Published: September 22, 2025
MONROVIA — Residents of Brewerville are demanding the suspension of Mayor Florence Parker During, accusing her of corruption, abuse of authority and lawlessness that they say have plunged the city into fiscal, sanitary and security chaos.
Under the banner of the “Concerned Citizens of Brewerville,” the group on Sept. 13 petitioned President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to take immediate action. Spokesperson James Johnson, reading the petition aloud, accused the mayor of “gross ineptitude, intransigence and non-cooperative postures” in managing the Brewerville City Corporation (BCC).
Alleged Abuse of Authority
The petitioners say Mayor During unilaterally dissolved the duly elected City Council in September 2024 — a move they described as a violation of the 2018 Local Government Act. Since then, they allege, she has single-handedly run the city, issuing permits, licenses and fines without council approval.
They also accused her of disbanding the Brewerville City Police Force, leaving the municipality without formal law enforcement and fueling what they called a rise in crime.
Financial Mismanagement
The group alleged widespread financial malpractice, including the drafting of a $100,000 budget without public consultation or council approval. They said the funds, captured in the 2025 National Budget, have already been disbursed “without legal authority, program or development plans.”
Between November 2024 and August 2025, the petitioners said, nearly $50,000 in revenue was collected from graveyard fees, hall rentals and other municipal services, but little has been accounted for. The city’s account with UBA, they claimed, showed only $437 remaining.
The group further alleged that During deducted social security taxes from contractors without registering them with NASSCORP or remitting the funds, calling the practice fraudulent.
Staff Exploitation
The petition accused the mayor of failing to pay staff salaries, unfairly downsizing employees and forcing contractors to work without written agreements. Payments, they said, were arbitrarily determined by her office.
According to the group, the BCC’s 2025 budget was inflated to $435,355 while revenue projections were downplayed at $98,700 — a scheme they described as designed to enable misappropriation. They said the absence of an Internal Audit Unit has allowed unchecked abuse of funds, while During allegedly changed city accounts twice to block other signatories from accessing them.
Citizens Demand Intervention
The petitioners called on Boakai to suspend the mayor “in the spirit of the fight against corruption” until the allegations are probed. They also urged Montserrado County District 17 Rep. Bernard Benson to summon the Ministries of Internal Affairs and Finance to explain the $100,000 transfer.
They asked the Internal Affairs Ministry to halt ongoing ward council elections in Brewerville, citing irregularities, and called on the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, General Auditing Commission and Internal Audit Agency to investigate.
The petition warned that if the ministry does not act within a week, citizens will seek a writ of injunction against the elections.
“We will go to court to ensure the rule of law is upheld in Brewerville,” Johnson said, as residents chanted their support.
The group concluded: “This is about saving Brewerville City. We will not sit idly while our resources are squandered and our governance laws trampled upon.”
Discussion about this post