By Socrates Smythe Saywon | Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA – Nimba County District 9 Representative Taa Z. Wongbe has issued a response to a compliance audit conducted by the General Auditing Commission (GAC), accusing former county authorities of robbing the people of Nimba through years of financial mismanagement, unsupported expenditures, abandoned projects, and weak oversight mechanisms.
The lawmaker’s remarks follow the release of the Auditor General’s Report on the Compliance Audit of the Nimba County Social Development Fund (SDF) and County Development Fund (CDF), which examined the management of development funds between July 1, 2018, and December 31, 2023.
The audit uncovered significant financial and administrative irregularities involving millions of dollars allocated for infrastructure, road rehabilitation, scholarships, and other development initiatives across Nimba County.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, Wongbe said the audit findings should outrage every Liberian, particularly residents of Nimba County.
“I have thoroughly reviewed the Auditor General’s report regarding the management of Nimba County’s Social Development Fund and County Development Fund from 2018 to 2023, and every Liberian, especially Nimbaians, should be furious and disgusted,” Wongbe declared. “Plain and simple, those in power stole from our people, mismanaged, and bled the resources meant for our people.”
According to the GAC report, more than US$2.5 million and L$34.8 million in county expenditures were processed without supporting documentation such as invoices, receipts, or payment vouchers. Auditors also identified US$735,624.03 spent on infrastructure projects that were either abandoned or left incomplete across various parts of the county.
The report further revealed a staggering US$5,057,093.26 discrepancy between national fiscal records and county financial records, raising concerns about the accuracy and integrity of financial reporting.
Additionally, US$444,100.75 was reportedly disbursed as financial aid to institutions without adequate documentation demonstrating how the funds were utilized.
The audit also flagged nearly US$1 million in spending on repairs, servicing, and maintenance of heavy-duty equipment. According to auditors, expenditures totaling US$978,297.68 exceeded the approved budget by more than US$478,000, while much of the equipment reportedly remained nonfunctional.
Further concerns emerged over procurement and inventory management. Auditors stated that US$335,000 worth of contracted spare parts could not be verified as delivered, while an additional US$224,549 in spare parts were reported stolen or missing from county equipment.
The report also found that no official County Council Sitting was held between January 2022 and December 2023, effectively eliminating a critical oversight mechanism designed to monitor the use of county development funds.
Wongbe argued that the absence of oversight created an environment where public resources could be mismanaged without accountability.
“This is why the Auditor General slammed the county administration with an adverse conclusion, almost the worst rating an institution can receive,” he said. “There is no other way to put it but raw and unfiltered thievery.”
The lawmaker lamented that while residents struggled with deteriorating roads, inadequate schools, limited healthcare services, and few economic opportunities, funds intended to address those challenges were allegedly squandered.
“Think about that for a moment,” Wongbe stated. “While our people in Nimba struggled with poor roads, inadequate schools, limited healthcare, and a lack of economic opportunities, the very funds intended to build their future were handled with gross negligence and zero accountability.”
The findings are contained in a report issued in October 2025 under the authority of Auditor General P. Garswa Jackson. The audit forms part of the GAC’s constitutional mandate to promote transparency and ensure that public funds are managed in accordance with established financial regulations and approved development plans.
Although substantial allocations were made to districts across Nimba County for infrastructure projects, road works, fuel, and scholarships, auditors identified widespread weaknesses in financial record-keeping, expenditure controls, and compliance with public financial management procedures.
The report noted that Districts Two, Three, Four, Six, Seven, Eight, and Nine received significant development allocations. However, auditors warned that poor documentation and weak oversight created conditions that could allow unauthorized spending, misapplication of funds, and difficulties in verifying whether projects were actually completed.
Beyond criticizing past management, Wongbe called for sweeping reforms aimed at preventing similar abuses in the future.
“This is exactly why Liberia cannot continue the practice of waiting until the end of a government’s term to discover what happened to public resources,” he said. “By then, the money is stolen or mismanaged, the projects are abandoned, the rogues have enriched themselves, and the people have already paid the price.”
He urged the implementation of continuous audits, quarterly compliance reviews, real-time project monitoring, stronger internal controls, and full public disclosure of development spending.
Wongbe also called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to ensure that the audit findings lead to concrete action rather than becoming another report shelved without consequences.
“I call on President Boakai to ensure these findings do not end with the publication of a report,” Wongbe stated. “The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, Ministry of Justice, and the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force should immediately investigate the unsupported expenditures, abandoned projects, procurement irregularities, and missing public resources identified by the Auditor General.”
He further emphasized that lawmakers have a responsibility to strengthen oversight and ensure that public funds are protected.
“As legislators, we must push for continuous audits and real-time oversight so that we never again wait until the end of an administration to discover what happened to the people’s money,” Wongbe said.
Concluding his statement, the Nimba County lawmaker delivered a warning that is likely to resonate beyond his county.
“Accountability delayed is accountability denied,” he declared.
