By Preston Slami Panyonnoh
Correspondent, Sinoe County
In Butaw District, Sinoe County, the once-proud administrative building; a landmark of governance and community life, now lies in ruin, a hollow carcass of what it used to be. Once the hub of the district commissioner’s office and the Kisieh Magistrate Court, the structure today stands abandoned, forgotten under the leadership of two of the district’s most prominent sons: House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon and Representative Thomas Romeo Quioh.
From the final years of the CDC administration under former President George Manneh Weah to the current regime of President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, the building has been left to rot. Roof panels are caving in, ceiling boards dangle loosely, and broken windows leave the inside completely exposed to the elements. The once-crisp white-and-blue paint, a symbol of dignity and authority, has faded into a patchwork of peeling flakes and water stains.
Outside, the grounds are overrun by tall grass and stubborn bushes, swallowing pathways once trodden by citizens seeking justice, documentation, or administrative services. Inside, the emptiness is even more chilling; no desks, no records, no signs of a functioning local government. The air is heavy with dust and decay, a silent witness to years of neglect.
For residents of Butaw, this is more than just the loss of a building. It is the erasure of a piece of the district’s identity. The structure once anchored the local administration and symbolized the connection between citizens and their government. Now, its decay mirrors the growing frustration of the people, who feel utterly abandoned by those elected to represent them.
The disappointment has two primary targets: Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon — who hails from this very district but represents Montserrado County’s District #11 — and Representative Thomas Romeo Quioh, the sitting lawmaker for Sinoe’s District #1. Despite their political influence and national visibility, residents say neither man has taken meaningful steps to address the collapse of Butaw’s administrative heart.
For Speaker Koon, the criticism cuts deep. Many in Butaw believe that as one of Sinoe’s most prominent political figures, he has an obligation to give attention to his home district’s plight, even if he does not directly represent it in the Legislature. “If the Speaker of the House can’t look back to his own roots, who will?” one frustrated elder asked.
Rep. Quioh, meanwhile, faces equally sharp accusations. Residents note that for the past four years, he has not had a home in Sinoe after selling his only house to NASSCORP. To many, this is symbolic of a deeper detachment from the district’s daily struggles — a leader with no physical stake in the community’s well-being. Promises of roads, schools, clinics, and administrative restoration have, in the eyes of locals, evaporated into thin air.
“We gave him our votes, but we got nothing in return,” another resident lamented. “Our future has been left in the dust, just like that building.”
Now, the crumbling structure along the roadside to Greenville serves as more than just an eyesore. It is a living monument to broken promises — a physical reminder that political power does not always translate into care for the people. The weeds that choke the building’s perimeter have become a metaphor for the neglect that has taken root in Butaw, fed by years of political silence and inaction.
For a district with a proud history, the sight is heartbreaking. What was once a beacon of governance is now an open wound in the heart of Sinoe, and the question on everyone’s mind remains: If the Speaker of the House and the district’s own representative will not intervene, who will?
