GBARMA, Gbarpolu – Gbarpolu’s county superintendent, Sam Zinnah, has threatened to sue contractors who have failed to complete projects they received money to implement.

Speaking at the induction of the Gbarma district local leadership, Zinnah said some companies had received huge payments for projects they had abandoned and refused to complete. He made particular reference to the US$950,000 road rehabilitation project in Bopolu and the clinic construction project in Normondatono.

He expressed his frustration: “The last time we went to Normon, I broke down; I shed tears. And we walked from Kumgboh – we reached there. A clinic was to be built but nothing was there because that money went back to Monrovia. This is a complete punishment for our people; we want that clinic to be built to bring relief to our people.”

He continued to name other unfinished clinic projects in Dewah and Zuway as well as the unfinished administrative hall in Gbarma.

Superintendent Zinnah is the former chair of the county’s Project Management Committee, the body responsible for supervising the implementation of those projects. He vowed to work with the county legislative caucus to ensure fiscal transparency and accountability.

Zinnah also announced plans to engage mining companies in the county to do more to contribute to Gbarpolu’s development.

“It is so disheartening to know the number of resources we have here, with no impact to show,” he said.

According to him, mining companies took over US$50 million worth of gold from the county last year alone, with no remittance to the county.

“So, we have the resources, but there are people sitting on the other side benefiting from our resources while we are here going through the difficult time,” he noted.

“Under our administration, we will not tolerate or encourage that – if we see any company that doesn’t want to follow the rules, we will close them down and go to court.”

Featured photo by Richard Williams