Citizens of Maryland County are urging the national government to investigate and audit the county’s 2025 County Development Fund (CDF) report amid allegations of fund mismanagement and misinformation in the local administration’s annual report.
Public concern intensified after County Superintendent Henry B. Cole released a development report claiming that several projects across the county had been completed. However, residents and local officials dispute these claims, saying many of the listed projects remain unfinished—raising serious doubts about transparency and accountability in the management of county funds.
One of the most contested projects is the Gbloken Primary School in Pleebo Sodoken Statutory District. The county’s 2025 report declares that “six projects were completed,” including the “construction of Gbloken Early Childhood School.” Yet, an independent inspection by the Kanty News Network on January 31, 2026, revealed that construction on the school is still incomplete.
Town Chief Adam Taylor of Gbloken strongly refuted the report, calling the superintendent’s claim inaccurate and misleading. “About two weeks ago, I heard on the radio that the project was finished,” he said. “But I can confirm it’s not true—the school is still unfinished. Our children are still learning in a palava hut.”
Supporting the chief’s statement, Assistant District Superintendent for Development Emmanuel Quire took to Facebook to clarify that the project began under former Superintendent George A. Proud but has seen no progress since Cole took office.
“No further work has been carried out on the school, yet the report lists it as complete,” Quire wrote.
Records show that the project was launched in 2023 under President George M. Weah with an initial budget of US$50,000, later supplemented by an additional US$35,000 in 2024. Planned works—such as flooring, window fittings, and painting—were meant to conclude by 2025, but community visits contradict the official completion claims.
County Council Chair Thomas Mawlo also disputed the report’s accuracy, stating that several projects listed as completed remain untouched.
“The report doesn’t represent the real situation,” Mawlo said. “I personally visited the site, and no major progress was visible.”
Mawlo further revealed that the county council was not consulted before the report’s release, calling the omission “unfair and misleading.” Following a heated internal meeting, county authorities reportedly admitted that the report contained “errors.”
Superintendent Henry B. Cole, however, dismissed the accusations, attributing them to “political influence” from District #2 Representative Anthony F. Williams, whom he accused of encouraging public scrutiny of the report. Cole explained that the term “Project Status: Complete” referred to financial disbursement to contractors rather than actual construction completion.
“People are misinterpreting the report,” Cole insisted. As residents demand immediate government intervention and an independent audit, the dispute underscores lingering frustrations over accountability and transparency in the execution of development projects across Maryland County.
