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Claim: A Facebook user has alleged that the Bong County Council approved US$100,000 for cultivating beans across the county.
Verdict: False! A DUBAWA investigation has revealed that US$100,000 was not approved for cultivation of beans across Bong. According to the Bong County Council Chairperson, Aaron Sackie Fenlah, and a copy of the approved hundred-day deliverable budget, only US$1,900 was allotted for the county’s beans project.
Full Text
Chapter 2.2 of the Local Government Act of 2018 called for establishing a 9-member county council in each county with the powers to promulgate county ordinances, impose local taxes, authorise the issuance of licenses, and approve development plans and annual budgets, among others.
In fulfillment of this legislation, the Government of Liberia, in April 2023, began the establishment of county councils in the 15 political subdivisions of the country. Since the establishment of the county councils across the country, each county council has begun approving county development plans and budgets for implementation.
On July 29, 2024, the Bong County Council approved a 100-day deliverable budget submitted by the county authority to implement several projects, including the cultivation of beans across the county.
However, on March 7, 2025, a Facebook user, the Regional Independent Sunlight Newspaper, posted on its page that,
“As part of her hundred-day deliverables, the nine-member council of the Bong County council approved a hug sum of hundred thousand United States dollars to embark on the cultivation of beans across Bong, a project that’s yet to be harvested and reported to the county.”
Checks by DUBAWA revealed the claim has been making the rounds on community radio stations in Bong County. Based on the nature of the claim, DUBAWA decided to investigate as part of its commitment to combating misinformation and disinformation.
Verification
To verify the claim’s accuracy, DUBAWA first contacted the post’s owner and publisher to establish the source of the information.
In response, the claimant wrote, “Bong County Council Chairman, Aaron Faila [Sackie-Fenlah], admitted that during an interview with journalists.”
DUBAWA then contacted the Bong County Council to verify the actual amount allocated for the beans project. The Chairperson of the Bong County Council, Aaron Sackie Fenlah, dismissed the claim as false.
“I have never told any interviewer that the County Council approved US$100,000 for the beans project. Come to think about it, why will we even approve such an amount of money just to cultivate a pilot beans project in the county? At no time did the Bong County Council make such approval. The council approved US$1,900, and you can review the 100-day deliverable budget that we approved on July 29, 2024,” he stated.
Upon reviewing the approved budget from July 29, 2024, DUBAWA confirmed that only US$1,900 was allocated for the “Beans Project and Staff Suit.”
Conclusion
The claim that the Bong County Council approved US$100,000 for cultivating beans across Bong County is false. Official documents and statements from the Bong County Council Chairperson confirm that only US$1,900 was allocated for the project.
