-From Constituents
BY: SHALLON S. GONLOR |
shallonsgonlor@gmail.com
DOUPLAY TOWN, Nimba County, Liberia — Following Nimba County Electoral District #3 Representative Nerkeh E. Gaye’s 2025 Constituency Report to citizens on Sunday in Duoplay Town, several dissatisfied individuals, predominantly young people, have questioned the accuracy and impact of the lawmaker’s reported achievements.
The 2025 constituency report brought together chiefs and elders, women’s groups, youth leaders, local authorities, and other residents, with the lawmaker highlighting what he described as accomplishments in education, healthcare, infrastructure, youth empowerment, agriculture, and transparency.
However, some constituents who spoke to journalists after the report was presented described the report as “fake, deceptive, untrue, and a misrepresentation,” arguing that several of the achievements outlined by Representative Gaye do not correspond with the conditions residents currently face across the district.
The constituents called on the lawmaker to provide evidence of the projects and initiatives cited in his report and demonstrate how those interventions have improved the lives of ordinary citizens.
Constituents Demand Accountability
Daniel Marzah, a son of District #3, challenged Representative Gaye to provide concrete evidence of the reported projects and explain their actual impact on residents.
“Where are these projects? Show us the impact. Tell the truth to the people,” Marzah said, calling for greater accountability, transparency, and truthfulness in the representation of the district.
Marzah said the report had raised serious concerns among residents because, in his view, the achievements presented by the lawmaker did not adequately reflect the realities in many communities.
He disclosed that he supported and campaigned for Representative Gaye during the 2023 legislative elections because of the lawmaker’s campaign platform and promises to constituents.
However, Marzah said he has become disappointed because, after 2-year 8-month into the six-year legislative term, he believes several of those commitments remain unfulfilled.
According to him, residents had expected stronger interventions in agriculture, healthcare, road infrastructure, school construction and rehabilitation, water and sanitation, and youth empowerment.
“The 2025 Constituency Report is just a mere statement or document. The actual impact does not reflect on our people and communities,” Marzah said.
Speaking specifically about healthcare, Marzah referenced the Karnplay Comprehensive Health Center and raised concerns about the continued reliance on volunteer and in-service health workers.
He alleged that some health workers have served for more than 15 years without being formally employed by the government.
According to Marzah, Representative Gaye has appeared on radio programs and engaged with some of the affected health workers, assuring them that he would recommend their cases to the appropriate health authorities for consideration.
However, Marzah said the affected workers are still waiting for tangible action.
He argued that the situation demonstrates what he described as a gap between commitments made to constituents and measurable results on the ground.
Marzah also criticized what he described as insufficient attention to youth employment and economic opportunities.
He said young people in District #3 continue to face unemployment despite the presence of major mining operations and related businesses in the area.
In particular, he questioned the level of opportunities available to young people through ArcelorMittal-Liberia and its subcontractors operating in and around Yekepa, District 3, Nimba County.
“Youths here are frustrated. No job empowerment programs,” Marzah said.
He called for greater efforts to connect qualified young people from District #3 to employment, vocational training, entrepreneurship opportunities, and other economic programs.
Danie Barlea, a resident of Gber Lolay Town, also criticized Representative Gaye’s 2025 constituency report, describing portions of it as “big lies, false, and misleading.”
Barlea specifically disputed an alleged reference to him in the report as one of the beneficiaries of a job secured through Representative Gaye at ArcelorMittal-Liberia.
He said the claim was untrue and called for the lawmaker to clarify the circumstances surrounding the reference.
Barlea further said he supported Representative Gaye during the 2023 election and volunteered his time and services, including serving as part of the campaign’s security support.
Despite his support, Barlea said he has not benefited from what he expected would be opportunities following the lawmaker’s election.
He alleged that hundreds of young people in Lolay Town and other communities remain economically marginalized while basic development challenges continue to affect residents.
Another youth from Karnplay City, Prince Paul, also criticized the report, saying he expected the lawmaker to provide a detailed account of the benefits District #3 is receiving from ArcelorMittal-Liberia’s operations.
Paul said the report should have addressed concerns surrounding employment opportunities, youth empowerment, skills development, local contracting, and other economic benefits associated with the mining company’s presence in the district.
He urged Representative Gaye to prioritize programs that would create meaningful opportunities for young people and ensure that residents of District #3 receive greater benefits from economic activities taking place within or around the district.
Bill Joseph Yeanamie was also critical of Representative Gaye’s performance, arguing that the lawmaker’s first and second constituency reports do not adequately correspond with conditions in many communities.
“The leadership of Rep. Nerkeh Gaye is not making an impact in the lives of citizens and communities because his promises during the 2023 election campaign are not being fulfilled. His first and second reports are fake and full of lies,” Yeanamie alleged.
He pointed to poor roads connecting towns and villages, inadequate healthcare facilities, damaged or non-functional hand pumps, poor school infrastructure, and other basic service challenges as evidence of what he described as limited development progress.
“Nothing has changed since he took power,” Yeanamie said.
He recalled that many voters supported Representative Gaye during the 2023 election because they viewed his experience as an advantage and expected him to deliver effective representation.
According to Yeanamie, residents anticipated that the lawmaker would use his legislative position and experience to attract development projects and improve basic services across District #3.
“Majority voters in the district supported and elected him, hoping that his experience would deliver with accountability and transparency, but it is disheartening and we are disappointed in Representative Nerkeh E. Gaye,” he said.
The criticisms from the constituents center largely on the demand for measurable evidence of the achievements contained in Representative Gaye’s 2025 report.
The residents said annual legislative reports should not only list projects, engagements, or interventions but should also demonstrate where projects were implemented, how much was spent, who benefited, and what measurable changes resulted.
They further called for increased public engagement between the lawmaker and constituents, particularly on issues affecting young people, healthcare workers, farmers, education, roads, water and sanitation, and employment.
The constituents emphasized that their concerns should not be interpreted merely as political opposition but as demands for accountability from an elected representative.
They urged Representative Gaye to respond to the allegations and provide supporting documentation, project locations, beneficiary information, and other evidence that could help constituents independently verify the achievements outlined in his report.
