River Cess, one of Liberia’s poorest counties, remains mired in underdevelopment largely due to disunity among its citizens and political leaders. This disunity has been a persistent issue since Liberia’s return to political democracy, with leaders frequently making headlines for the wrong reasons.
The recent appointment of former District #2 Representative Byron Zahnwhea as Superintendent has further highlighted this discord. The announcement sparked outrage among Caucus members whose preferred candidates were rejected by the Presidency.
Zahnwhea and his kinsmen, appointed by the President Joseph Boakai just a day after his induction on May 31, 2024, are now facing similar backlash.
Senator Wellington Geevon-Smith, head of the County Legislative Caucus, expressed frustration that the Caucus was unaware of the 16 appointees to the Local Administration for positions such as Development Officer, County Administrator, Financial Officer, and District Commissioners.
But another caucus member, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed the list was approved by the caucus before submission to the president, except for Senator Geevon-Smith who had issues with some names.
In an interview with DCN-RADIO, Senator Geevon-Smith informed citizens that they as caucus members are not aware of that list.
He said despite reaching a consensus with Superintendent Zahnwhea on some individuals, the Caucus did not submit any list to the president’s office for appointment.
“So when this list surprisingly surfaced with strange names that we never discussed, I tried calling Honorable Zahnwhea, but he did not pick my call nor call back,” Senator Geevon-Smith explained.
He added that there were several names on the list without caucus’ consensus, except for Dennis Seebor, listed as County Administrative Officer. However, the Financial Officer position was given to James M. Peters, despite the Caucus agreeing on Benjamin Tarr, recommended by Superintendent Zahnwhea.
Meanwhile, during his induction attended by Deputy Internal Affairs Minister for Operation Selena Polson Mappy in Cestos City, Superintendent Zahnwhea pledged to fully execute the government’s “ARREST” Agenda. He committed to implementing policies that would advance the county’s development, promising efficiency among government employees and collaboration with the health and education sectors for transformation. However, he emphasized that this progress requires a change in attitude among citizens.
Zahnwhea urged the citizens of River Cess to work together for the county’s betterment, stating, “in every successful organization or institution, there is only one thing we must do: allow ourselves to change our attitude positively and move our county forward through togetherness.”
Zahnwhea takes over from Bismark Karbiah, whose tenure was marred by poor management of the County Social Development Fund, civil service issues and illicit mining. Karbiah and his entire cabinet were notably absent from the induction ceremony, and no turnover note was presented to Zahnwhea, a fact that surprised many attendees. Reports suggest Karbiah left a bank balance of 11 million Liberian Dollars in the county’s account, but there are no documents to confirm this.
The new superintendent faces the challenge of addressing numerous incomplete projects across the county, along with navigating a divided citizenry and legislative caucus. Political analysts would predict a tough road ahead for Superintendent Zahnwhea.
