However, she did not disclose the projected budget figures discussed during the meetings, but unconfirmed put the budget to US$ 4.5m
On October 28, 2024, the county passed a budget of over US$2 million and the county authority coming up with another budget in less than a year created another concern among the public.
In 2024, Nimba’s development budget was estimated at over US$2 million, with US$33,000 allocated to each of the county’s 17 districts for local development purposes.
This year’s budget hearing convened key stakeholders, including the County Council (which has been reduced to seven members), the superintendent and her senior staff, as well as district commissioners from across Nimba County.
Superintendent Gono noted that lawmakers were generally pleased with the progress made in the past year and encouraged further efforts for continued development.
However, concerns over the allotment of the budget were not visible, and there is ongoing public interest in understanding the specific costs associated with various development projects.
Under Gono’s administration, Sanniquellie has seen noticeable transformation, although questions regarding the costs of these developments remain unanswered. Significant progress has been made in renovating the superintendent’s compound, with ongoing work on some of the historic buildings, but the financial details surrounding these projects remain unclear.
In addition to the local infrastructure developments, Gono also highlighted the county’s plans to address the housing issues within the concession areas operated by ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML).
She explained that the meeting included discussions on renovating the remaining estates in Yekepa, with the suggestion that the management of AML rent these properties from the county, as the company has not fully renovated all of the estates.
Nimba’s County Council, which faced a crisis last year over disagreements among civil society organizations regarding their representation in the council, is still struggling to meet the required nine members in line with the Local Government Act. The resignation of two council representatives has further reduced the number of persons and despite that the council remains very active and this is their second budget.
The LGA dissolved the previous project management committee and brought in a nine-person county council to scrutinize all development initiatives, reducing the power of legislators, who were playing dominant roles in all development activities.
Now, with the strength of the PMC reduced, it appears like the County Legislative Caucus is once again playing a dominant role in the local government decision.
“We don’t even know who the PMC chairman is, since the two CSO representatives resigned from the council,” said one Carnay Moore, a construction worker.
When contacted for further details on the 2025 budget projections for Nimba County or the costs associated with the superintendent’s compound renovations, Superintendent Gono has yet to respond. Additionally, the county’s public relations officer, Amos Gbannah, has not provided any updates on the budget hearings or other ongoing development activities within the county.
