ZULUYEE, Nimba – Shirley Brown-Gbegbain, the former district commissioner of Bein-Gairr Administrative District, has opened up about an uncordial working relationship she had with the county administration.

Brown-Gbegbain was appointed by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in her second term to serve the administrative district that comprises parts of Nimba’s first and second electoral districts. The former commissioner has disclosed that she did not have a cordial working relationship with the county administration during her term of service, which may have limited her output as commissioner.

“Our challenges have been a total denial of the County Development and Social Development Funds, including the affected communities’ funds, by the county administration and the representatives of the two electoral districts,” she said, adding that her administration was often denied access to funding meant to develop the district.

“We never made use of our County Development Fund… We were always denied,” she said. “People that we depended on let us down – for what reason, I don’t know; only God knows.”

The former district commissioner said US$18,000 meant to be used to complete the commissioner’s residence and to renovate the administrative building was used by the county administration, making her work more difficult.

“My people of Bein-Garr, I am very clear on this explanation… we have not received a dime from the county administration under our leadership.”

Brown-Gbegbain also said an additional US$36,000 that was supposed to be given annually to communities affected by ArcelorMital had also not been utilized by the district.

“If you check the county development fund, Bein-Garr has been receiving, we have US$142,000 outstanding for Bein-Garr,” she added, noting that all other districts received their benefits.

However, the former commissioner did recognize some institutions that were supportive to her administration. She thanked Mitigating Local Disputes in Liberia and Carter Center for providing furniture and stationaries to her administration.

“Without them, we were like beggars on the streets,” she added. “All our leadership was out there; no donations – I struggled in this district to work with my chiefs.”

The former district commissioner also thanked the chiefs she had worked with and called on them to work similarly with the new commissioner, Amos Gbatu.

Featured photo by Arrington Ballah