GBLOKEN, Maryland County — Maryland County’s 2025 Annual Report has come under intense public scrutiny after listing the Gbloken Primary School Project as “completed,” despite clear evidence on the ground showing that the building remains unfinished and unusable.
By: Peter P. Toe, Jr.
The report states that “from the County Development Funds (CDF), the county completed six projects during the period under review,” including the “Construction of Gbloken Primary School in Pleebo Sodoken District — Completed.” However, a site visit by FrontPage Africa on Saturday, January 31, 2026, contradicts that claim.
Gbloken General Town Chief Adam Taylor openly rejected the report’s assertion, describing it as false and deeply troubling for a community still lacking a proper learning facility.
“About two weeks ago, I heard on the radio that the project was finished,” Chief Taylor said. “But I, Adam Taylor, the Town Chief, am telling you that the project is not finished. That news is a lie.”
According to the chief, children in Gbloken continue to attend classes in the town’s palava hut due to the absence of a completed school building.
The Assistant District Superintendent for Development of Pleebo Sodoken Statutory District, Emmanuel Quire, also challenged the report’s accuracy. In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, Quire explained that the project was initiated under former Superintendent George A. Proud and later inherited by the administration of Superintendent Henry B. Cole.
“The project started under Superintendent George A. Proud’s administration and was turned over to Superintendent Henry B. Cole.,” Quire wrote. “No work has been done on it since then, but the superintendent’s report says the project is completed and is being used by students. As development officer for Pleebo Sodoken Statutory District, let me tell everyone that the report isn’t true.”
The Gbloken Primary School Project was launched in 2023 during the administration of former President George Weah, with an initial allocation of US$50,000 under then-Superintendent George A. Proud.
In 2024, Maryland County Assistant Superintendent for Development, Hon. Fred Barto, announced that an additional US$35,000 had been allocated to complete the structure. The scope of work included concrete flooring, installation of doors and windows, and painting — a commitment that raised hopes among residents that the school would be completed in 2025.
Despite these assurances, the 2025 Annual Report lists the project as fully completed.
The Chair of the Maryland County Counsel Mr. Thomas Mawlo confirmed that the Counsel also found inconsistencies between the report and conditions on the ground.
“The report does not reflect the actual realities on the ground,” he told FrontPage Africa. “How can you say the project is completed when I personally visited the site this week and nothing has been done?”
Mr. Mawlo told the FPA that most of the projects reported by the County administration as completed have not been completed.
He further disclosed that the report was never shared with the County Counsel prior to publication. “It was unfair that the report was not shared with us, the County Counsel. Had it been shared, we would have advised the superintendent,” he said. “After our field visit, we had a very heated meeting with the county administration, and they admitted that it was an error.”
When contacted by the FPA on Sunday via phone for comment, Maryland County Superintendent Henry B. Cole dismissed the criticisms, alleging that District 2 Representative Anthony F. Williams was politicizing the project by urging public inspection of the site.
Addressing the report’s use of the heading “Project Status — Complete,” Superintendent Cole argued that the term referred to contractor payments rather than the physical state of the building.
“The folks are trying to misconstrue the information,” Cole said. “When we mentioned completion in the write-up, it was not about the project itself but about the payment made to the contractors.”
The superintendent did not disclose the name of the construction firm but confirmed that contractors had been paid in full, even though the work remains unfinished.
Representative Anthony F. Williams rejected the superintendent’s characterization, insisting that his actions fall squarely within his oversight responsibilities as a lawmaker.
Rep. Williams said he had submitted a plenary request requiring all county superintendents to appear before the Legislature to account for County Development Funds (CDF).
“This is about oversight, not politics,” Williams said. “If reports claim projects are completed when they are not, lawmakers have a responsibility to ask questions.”
For now, the Gbloken Primary School stands as a structure listed as “completed” on paper — but unfinished in reality — raising broader questions about accountability, transparency, and the management of public funds in Maryland County.
The post Liberia: ‘Completed’ on Paper: Unfinished Gbloken School Project Sparks Controversy Over 2025 CDF 2025 Report in Maryland County appeared first on FrontPageAfrica.
Leave a Reply