District 3 Montserrado County Representative Sumo Mulbah writes; defaults NAYMOTE’s report
To: Naymote ( Civil Society Group)
Subject: The district’s report imcompases legislative briefing, rather adherence details to public budgeting (County and Social Development Funding) as per local government spending.
In the realm of legislative reporting, the primary concern of constituent is revolved around the utilization of government funds for the benefit of the public. It’s a good thing for Naymote to put out a friendship report based on the specific of lucrative committees. However, Naymote, Mr. Eddie should engage with local government officials to prepare their expenditure reports based on County Development and Social Development funding in order to have a comprehensive report. Any report that doesn’t include financial details of the CDF and SDF is considered incomplete by the people of District # 3. Funding for the county and social contributions from concessions that impacts the district via decentralized budget allocations should be included in legislative updates.
In the Liberian political context, a lawmaker’s constituent report is a formal mechanism of accountability designed to bridge the gap between the legislature and the citizenry. While specific formats may vary by individual office, these reports generally entail a comprehensive summary of the legislator’s activities during a specific legislative session. They typically include a detailed account of bills sponsored or supported, voting records on critical national issues, and updates on the status of development projects funded through the County Social Development Fund (CSDF) or other legislative allocations.
Our people are not impressed by your superficial evaluations of radio experiences conducted on lawmakers, such efforts neither validate nor justify how our County, District, Social Development funds are spent. What the county truly needs is a full accounting of financial reports to counties and Districts, including detailed records of how our CDF and SDF were used. In Montserrado alone, 186,000USD over three years adds up to half a million, hardly an insignificant sum. With the 15 counties, government allot 2,790,000 every year. So from 2024 to 2026, we are discussing 8,370,000usd.
Do not mislead citizens with meaningless data. We also demand clear information on budget allocations.
Gone those days when civil society groups could shield citizens views from accountability issues. We were elected to serve, and any so called group who fails to act responsibly in the interests of the masses will face consequences. As the president has emphasized: business as usual is no longer acceptable. The people of District # 3 need a full report on social and county development funds.
In the context of the 2018 local government act, lawmakers have nothing absolutely to do with county development funds, it’s the County Council and the Superintendent to manage development initiatives; yet, we have an oversight in knowing what was done with budgetary allotments.
Furthermore, the involvement of civil society organizations (CSOs) , in County Council leadership ; who should act as independent whistleblowers, compromise their neutrality by participating in executive decision-making. I said it over and over, the present of CSOs in the leadership of local government, creates a “dual-role” conflict where the entities meant to monitor the process are now effectively part of the management structure, making it difficult for the public to discern who is responsible for reporting on fund utilization.
The central question is this: how can Naymote, a civil society organization, maintain a neutral stance in its reporting if the civil society group holds representation on the county council? When those responsible for oversight are embedded within the very system they are meant to monitor, how can genuine transparency and accountability be achieved in local governance?
Conclusively, it is important to note that the district’s report to the community should reflect how the funds for district development and social development are used. Let the local officials also report on county and social development funds, as the lawmaker complete the process. The people need a comprehensive report and not just partial.
Thanks
