By Emmanuel Wise Jipoh
CESTOS CITY, Rivercess County, May 11, 2026: Members of the Rivercess County Council have threatened to down tools and withhold approval of the county’s 2026 development budget, accusing the county administration of sidelining them and frustrating their oversight role.
The council alleges marginalization, denial of funding and logistics to monitor county development projects approved under the 2024 and 2025 budgets, and what it calls a deliberate effort to keep members out of key budget and implementation discussions.
Through its leadership, the council warned that unless its concerns are addressed, it will not endorse the 2026 county development budget.
“We will halt this year’s budget because we have been left out and completely marginalized. Superintendent Zahnwea and the administration are hijacking the budget,” said Melvin P. Uriah, financial secretary of the Rivercess County Council.
Some members of the Rivercess County Council
For her part, Winifred Y. Richards, secretary-general of the council, said members are increasingly frustrated over their inability to inspect and verify projects approved under the county budgets for 2024 and 2025.
Richards said that despite approving projects intended to benefit citizens, the council has not received transportation, funding, or logistical support to visit project sites and assess implementation.
“We approved these projects for development, but we cannot monitor them because we have no means of getting to the sites,” Richards lamented. “If we cannot inspect the projects, we cannot say whether the work is properly done or whether public resources are being used correctly.”
She disclosed that the council is now considering withholding approval of the 2026 county development budget until the administration addresses the matter.
“For two years, we approved projects without being able to monitor them. Because of that, we are saying we will not approve the 2026 projects,” she warned.
Council member Emmanuel Teah also complained that while the council remains committed to oversight, it lacks the financial support to travel to project locations.
“By law, we are to monitor these projects,” Teah said. “If we cannot move around to inspect them, then our functions are being undermined.”
The council further accused Superintendent Byron Zahnwea of failing to provide expenditure reports from the County Development Fund and the County Development Planning Committee since he took office. Members also alleged that several written requests for support to conduct monitoring exercises have gone unanswered.
But Superintendent Byron Zahnwea defended the administration, describing the county council as a quasi-legislative body whose operational funding, he said, is not the direct responsibility of the county administration.
“We are not responsible for allocating funds to those quasi-legislative groups. We go by what is in the law and nothing else,” Zahnwea said.
He explained that the County Development Fund (CDF) is intended strictly for development initiatives, not council operations. Zahnwea added that the Legislature has already earmarked US$20,000 in the 2026 National Budget for each county council’s operations.
According to him, last year the administration provided US$2,000 from the CDF to support the council’s activities but was later cautioned by the Senate Pro-Tempore against using development funds for purposes not authorized by law.
The superintendent further disclosed that an additional US$10,000 has been allocated for the Rivercess County Council this year, but said members must first submit a detailed expenditure proposal before any disbursement.
“They should prepare their proposal showing what they want to do with the money,” Zahnwea said, stressing that accountability and transparency must guide the use of public funds. Zahnwea argued that the county’s development envelope stands at about US$186,660 and insisted his administration will not divert any portion of those funds for the council’s operations.
