NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – A controversy has erupted among lawmakers over claims that all have received their 2024 allocations for the District Development Fund.
The issue has sparked a heated debate, with some lawmakers asserting that all allocations have been made, while others deny receiving theirs.
By: Kabina Kabah
Montserrado County District #8 Representative Prince Toles has made a bold claim that all lawmakers have received their allocations.
“I think lawmakers should stop deceiving their people in the district and use the District Development Fund to undertake tangible projects,” Toles said in an interview on OK FM on Monday.
Representative Toles maintained that all of his colleagues have received their District Development Fund but have chosen not to be truthful to their constituents. “What I can say is that all lawmakers have received their allocations, but they are not being honest with their people,” he said.
However, Representatives Yekeh Kolubah and Edward Flomo have denied Toles’ claim, stating that they have not received any District Development Fund. “I have not received any allocation, and we will not be silenced,” Kolubah said.
Representative Kolubah also announced that he will address Representative Toles politically, citing concerns about his character. “I will address Prince Toles politically until he shows proof,” he added.
The Executive Director of the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE), Julius Sale, weighed in on the issue, stating that there are procedures for accessing the District Development Fund. “There are procedures in place for lawmakers to access their allocations, but some of them have failed to comply,” Sale said.
Sale explained that he wrote to House Speaker Richard Koon, requesting that all lawmakers forward their project plans to LACE, but some failed to comply.
“I wrote to the House Speaker, requesting all lawmakers to forward their project plans to LACE, but some of them did not submit theirs,” he said.
The LACE boss’s statement confirms that not all lawmakers have received their District Development Fund, attributing this to their failure to submit project plans.
The controversy highlights the need for transparency and accountability in the management of District Development Funds.
It remains to be seen how the issue will be resolved, but one thing is certain, the people of Liberia deserve transparency and accountability from their leaders.
