Monrovia – Bomi County Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe, Jr. has called for an urgent, independent audit of local government spending in the county, citing allegations that some officials are spending county resources without adequate accountability and inflating contract values to facilitate possible kickbacks.
By Rodney D. Sieh
Speaking as the Liberian Senate resumed its legislative duties, Sen. Snowe told his colleagues that the implementation of the Local Government Act, passed by the Legislature, “raises serious concerns requiring our urgent attention.” He said the allegations warrant an audit “to establish the facts and ensure appropriate action where wrongdoing is found.”
The senator also urged the Legislature to revisit provisions governing the qualifications, selection and responsibilities of County Council members, saying lawmakers must address weaknesses that undermine competent representation, transparency and accountability.
School Closed for More Than Three Years
Sen. Snowe drew particular attention to Bomi Junior High School, which he said has been closed for more than three years because of a damaged roof. Its students are currently being accommodated at C. H. Dewey High School.
He told the Senate that when the Minister of Education appeared before the body, she made a firm commitment to intervene urgently. “Regrettably, that commitment remains unfulfilled,” he said.
According to the senator, he wrote to the Minister offering to use his legislative project funds to repair the roof. The Minister, he said, asked him to hold off, explaining that funding was available and that the repairs were awaiting approval from the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC), along with works at other schools across the country.
“Our students cannot continue to bear the consequences of these delays,” Sen. Snowe said, calling on the plenary to require the Minister to explain the outstanding procurement issues and provide a definite timetable for the repairs.
He also asked the relevant Senate committee to examine concerns about the Western Region University’s compliance with its Charter, particularly the constitution of its governing Board and the recruitment of its leadership. The university, he said, is now fully operational.
Development Projects and Student Support
Sen. Snowe listed ongoing projects in the county, including a public clinic in Weajour, an auditorium for the Sess Town High School and a town hall in Lower Zor. He said he continues to provide full scholarships for 100 students at the Western Region University and, during the period under review, gave short-term vacation jobs to 536 students. Each student worked two hours daily for four days and received LRD 5,000 toward returning to school.
He noted that, despite political differences, he and his Bomi colleague, Senator Alex Tyler, maintain a cordial working relationship.
“Follow the Money”
Turning to national matters, the senator acknowledged that Liberia’s budget has crossed the billion-dollar mark, describing it as a significant milestone. But he warned that the Senate “cannot continue to celebrate increased revenues or reported budget surpluses while our communities struggle to see the benefits.”
“Our oversight must follow the money from allocation to release, expenditure, and results,” he said, adding that institutions falling behind on implementation must explain the delays.
As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Hydrocarbon, Energy and Environment, Sen. Snowe said his committee continues oversight of electricity generation and distribution, tariffs, petroleum-sector governance and environmental protection, working with institutions including the LEC, LERC, EPA and NIC.
He also called for sustained legislative and budgetary support for the fight against drugs, covering prevention, enforcement, treatment and rehabilitation.
US$17.5 Million Owed to ECOWAS
Sen. Snowe raised alarm over Liberia’s reported US$17.5 million in arrears to ECOWAS, recommending that the relevant committees engage the Ministries of Finance and Development Planning and Foreign Affairs to establish the status of the debt and secure a practical payment plan.
He said the arrears must be addressed as Liberia eyes major regional roles, including the possibility of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai chairing the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, and the presidency of the ECOWAS Commission, allocated to Liberia for 2030–2034 subject to meeting the applicable criteria.
He recognized three Liberians serving in regional institutions: Hon. Dehpue Yenpea Zuo, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture; Hon. Boima S. Kamara, Director General of the West African Monetary Agency; and Justice Charlyne M. Brumskine, President of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, whom he described as the first Liberian to head an ECOWAS institution.
Africa CDC Appointment, Diaspora Voting
The senator announced his appointment to the Continental Immunization Advisory Council of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). He said the council’s new 15-member configuration includes three parliamentarians from across the continent, and he is one of them.
He also recommended that the Legislature begin a structured examination of diaspora voting, saying the continued inability of Liberians in the United States and elsewhere to vote from abroad “deserves serious legislative consideration.”
Sen. Snowe thanked President Boakai for inviting him to development discussions in the United States with American inventor Dr. Lonnie Johnson, and said a formal report on those talks will be submitted to the Senate.