Gbarnga, Bong County – Residents of Bong County Electoral District #1 have expressed strong dissatisfaction over what they describe as the selective use of the County Social Development Funds (CSDF) by Superintendent Loleyah Hawa Norris, accusing the county administration of neglecting their district in the implementation of development projects.
According to citizens, several projects initiated as far back as 2018 under the then CDC government— including the U-Lah Clinic, Behwee Public School, Malonkai School, and the Commissioner’s Compound in Kokoyah Administrative District — remain incomplete despite multiple budget allocations over the years. Locals say the stalled projects symbolize years of unfulfilled promises and administrative neglect.
“The Commissioner’s residence in Kokoyah is still in a deplorable condition,” one resident, Victor Smith lamented. “That building should represent the face of government in the district, but it tells a story of abandonment.”
Community members allege that while projects in other parts of Bong County have been completed under Superintendent Norris’s leadership, District #1 continues to be overlooked, with little to show for its contributions to the county’s revenue.
In the 2024 County Council Sitting, the county reportedly approved US$470,000 for development projects across the districts. However, residents of District #1 claim there has been no visible development or completed project in their area despite the allocation.
They argue that this pattern of selectiveness represents “a betrayal of trust” and have called for transparency, fairness, and accountability in the management of county funds.
Superintendent Norris has previously acknowledged that Kokoyah Statutory District is among the most “hard-to-reach” and underdeveloped regions in Bong County, but citizens say such acknowledgment has not translated into tangible action or improvement.
“If Kokoyah is hard to reach, then it deserves more attention, not more abandonment,” one community leader stated. “Our people contribute to the county’s development funds, yet we see nothing in return.”
The residents are urging Representative Prince K. Koinah and other local leaders advocate for equitable distribution of development funds and to ensure that District #1 receives its fair share of county projects in the next implementation phase.
As Bong County prepares to roll out the newly approved 2024 CSDF projects, citizens of District #1 are calling on the superintendent and the county council to address what they describe as years of neglect and to include their communities in the county’s development priorities.
