“The Day You Extract Lawmakers’ Development, the Executive Will Be Naked Developmentally” — Rep. Anthony Williams Pushes for County Accountability
Daniel Theophilus Cole 
MONROVIA, LIBERIA: Maryland County District Two Representative Anthony Williams has intensified calls for robust accountability in the administration of county development funds, cautioning that the sustained absence of legislative oversight has effectively insulated the Executive Branch from scrutiny.
He warned that the action would become unmistakable “the day you extract lawmakers’ development from the fifteen counties, the Executive Branch of government will be naked developmentally.”
Addressing plenary on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, Rep. Williams emphasized that while the Legislature routinely approves national budgets, it is rarely presented with comprehensive performance reports assessing how development initiatives are implemented across the counties at the conclusion of each fiscal year, a lapse he described as fundamentally undermining transparency and public trust.
According to the Maryland County lawmaker, no consolidated performance documentation detailing county-level development activities for the 2024–2025 period has been submitted to the Legislature, despite substantial public funds having been disbursed for local development programs during that time.
“Performance report is very cardinal from the fifteen counties, but since 2024 a performance report is yet to be provided to the Legislature,” Williams stated.
He argued that lawmakers must be formally entrusted with the responsibility of accounting for development resources allocated to their respective counties, maintaining that such involvement would not only strengthen legislative oversight but also restore confidence in governance by ensuring that appropriations translate into measurable outcomes.
Representative Williams further observed that county superintendents, who receive development funding through the Ministry of Internal Affairs, often implement projects with minimal legislative engagement, a structural arrangement he suggested has widened the gap between budgetary approval and effective accountability.
“Mr. Speaker, every one of us represents one of the seventy-three districts, but we allot money to the Ministry of Internal Affairs while county superintendents operate without the auspices of lawmakers,” he said.
Reinforcing his caution, the Maryland County District Two representative asserted that the enforcement of rigorous performance reporting standards would inevitably expose the Executive Branch’s development operations and expenditure patterns throughout the fifteen counties.
In his formal communication to the House, Rep. Williams also called for the Ministry of Internal Affairs to be summoned to provide clarity on the administration of county development funds, including a detailed account of how many chiefs and elders are currently maintained on the government payroll.
