Former Saclepea City Mayor Criticized for Unilateral Spending Decision

GANTA – The former Mayor of Saclepea City is facing severe criticism from some city residents for his unilateral decision to spend $3,027 on a street opening and paving project initiated by the Bility Development Foundation (BDF). The organization is owned by Representative Musa Hassan Bility of District 7, Nimba County.

By S. Kannay Ziamo, Contributor

Cyrus Saye and Morgan Dahn, two of the aggrieved residents, are leading the call for the restitution of the funds. They argue that the former Mayor failed to consult the City Council before spending over $3,000 from the city’s coffers. They claim the money was allocated for the construction of an administrative building, which had been demolished by the Ministry of Public Works. The Ministry had compensated the city with $18,050 for the demolished structure that once hosted several public offices.

Saye and Dahn allege that the former Mayor’s decision to divert funds intended for city development to a private initiative benefiting a politician constitutes corruption. They accuse Representative Bility of using his organization to attract votes during the 2023 elections and demand that the former Mayor, Mr. Yangian, account for his actions.

In a Facebook post, Cyrus Saye accused the BDF of being “at the center of an entrenched corruption scandal in Saclepea,” alleging that it received public money meant for the city’s development.

Saye criticized Representative Bility for allowing the former Mayor to use public funds for BDF operations and called Bility’s silence on the matter “dishonest and insensitive to the efforts of the founding fathers of the people he represents.”

Speaking to the Liberian Investigator on July 28, Mr. Yangian confirmed that $3,027 was used from the $18,090 given to the city as compensation for the demolished building. He explained that the money was used to provide food for road equipment operators over eight months and claimed the decision had the approval of the Saclepea City Council.

“We met and agreed to provide food for those working on our roads, and that’s how we spent that money. We used $8 daily to feed the machine operators for about eight months,” Mr. Yangian explained.

He insisted that his decision was in the best interest of the city, not for any individual’s benefit.

However, the head of the Saclepea City Council, Madam Mary Q. Donkeh, stated that she was never informed about the decision to spend money on the BDF road project. “No, I was not informed about that decision. I just started hearing on the radio that such a thing happened,” Madam Donkeh said in a phone call.

Prince Tozoe, the head of the Bility Development Foundation, confirmed that his operators received food items from the former Mayor but stated that his organization never received cash from the city office. “For me, money was not shown to us. What I do know is that we were being fed, and that is part of our agreement. Every community we work in feeds us,” Tozoe explained.

Established in 2021, the Bility Development Foundation has been involved in road pavement works, initially in District 7, Nimba County, where Musa Hassan Bility was elected as Representative in 2023. Many in Nimba County believe that the BDF aims to boost the political profile of its Chief Financier, Musa Hassan Bility, and help him reconnect with Nimba after spending many years outside the county.