Political tensions are rising sharply in Bong County after Senator Prince Kermue Moye launched a public and strongly worded attack on former Representative Edward W. Karfiah, signalling what is described by many as the opening of an early battle ahead of the county’s next senatorial contest.
The dispute, centred on budget oversight and development delivery, has drawn attention across Liberia, where Bong remains one of the country’s most politically significant and vote-rich regions.
Speaking at a recent gathering in the county, Senator Moye — who chairs the Bong Legislative Caucus and heads the Senate Committee on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget — questioned Mr. Karfiah’s development record during his tenure in the House of Representatives.
Hon. Karfiah previously served as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the 54th Legislature and is now seeking election to the Senate. Without always mentioning him directly, Senator Moye repeatedly referenced former leaders of the PAC, arguing that those who once held key positions in the national budget process should be able to demonstrate measurable gains for Bong County.
Describing the situation as a “budget battle”, the senator accused some former lawmakers of failing to use their influence within the legislature to benefit the county. He stressed that the national budget is crafted through the Ways and Means and Public Accounts Committees before being endorsed by plenary, suggesting that leadership on those committees carries responsibility for ensuring fair allocation of resources.
Senator Moye maintained that under his leadership, “millions of dollars” have been channeled into development projects in Gbarnga and District 3, and he dismissed allegations that district development funds had been misused for limited or personal purposes. He also revisited the 2020 election period, claiming that some lawmakers were preoccupied with campaigning while crucial budgetary decisions were being made.
Responding to the allegations in a telephone interview, Mr. Karfiah rejected the senator’s claims as “not supported by law” and insisted that no individual lawmaker can single-handedly pass or control the national budget. He said Liberia’s legislative framework clearly establishes that budget approval is a collective process undertaken by joint committees and subsequently endorsed by plenary.
According to Karfiah, at the time in question the PAC had eight members and the Ways and Means Committee 15 members, forming a 23-member joint committee whose report required majority support before proceeding to the floor.
“The law says budget committee, not budget individual,” he said, arguing that it was misleading to suggest that he or any single person oversaw the 2020 national budget alone.
Hon. Karfiah also pointed to what he described as inconsistencies in the senator’s remarks, noting that Mr Moye had previously stated — in response to criticism from Citizens Movement for Change political leader Musa Hassan Bility — that no one person could provide full oversight of the national budget.
He further argued that the PAC’s primary mandate is accountability and review of financial records rather than direct allocation of funds, urging the public to consult official budget documents to assess allocations made to Bong County during his tenure, including during the Covid-19 period when, he said, institutions such as Phebe Hospital continued to function without major public protest over shortages.
