By Shallon S. Gonlor |
shallonsgonlor@gmail.com
NIMBA COUNTY, Liberia — Karnplay City Mayor Daybah Zain, a supporter of the ruling Unity Party-led government, has publicly raised concerns over what he described as severe logistical and administrative challenges confronting the Karnplay City Corporation, saying the municipality has been operating under extremely difficult conditions.
According to Mayor Zain, the city administration has been without a functional office since he assumed leadership, making it increasingly difficult to effectively carry out its statutory responsibilities and deliver essential public services to residents.
Speaking on the challenges facing the city government, Mayor Zain disclosed that several appeals for assistance have been made to relevant government authorities and supervisors, but the requests have yielded little or no response.
“We have no office to operate from. We don’t have chairs, office stationery, or even a motorcycle to facilitate our daily work and movement. We have appealed to our supervisors and other authorities, but unfortunately, no one has come to our aid,” Mayor Zain lamented.
Despite the setbacks, the mayor said his administration remains committed to serving the people of Karnplay and continues to perform its duties with the limited resources at its disposal.
He appealed to the national government, development partners, and well-meaning citizens to intervene by providing the basic logistical support necessary for the effective operation of the city corporation. According to him, access to office space, furniture, transportation, and other essential equipment would significantly strengthen the city’s capacity to deliver services and accelerate local development.
“We continue to wait for better days,” he added, stressing that effective local governance cannot be achieved without adequate tools, equipment, and a conducive working environment.
Superintendent Gono Responds
Responding to the mayor’s concerns, Nimba County Superintendent Kou Meapeh Gono acknowledged that Karnplay City faces operational challenges but rejected suggestions that the county administration has failed to support the municipality.
Her response followed Mayor Zain’s public appeal highlighting the city’s lack of office space, transportation, furniture, office equipment, and other essential logistics needed for its day-to-day operations.
“There are challenges, Lord Mayor, but after your lawmakers appealed for support to construct a City Hall for Karnplay, the Nimba County Council approved US$100,000 to complement the city’s development efforts,” Superintendent Gono stated.
She explained that the planned construction of a modern City Hall is expected to strengthen the city’s institutional capacity while creating opportunities for improved local revenue generation and better public service delivery.
“I expect that such a hall will help Karnplay City raise revenue. Therefore, to say there has been no support from stakeholders to the city is unrealistic,” she asserted.
Superintendent Gono also pointed to similar development initiatives across Nimba County, noting that Ganta City is expected to benefit from a comparable City Hall project, while Tappita City has already begun realizing positive results from similar infrastructure investments through increased local revenue generation.
She expressed confidence that once completed, Karnplay’s City Hall will serve as a catalyst for improved governance, enhanced service delivery, and sustainable socio-economic development.
Growing Debate Over Local Government Support
The exchange between Mayor Zain and Superintendent Gono has sparked renewed public discussion over the level of logistical and financial support available to local governments across Nimba County. Many municipal authorities continue to struggle with inadequate infrastructure, transportation, office equipment, and funding, challenges they say undermine their ability to effectively serve their respective communities.
Superintendent Gono reaffirmed her administration’s commitment to working collaboratively with city authorities, lawmakers, the Nimba County Council, and development partners to ensure that municipalities throughout the county receive the support necessary to promote development, strengthen local governance, and improve the living conditions of residents.
