FIND Boss Threatens Court Action If Bong County Social Development Fund is Applied to Renovate Presidential Palace

Monrovia, Liberia: The Executive Director of the Foundation for International Dignity (FIND), Aaron V.G. Juakollie, has vowed to drag Bong County Superintendent Hawa Loleyah Norris and members of the Local Government Council before the 9th Judicial Circuit Court in Gbarnga if they misappropriate the US$280,000 earmarked for the renovation of the Presidential Palace.

The Bong County Local Government Council recently approved the controversial amount for the rehabilitation of the structure, which is primarily used to host visiting dignitaries and the President of Liberia when touring the county.

The move, however, has triggered public outrage and sparked threats of legal action from civil society actors.

Speaking on Radio Gbarnga on Friday, May 2, 2025, Juakollie stated emphatically that the renovation project is not included in the county’s 25 development priorities—an agenda crafted by citizens during the County Sitting to guide the use of development funds.

“We will not allow Bong County Authority to use our money to renovate the Presidential Palace. If they do, we will go to court,” Juakollie warned. He stressed that the county’s leadership must respect the decisions and aspirations of the people, as outlined in the approved development plan.

Juakollie argued that the responsibility for renovating the Presidential Palace lies squarely with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the national government. He argued that it is wrong for the burden of such national infrastructure to fall on the shoulders of local citizens who have other pressing priorities.

The tough-talking human rights advocate also called on Superintendent Norris and Aaron Sackie-Fenlah, Chairperson of the Local Government Council, to immediately disengage from using the County Development Funds to renovate the Presidential palace according to him, serves no direct benefit to the population.

He emphasized that the county’s 25 development priorities were set through an inclusive and participatory process involving stakeholders from across Bong County. Any deviation from those priorities, he warned, undermines good governance, transparency, and accountability at the local level.

In a special sitting on April 7, 2025, seven out of nine members of the Bong County Council voted in favor of the renovation project, eventually reducing the proposed budget from US$315,000 to US$280,000. Despite the reduction, the approval has not escaped scrutiny.

The decision has triggered widespread concerns among citizens, many of whom believe the money would be better spent addressing urgent needs such as health services, road rehabilitation, water access, and support for schools and agriculture.

Civil society groups have also joined the debate, arguing that the presidential palace renovation is not a developmental priority but a politically motivated project.

As the debate intensifies, all eyes are now on the local government authorities to see whether they will proceed with the controversial project or reconsider in the face of mounting public backlash and looming legal threats from advocacy institutions like FIND.