Zorzor City Mayor Garmai Gbelee has confirmed that she rejected L$ 50,000 given her office from the 3milion Liberians dollars presented by President George Weah to the district during his tour of the county in June.
Madam Gbelee said her decision to reject the money is due to lack of respect from the committee setup to organize the President’s arrival to the district in the disbursement of the fund.
According to her, the committee took the L$ 3million meant jolly jolly (enjoyment or celebration) from the Zorlayea Rural Community Bank committee under the instruction of Zorzor district Commissioner Joseph Bedell without her knowledge.
“I rejected my money because I was not respected, I rejected my money because I’m a woman that can understand, under this sun we should learn how to respect one another the three million is not from anybody personal pocket, I agreed that he is the commissioner, he controlling the district and I am control the city too they should respect that’’ she said.
She accused commissioner Bedell of influencing the disbursement of the cash to various clans and institutions in the district without consulting her office.
The firebrand Zorzor City Mayor indicated that both she and Commissioner Bedell are appointees of President Weah as such it was a complete disrespect for the district commissioner to the decide the distribution of the money alone.
“They give me L$ 50,000 for my office and I told them I can’t hold the money because I need to know where the remaining money went” she asserted.
She continue that she was not inform and even if she was informed, the amount allotted to her office was not sufficient.
Mayor Gbelee at the same time refuted assertions she claimed was made by Commissioner Bedell that she was the reason for him not speaking during the occasion marking President Weah visit to Zorzor in June.
According to the Zorzor City Mayor, she spoke in her capacity as Mayor of the city noting that she have the right to welcome the President to the city and urged the District Commissioner to blame the protocol responsible for the President visitation to Lofa.
Commissioner Bedell’s respond
Reacting to Mayor Gbelee’s, claims Zorzor District Commissioner Joseph Bedell said comments by the Mayor lacks any iota of truth.
Commissioner Bedell noted that it is difficult to work with people who cannot read and write as it is the case of the Zorzor City Mayor.
“this is what we have been saying, if people have been appointed to places and know their function I think it is better…it will not hamper other people, all the things she said are fallacy I’m not the commissioner who can work single handily in this district’’ he said.
The Zorzor District Commissioner noted that contrary to allegation from Mayor Gbelee that he unilaterally took the decision to distribute the money, it was the committee setup to organize the President visit to Zorzor that agreed for the money to be disbursed, noting he never form part of the decision making process.
Commissioner Bedell mentioned that he only approved the recommendation from the committee which Mayor Gbelee was a member of, for the money be distributed.
Commissioner Bedell said, being an ex-officio of the committee, does not give him the right to dictate to the committee as to what decision to be taken regarding the money, but only made suggestion.
During his visit to Lofa earlier June this year President Weah spent over L$ 20 Million across the county for jolly jolly (enjoyment) 3million of which was given to Zozor district.
The money has since created tension among local authorities with accusing fingers pointed each other over the management of the money.
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