Published: November 5, 2025
GBARNGA, Bong County — Residents around the Jor River in Gbarnga, Bong County may have been a part of a joyous gathering recently aimed at breaking ground for the construction of a major bridge over the river which has long troubled and threatened their peaceful movement, but that joy has come to be short lived as the Government of President Joseph Nyumah Boakai has cautioned Musa Hassan Bility and his opposition political organization against implementing the project.
Bility is the representative of Nimba Electoral District #7 and has been implementing various projects, including building bridges over rivers that were once difficult to cross. He is also the founder and political leader of the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), a new political organization he asserts is ready to lead Liberia out of its developmental and governance backwardness.
Being outspoken and unreserved in his criticism of President Boakai’s administration, as well as some individual lawmakers from Bong County for what he claims is their failure to develop their constituencies, his gesture has not been genuinely charitable but rather a political ploy to justify his criticisms of the government.
Therefore, the Ministry of Public Works has rejected a request from Bility’s Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) to proceed with the construction of a US$500,000 bridge over the Jor River in Gbarnga. In a communication dated October 6, 2025, and addressed to Representative Josiah Marvin Cole, CMC’s National Vice Chair for Operations, the Ministry announced an immediate halt to the bridge project, citing unauthorized action and non-compliance with national engineering standards. The CMC has acknowledged the Ministry’s suspension of the project.
Though politics is tricky, Bility, through his CMC, was not prevented from constructing a major bridge earlier in March 2025 over the St. John River and naming it after Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe. There is no record showing that his political party was asked for the blueprint or other technical diagrams needed. Many, including some prominent sons and daughters of Bong, attended the dedication and opening ceremony of the bridge. However, as his conflict with Senator Prince Moye, the Superintendent of Bong County, Madam Loileyah H. Norris, and the Central government grew, the opportunity to gain political advantage through development was missed.
It can be recalled that in mid-October 2025, CMC officially submitted the required technical design documents for the proposed 38-meter bridge to the Ministry for review and approval. The Ministry acknowledged receipt of the documents but stated that no further work will proceed until all necessary technical studies are completed and approved.
In a letter signed by Minister Roland Layfette Giddings and addressed to CMC’s National Chairman, Mr. James M.V. Yougie, the Ministry revealed that the government has already budgeted for the bridge project and is finalizing technical documents for the procurement of a contractor. “
“We wish to inform you that the Government of Liberia, through budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Public Works, has planned for the construction of the subject bridge,” the letter stated. The Ministry further outlined the required technical documents that must accompany any future bridge construction proposal, including: Site topography study report, Geo-technical investigation report, Hydrological and hydraulic report, and Structural analysis and design of full working drawings.
According to the Ministry, its technical team has reviewed CMC’s submission and identified several missing elements that need to be addressed before final approval can be granted. Meanwhile, Bong County Superintendent Hawa Loleyah Norris expressed disapproval of CMC’s move to begin construction without prior consultation with her office.
“It’s not proper that my office wasn’t contacted to review the bridge’s blueprint or supervise the process,” Superintendent Norris said. “While we appreciate development efforts, every project must follow due process.”
Residents of Civil Compound Community, Jorkpanmue, and surrounding areas have described the Ministry’s suspension as a “politically motivated obstruction,” accusing the government of trying to undermine Bility’s growing influence in Bong County. “The Unity Party government is doing all this to delay the project, forgetting that lives are being lost,” said Sam Kollie. Locals say the lack of a bridge over the Jor River has caused multiple drownings and continues to hinder economic growth.
They believe that completing the bridge would improve connectivity, boost livelihoods, and speed up development in the region. The initiative, according to Bility, was prompted by a request from Rep. Josiah Marvin Cole, whom he praised for prioritizing his constituents’ needs.
He described the Jor River bridge as “the first of several infrastructure projects” his party intends to deliver across Bong County. Political observers say Bility’s sharp criticism of Bong County Senator Prince Moye during the groundbreaking ceremony for the bridge may have influenced the Ministry’s decision. During the event, Bility challenged Senator Moye to construct just five miles of road and accused him of failing to deliver meaningful development projects in the county.
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