GANTA, Nimba – Superintendent Dorr Cooper of Nimba has disclosed that the overdue County Council Sitting that was scheduled to be held from July 19 to 22 has been postponed indefinitely.

This latest postponement is the second of its kind this month after the meeting was previously postponed from its initial July 6-8 date, as announced in June of this year.

The County Council Sitting is a gathering that is supposed to be held by leaders of each county every year. At this meeting, citizens determine how to use the County Social Development Funds appropriated to each county.

Cooper said he received instruction from Nimba lawmakers to postpone the meeting.

“There was an instruction from the [Nimba County Legislative Caucus’] co-chair, [Rep. Johnson Gwaikolo of district nine,] instructing me to postpone the sitting.”

He continued, “A new date will be announced as soon as possible, but there are some things the caucus need to do.”

Cooper detailed that the latest postponement is due to a delay in the passage of the budget to be used to hold the meeting. The sitting requires the county to spend on the accommodation, transportation, and feeding of delegates. That budget has to be prepared by the county administration and submitted to the caucus for approval.

Following approval, it is then submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which regulates local governance activities, with a financial request, after which it is submitted to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning for disbursement of funds. He said the complicated bureaucracy is what caused the delay.

Cooper also said the lawmakers’ involvement in other engagements has made it difficult for them to meet to approve the budget.

“Most of them are also attending a workshop in Buchanan and others have gone to [their] districts,” he said. “We are hoping that all of these things will be settled up soon so that we can be able to set a date to go to our County Council Sitting.”

Featured photo by Arrington Ballah