Rep. James Kolleh claims credit for Lelekpayeah Market project, disputes County Council’s role

Gbarnga, Bong County — Bong County District 2 Representative James Kolleh is claiming credit for the construction of the Lelekpayeah Market, rejecting assertions from the county council chairperson that the project is a county-led initiative.

In an interview with The Liberian Investigator on Sunday, Kolleh said the project stemmed from his recommendation following a $50,000 allocation to each of Bong County’s electoral districts.

“If I had not selected the project, it would not have been done,” he said. “Let’s take politics out of this. Do people expect me to eat the money?”

According to Kolleh, he proposed using District 2’s share of the County Development Fund to build a modern market facility for residents of the Lelekpayeah community. He also claimed responsibility for securing the land.

While he acknowledged that the project is funded through the county’s development fund, Kolleh insisted the idea and execution should be credited to him.

He accused County Council Chairperson Jonah Sackie-Fenlah of overstepping his bounds.

“The County Council has limitations,” Kolleh said. “They don’t select projects — they only approve them.”

However, during a recent radio appearance, Sackie-Fenlah clarified that the Lelekpayeah Market is a county-funded initiative and not the personal undertaking of Rep. Kolleh, contrary to public speculation.

In response, Kolleh argued that Sackie-Fenlah’s assertions are drawn from what he believes is a flawed interpretation of the Local Government Act of 2018. He vowed to push for amendments to the Act to reduce what he views as the council’s excessive influence.

“Even though I wasn’t a lawmaker when the act was passed, it was tampered with by then-Internal Affairs Minister Varney Sirleaf, who wanted to maintain political control,” Kolleh claimed. “You can’t give unchecked power to people who aren’t accountable.”

He contended that lawmakers, not appointed council members, should have greater oversight of development projects to ensure transparency and accountability.