BY SHALLON S. GONLOR | shallonsgonlor@gmail.com
NIMBA COUNTY, Liberia — Nimba County’s 24th Superintendent, Kou Meapeh Gono, has fired back at the County’s Senator, Samuel G. Kogar with a tough political statement — standing firmly behind her alignment with the ruling Unity Party government.
Supt. Gono reaffirmed her commitment to advancing development in Nimba while pledging continued support for the Boakai-Koung administration. She said her record of service in the county stands on its own, regardless of political alignment.
“My legacy in Nimba as Superintendent can never be undermined by siding with the power that be,” Supt. Gono stated in a political release issued over the weekend.
In the statement, the Superintendent said her work and achievements in Nimba, and across Liberia, are aligned with the mandate of the Unity Party’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development. She argued that her tenure cannot be separated from the broader objectives of the Boakai-Koung Government.
“As a member of the Executive Branch, I remain unapologetic and intentional in defending and promoting the Boakai-Koung Agenda,” Gono said. “The ARREST Agenda speaks directly to the needs of ordinary Liberians, and my actions in Nimba reflect that same commitment to inclusive governance, infrastructure, and service delivery.”
On the role of a Superintendent, she clarified the scope of the county’s top office — which is described as the county’s “CEO, arrowhead, and parental figure,” responsible for ensuring the welfare of citizens.
“The role of the Superintendent is also a political one,” she noted. “Therefore, you were right to say that, logically, I am far from you,” Supt. Gono stated in reference to recent public commentary on her political positioning by Senator Samuel G. Kogar.
In a live radio interview on Radio Voice of Nimba and broadcast across television and radio stations in Nimba County on Tuesday, the county’s Senator Samuel G. Kogar branded Superintendent Gono as a person who is using her position to undermine leaders of the county, even if she is a party.
“Logically, the Superintendent may not be close to me, but mentally, she appears to be,” Sen. Kogar said. “If she keeps taking indirect shots at me, it will not foster unity among Nimbaians. As a mother, I urge her to stay out of our disputes. I am old enough to be her father, and I still regard her like a daughter. Whenever she hears something about any issue, I encourage her to get clarification from all sides before making a judgment.”
Political observers say the latest remarks signal a continuation of the war of words between the county’s two top officials.
The tension dates to late 2025, when a heated exchange erupted between Superintendent Gono and Senator Kogar over management of the County Social Development Fund, CSDF.
Senator Kogar called for a full audit of Superintendent Gono’s administration, alleging that portions of the CSDF were misused and diverted from projects in health, education, and infrastructure.
Superintendent Gono dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. She challenged the audit call, saying it was an attempt by the senator to control county resources.
“Call for your audit! I challenge it,” Supt. Gono said. “But you will never, I mean never, be Susu Pa for Nimba’s money at County Sittings.”
