Bishop Donyan lauds CRS, Latter-day Saints Church for water tower project, questions reported cost

Published: May 7, 2025

JOHNSONVILLE TOWNSHIP – Bishop Nimely Donyan, a former representative candidate for Montserrado County District 2, has praised Catholic Relief Services (CRS), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and other donors for funding the construction of a water tower in Red Hill Community, Johnsonville Township.

“It is said that the tower can store 12,000 gallons of water. To God be the glory for this great help to Red Hill Community,” Bishop Donyan said during an interview.

The newly constructed water facility, dedicated on Friday, May 2, 2025, aims to provide safe and accessible water to residents of the township. However, Donyan expressed concern over the reported cost of the project.

According to him, Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation Managing Director Mo Ali disclosed that the project cost totaled $384,000.

“I’m sorry to say, but that amount is too high and should not be associated with the construction of this tower and the two additional smaller towers in the community,” Donyan said. “In my estimate, the entire work, including the two smaller towers, should cost no more than $25,000.”

He pointed out that a pipeline had already existed in Red Hill Community since 2017, which he personally financed.

“I bought all the pipes and paid the young men in the community who manually dug the waterline,” he said. “I also paid those who burst rocks along the way of the pipeline.”

He emphasized that aside from the two-inch pipes—about 20 feet in length—that connect the new tower to a four-inch pipe he had previously installed, he could not account for the $384,000 reported project cost.

“Again, I say the waterline I built in Red Hill Community between December 2016 and June 2017 is 5,000 feet long,” he stated. “It is to this waterline that the two-inch pipe pumping water into the tower is now connected.”

Bishop Donyan is calling on CRS, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and all other donors who supported the project to thoroughly review the financial reports submitted for the construction of the water towers.

Donyan, who narrowly lost the 2023 general election to current District 2 Representative Sekou Konneh, remains active in community advocacy and development initiatives.