Published: April 29, 2026
GBARNGA, Bong County — The Ninth Judicial Circuit Court has issued a writ of injunction stopping the planned Bong County Council Sitting slated for April 29–30, 2026, in Gbarnga, following a legal challenge by a coalition of youth organizations.
The court’s decision comes after a group of youth institutions petitioned for judicial intervention, citing concerns over the handling and disbursement of funds allocated to young people in the county’s 2025 approved budget. According to court documents, the petitioners include the Mano River Union Youth Parliament, Youth Positive Transformation Initiative, Gbarnga Youth Center, Bong County Students Union, the Federation of Liberian Youths–Bong Chapter, and the Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) Local Youth Council.
The legal action, filed as a request for declaratory judgment, names several county officials as respondents, including Superintendent Loleyah Hawa Norris, County Administrative Officer D. Sam B. Elliot, and other members of the Bong County administration. At the center of the dispute is an amount of US$17,000 reportedly allocated for youth-related initiatives in the county’s budget, which the petitioners allege has become a source of contention due to concerns about transparency and accountability.
A writ of summons issued by the court, presided over by Assigned Circuit Judge Scheaplor R. Dunbar, commands the respondents to appear and answer to the allegations raised in the complaint. The document further instructs the respondents to file their formal appearance and returns on or before May 7, 2026, warning that failure to do so could result in a default judgment against them.
Court records indicate that the writ was served on Tuesday and officially received by County Administrative Officer Elliot, effectively placing an immediate hold on all proceedings related to the scheduled council sitting. When contacted, Bong County Council Chair Aaron Sackie-Fenlah said the council is not responsible for the disbursement of funds, clarifying that its role is limited to approval. “We are not responsible for disbursing funds; our mandate is to approve,” he said. “The US$17,000 in question was approved by the council, and it is the responsibility of the county administration to make the allocations.”
He further argued that the court’s decision should not have interrupted the council’s work. “The council sitting should not be stopped because of this issue,” he added. Despite the court action, the council sitting scheduled for April 28–30 reportedly began with the arrival of delegates in Gbarnga. Meetings were expected to proceed, but it remains unclear whether the council will continue its formal sitting in the wake of the injunction. The injunction means that the much-anticipated gathering of local stakeholders, which typically deliberates on development priorities and budgetary allocations, now faces uncertainty.
Legal observers say the court’s intervention underscores growing tensions between youth groups and local authorities over governance and resource management in Bong County. Efforts to obtain additional comments from county officials as of press time proved unsuccessful, while representatives of the youth organizations have maintained that the legal action is intended to ensure accountability and protect the interests of young people. The case is expected to proceed following the respondents’ submission of their returns, with the court set to determine the merits of the claims and the legality of the contested fund disbursement.
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