By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia – The House of Representatives has launched an urgent investigation into the dangerous state of the St. John Bridge following a formal request from Bong County District #1 Representative Prince Koinah, who warned the critical infrastructure linking Bong and Grand Bassa Counties has become a “death trap.”
During Thursday’s plenary session, lawmakers unanimously mandated the Joint Committee on Public Works, Investment & Concessions, Ways Means & Finance, and Internal Affairs to conduct a full-scale probe. The decision comes after Rep. Koinah sounded the alarm about the bridge’s advanced deterioration, which has reportedly caused multiple fatalities.
“The St. John Bridge serves not just as a vital commuter route for our citizens, but as the backbone of ArcelorMittal’s ore transport to Buchanan Port,” Koinah stressed in his petition. “Yet this economic lifeline is collapsing before our eyes without meaningful intervention.”
The committee will Assess the bridge’s structural integrity and immediate safety risks, Examine whether concessionaires like ArcelorMittal have met infrastructure maintenance obligations under their agreements, trace all allocated rehabilitation funds since the bridge’s construction and evaluate emergency repair options while long-term solutions are developed. The committee has 14 days to report findings, with interim safety measures expected within 72 hours.
The Call for Full Financial Audit
Finding a remedy to the current dangerous state of the St. John Bridge is just one of several legislative steps by Representative Prince Koinah. Last week, the Bong County District #1 Representative also formally requested the House to authorize a comprehensive audit of the legislature’s financial operations. The lawmaker submitted an official letter urging the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to examine all financial activities and governance processes of both the 54th and current 55th Houses of Representatives.
Representative Prince Koinah emphasized that the House of Representatives has not undergone proper financial auditing in recent years. “As elected officials entrusted with overseeing national expenditures, we must hold ourselves to the highest standards of accountability,” Koinah stated in his detailed request. The proposed audit would cover a four-and-a-half year period from July 1, 2021 through May 31, 2025, including complete fiscal years from 2022-2024.
The audit would specifically evaluate whether the House has operated in full compliance with national laws and legislative procedures. It would also assess the effectiveness of internal financial controls, risk management systems, and overall governance across all departments and functions. Representative Koinah stressed that such transparency measures would help restore public confidence in the legislature’s operations.
“Many citizens understandably question how their tax dollars are being used,” the lawmaker noted. “By voluntarily submitting ourselves to this independent financial examination, we can demonstrate our commitment to proper stewardship of public resources.” Representative Koinah, who also serves on several key committees including Public Accounts and Maritime Affairs, argued that the audit would help identify any operational inefficiencies while disproving any unfounded allegations of financial misconduct. The request comes at a time when public scrutiny of government spending has intensified across Liberia. If approved by the full plenary, this would mark the first comprehensive audit of legislative operations in recent memory.
