By By The People News
The Ministry of Public Works has issued a stern warning to Bong County District #3 Representative Josiah Marvin Cole, ordering the immediate halt of an ongoing bridge construction project in Gbarnga, Bong County — a project reportedly spearheaded by Nimba County Representative and political leader of the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), Musa Hassan Bility.
In a formal communication dated October 6, 2025**, Public Works Minister Roland Layfette Giddings cautioned Rep. Cole and his collaborators that the groundbreaking and any subsequent mobilization toward the bridge project were “unauthorized” and in violation of national procedures.
According to Minister Giddings, the Ministry was neither notified of the groundbreaking ceremony nor provided with any bridge design for technical review and approval — requirements mandated under Liberia’s Executive Law.
“Such action constitutes an interference with the statutory mandate of the Ministry of Public Works,” the letter stated.
“No construction activities or semblance of mobilization should proceed until the Ministry has received design documents, conducted technical reviews, and issued formal approval.”
Giddings emphasized that the directive was not to stifle local development but to safeguard engineering standards, environmental protections, and fiscal accountability in all public infrastructure projects.
The Ministry’s intervention follows *a fiery exchange between Bong County Superintendent Hawa Loleyah Norris and Musa Bility*, whom she accused of “open disrespect” for bypassing county authorities and Public Works regulations.
Visibly angered, Superintendent Norris told journalists that Bility and Rep. Cole proceeded with the groundbreaking “without the courtesy of notifying her office.”
“For the matter of fact, I do not even know Bility because he has never come to my office,” she said.
“You can’t just come and make us look stupid here — like you want to do good for the people while we’re standing against it. That’s disrespect!”
Norris disclosed that the county had already planned a similar bridge project with previous support from USAID and the Ministry of Public Works. She insisted that any new construction must first pass through the appropriate administrative and technical channels.
“We had already planned to do that bridge. Bility can’t just show up and act like government officials are sleeping. If he wants to make twenty bridges, let him first submit the blueprint to my office,” she added.
Despite the backlash, *Musa Bility* remains defiant. During the groundbreaking ceremony, he described the initiative as “the first of several infrastructure projects” the CMC intends to deliver in Bong County.
“They want us to abandon this bridge so that more lives can be lost, but we will not,” he declared.
“This is not the last project we will do here. Bong County is the second home of the CMC.”
Bility also took aim at Bong County Senator Prince Moye, accusing him of neglecting development responsibilities despite years of political influence.
Rep. Marvin Cole, who formally requested the project, has vowed to respond “forcefully” to Superintendent Norris’ criticisms. In a Facebook post, he wrote:
“Bong County’s Superintendent said I am rude. I hope you people listened to her. I will forcefully respond to her very soon.”
The incident has sharply divided opinion in Bong County. Some residents and commentators commend Superintendent Norris for “defending the rule of law” and insisting that all projects adhere to national standards. Others accuse her of playing politics and undermining private efforts to improve local infrastructure.
Observers also view the dispute as a political preview of the 2029 presidential race, where Musa Bility is widely rumored to be positioning himself as a contender. His party, the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), has been expanding its grassroots activities across multiple counties.
As the Ministry of Public Works steps in to reassert its authority, the episode highlights the growing tension between political ambition and institutional control — a reminder that even well-intended development initiatives must respect Liberia’s legal and technical frameworks.
