Nimba County controversial Senator Prince Yormie Johnson says staff of the county’s Projects Management Committee [PMC] would not receive salary because Nimba is not receiving social development fund.
Speaking with reporters in Nimba, PYJ says he has halted payment for over 20 employees of the PMC. The committee supervises projects such as roads, schools and bridges, among others.
Senator Johnson insists no employee of the PMC would receive salary on grounds that the county is not receiving its annual allotment from
mining companies that are operating in Nimba, including Sethi that is involved in scrap business.
Prior to the Senator’s position, staff of the PMC had threatened to abandon work in demand of nine months’ salaries allegedly owed them by the county administration.
The aggrieved workers lamented that they continue to report for work daily, but are yet to receive monthly pay.County Superintendent Door Cooper confirms that since he took office as head of the county, he has never received funding from national government for development.
He claims some lawmakers from the county with interest to contest in the 2020 Senatorial Election are fighting his administration.
According to him, the government is indebted to the county thru the social and county development funds, which is hindering implementation of his development agenda.
However, Assistant Superintendent for Fiscal Affairs, Saye
E.L. Musa, discloses that at a recent meeting, the government promised to restitute US$ 2.8 million owed the county.
Musa similarly confirms projects in the county are at a standstill due to lack of funds from government.
The President of the Nimba County Community College recently complained that the college urgently needs undisbursed allotments, totaling US$627,000 from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, the county administration and the mining company, ArcelorMittal, respectively.
Dr. Edward Lama Wonkeryor disclosed that he met the college’s coffer almost completely empty upon taking office.
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Speaking at the 4th Commencement Convocation of the college recently in Sanniquellie, he said the Ministry of Finance owes the college US$77,000 undisbursed allotment for fiscal year 2017/2018, and that allotment from the county social development fund for 2012 to 2016, totaling US$150,000 is yet to be disbursed, while ArcelorMittal allegedly owes the college US$400,000 for the period 2011 to 2018, including US$50,000 as per the Mineral Development Agreement [MDA] between the company and the Government of Liberia.
By Thomas Domah/Nimba –Editing by Jonathan Browne
