MONROVIA – Sinoe County Senator Cllr. Augustine Chea on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, launched a critique of Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, labeling him “spineless” in his leadership and advocacy. However, while Chea’s rebuke of Dillon generated discussion, it also drew sharp criticism of his own record, raising questions about whether the accuser is as culpable as the accused.
Chea’s portrayal of Dillon as a “spineless sinner” may resonate with some Liberians, but critics, including Martin K. N. Kollie, argue that Chea himself epitomizes the same shortcomings he attributes to others. The debate around these two senators exposes what many view as the deep-seated duplicity plaguing Liberia’s leadership.
Chea, who ascended to the Senate in 2020 after winning just 43.6% of the vote in Sinoe County, has faced mounting criticism for failing to address the dire conditions in his constituency. Sinoe, one of Liberia’s poorest and most underdeveloped counties, struggles with crumbling infrastructure, limited access to healthcare, and a lack of basic social services. Despite these pressing issues, Chea takes home a monthly salary of over $8,000, a figure many see as emblematic of the vast disparity between Liberia’s leaders and the people they represent.
At the heart of this criticism is the stark reality facing Sinoe. The county’s only referral hospital, F. J. Grant, was allocated a mere $55,000 for the 2024 fiscal year, amounting to less than $0.36 per resident. In contrast, Chea and his Senate colleagues recently attended a retreat in Buchanan that cost taxpayers $565,000—a sum ten times greater than the hospital’s annual budget.
“Chea’s silence on the underfunding of critical services in Sinoe speaks volumes,” Kollie wrote. “While his people struggle to access basic healthcare, Chea prioritizes luxury over their well-being. It’s hypocrisy at its finest.”
This lavish spending extends beyond retreats. Fiscal records reveal that from January to November 2024, the Senate’s budget allocated over $3.3 million for salaries, $550,000 for constituency visits, and $3.4 million for committee hearings. Meanwhile, the combined funding for Sinoe’s health, education, and development initiatives barely exceeded $700,000.
Chea’s critics argue that these figures highlight his failure to champion the needs of his constituents. Despite representing a county with limited agricultural activity, poor roads, and widespread poverty, Chea has done little to address these systemic issues. Instead, he has focused his energy on attacking Dillon, whose own record of inconsistency and perceived opportunism has drawn widespread criticism.
“Chea’s attacks on Dillon are nothing more than a distraction,” said Kollie. “If Chea wants to claim the moral high ground, he must first address the glaring disparities in his county. His failure to do so makes him no different from the man he criticizes.”
In addition to healthcare, Sinoe faces severe challenges in education and infrastructure. The county’s community college received $430,173 in funding for 2024, while the local multilateral high school was allocated just $46,874. These meager budgets contrast sharply with the extravagant benefits enjoyed by senators, including Chea.
Chea’s defenders argue that he has worked to bring attention to Sinoe’s issues, but critics remain unconvinced. They point to his silence on the disproportionate allocation of resources and his participation in wasteful Senate expenditures as evidence of his complicity in the very system he claims to oppose.
The debate surrounding Chea and Dillon has become a microcosm of the larger issues facing Liberia’s governance. Both senators, despite their public squabbles, are seen by many as symbols of a political class that prioritizes personal enrichment over public service.
As Kollie put it, “Dillon and Chea are two sides of the same coin. They represent the duality of duplicity, much like taxonomists classify crocodiles and alligators in the same order. Their rhetoric may differ, but their actions reveal the same underlying truth: they are both spineless leaders.”
For the people of Sinoe and Montserrado, the ongoing feud between these two senators offers little solace. With no roads, clean water, reliable electricity, or adequate healthcare, the challenges facing Liberians remain as dire as ever. Yet, their leaders seem more focused on personal vendettas than on addressing the systemic issues that continue to plague the nation.
