River Cess County Senator Wellington Geevon Smith has called on the General Auditing Commission to investigate the National Road Fund following a report of alleged misappropriation of US$604,263.39 intended for the road in his county.
Speaking at a news conference held in his office at the Capitol Building Tuesday, August 03, Senator Smith said the government should investigate and subsequently audit full operations of the National Road Fund.
He noted that the US$604,263.39 which is in the budget line for 2020/2021 is a huge amount to have been used on the Rivercess road without any impact, stressing that the people of Rivercess have suffered from bad roads for a very long time.
According to him, the road between Grand Bassa County and his county is muddy and needs serious national attention.
“That the National Road Fund spent over half a million on the Rivercess road is offensive to our people. In fact, our name is now bad road and for few people to sit in Monrovia and create a figure that is so high without justifiable display of work done. Rehabilitation of road is not something that can be done in secret. We only have one major road connecting us and Grand Bassa County. The bridge constructed some time ago was done during the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the only rehabilitation of road in that county was done when President George Manneh Weah went on a county tour-that rehabilitation started from Palm Bush Community to the Main Street of our capital city, Cestos,” he explained.
The senator wants those managing the National Road Fund to appear before the Senate to give detailed information relating to the amount and that his office is about to submit a formal complaint to the plenary of the Liberian Senate aimed at seeking further clarification.
The National Road Fund was enacted into law on December 12, 2016, and published on January 26, 2017. A National Road Fund Office (NRFO) is within the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) 1st-floor room 61. The Office is responsible for the day-to-day management and administration of the National Road Fund. Editing by Jonathan Browne
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