MONROVIA –Montserrado County Electoral District #17 Representative, Bernard Blue Benson, has sharply responded to allegations levied against by some residents of Royesville relative to funds received by his office for the bridge construction in his district.
By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway
Residents of Royesville Township in Lower Montserrado County recently alleged that the office of Rep. Blue Benson Jr., alias ‘DJ Blue,’ received funds from Bao Chico Liberia Limited for the construction of a bridge project but failed to implement the said project.
They contended that Rep. Benson allegedly misappropriated funds intended for a bridge construction project that has remained unfinished for several months, adding that attempts to contact their lawmaker to resolve these financial and logistical grievances have been unsuccessful, as calls from both them (citizens) and the commissioner go ignored.
However, responding to these allegations at a news conference held at his Capitol Building office, Rep. Benson insisted that many of the ongoing infrastructure projects in his constituency including the bridge are being financed largely through his personal resources rather than government’s allocations.
Speaking specifically to the Royesville Bridge Projects, Rep. Benson through inter-communication between Bao Chico and his office, clarified that external contribution from the company was sufficient to complete the project, arguing that his office has continued to shoulder the bulk of the financial burden for projects in his district.
Rep. Benson disclosed that the company recently contributed US$5,000 toward the construction of the bridge project, though the project is estimated to cost more than US$16,000.
He questioned critics over how the remaining funds would be sourced if his office did not intervene.
“That cost US$13,400 to do, plus another US$3,300 totaling US$16,700. The company contributed US$5,000 and asked me to make personal intervention. So my question is: where will the other US$8,300 come from?” Rep. Benson asked.
The lawmaker emphasized that all bridge and culvert projects undertaken in the district during the current fiscal period have been funded through what he described as the “kindly gesture” of his office and family support.
He noted that District 17 has reportedly not received legislative project funding since 2024, except for two bridge projects completed in the Chief Jallah Community.
Rep. Benson further disclosed that the Livington and Royesville bridge projects were already incorporated into his office’s development plan, adding that local authorities, including the district commissioner and council members, were fully aware of the financial arrangements.
“These projects are cost intensive. There is absolutely no other avenue to fill this money gap except from my pocket,” he stated, while maintaining that the projects are not financed through government funds.
The Montserrado District 17 Representative also defended the pace of implementation, explaining that he works with a single engineering team for all operations/projects across the district to ensure consistency and quality control.
“I deal with one engineer. Every bridge and culvert operation that I have done in this district is from one engineer. I cannot spread them around.”
Rep. Benson then assured constituents and commuters that the Royesville bridge project will commence immediately after ongoing works in New Bush are completed.
In a related development, Rep. Benson has addressed concerns surrounding delayed social development funds connected to iron ore exports involving Gbarpolu, Bomi and Montserrado Counties.
According to him, the dispute centers on how revenues from the iron ore export proceeds should be shared among the affected counties.
He explained that Gbarpolu, where the ore is extracted, has already received 60 percent of the allocated US$1.5 million, while disagreements between Montserrado and Bomi Counties over their respective percentages have delayed the release of the remaining funds.
He revealed that some officials from Bomi County had demanded 25 percent of the remaining allocation, leaving Montserrado with 15 percent, a proposal he said he has strongly opposed.
“I stood firm for the people of Royesville and for the people of Montserrado County on this, and that has been the cause for the delay in release of funds,” Rep. Benson declared as he further maintained that the proposed formula was unfair when compared to other mining benefit-sharing arrangements in Liberia such as the AML benefit-sharing between Nimba, Bong and Grand Bassa Counties.
Amid the controversy, the lawmaker reported that recent negotiations may have produced a compromise arrangement of 20 percent each for the disputing counties in order to expedite the release of the funds for development projects.
“The money is being held at the Central Bank and has not been dispersed. The delay has affected urgently needed infrastructure initiatives, including the Royesville bridge project and we are at the peak of the rainy season again,” Benson among other things stated.
