The Superintendent of Nimba County, Madam Kou Meapeh Gono, her entourage, composed of local government officials and media practitioners left Liberia on August 24, 2025 for World Japan Expo 2025 held in Osaka, Japan.
The visit which has gone over 10 days is said to be raising some concern among the citizens and wondering what the county stands to gain from the occasion and who is underwriting the cost of the trip.
On the visit to Sanniquellie on September 1, 2025, the Daily Observer could not establish the purpose of the Japanese trips, with most of those interviewed remaining tiplipped.
About nine persons traveled to the World Expo, including Supt. Gono, seven females and a male, but their mission for this world culture expenditure and they will bring back to the county during this economically challenged period in the county and the country at large remain a concern for the citizens.
“We don’t know the funding for this trip and what the county actually stands to benefit from this adventurous culture,” said one Josiah, a student, who does not want to be named.
“Though, it is not a bad trip, but where the superintendent got the money and will we get it in return,” said a civil servant working in the local government.
Under the administration of Superintendent Kou Gono, Sanniquellie had been transformed with complete renovations of several public facilities, including the presidential compound, the administrative hall in Sanniquellie as well as some ongoing projects across the county.
But, the issues of transparency and accountability remained some concerns among citizens, because the nine men County Council appeared to be weak due to the reduction of the membership, especially the absence of the civil society organization representatives from the council since the implementation of the Local Government Act.
The Civil Society Organizations played vital roles in mitigating fairness, accountability and they have expertise to scrutinize every piece of documents, especially financial expenditure, so in the LGA, CSOs have two representatives on the council, but Nimba had had two successive budget years with no CSOs representative.
Some critics are saying that the superintendent is taking advantage of the lock of competent people onboard the council to do whatsoever that pleases her.
“The CSOs found part of the council to serve as checked and balances, but their absence on the council cause some lapses, in terms of accountability,” said Mr. Darius Dahnwehyee, Executive Director of EAR – SED, a locally based CSO in Nimba.
Even so, the superintendent may be held responsible because the CSOs Nimba Chapter failed to hold together to send their representatives on the council over some discrepancies over leadership crises within the CSOs in Nimba.
The role the county administration is playing to bring back the CSOs together for possible representation on the council for transparency and accountability remains a question among many in the street corners across the county.
However, Senator Samuel G. Kogar is calling for the audit of Supt. Kou Meapeh Gono on how she had been managing the County Social Development Funds.
According to a social media tv managed by Radion BKS in Nimba, the Senator made the remark at the donation of a 40ft container full of medical drugs to Nimba County Health Team in Sanniquellie on Monday, September 1, 2025.
He reports that he will call for an audit of the superintendent because she manages CSDF on national government projects and this is contrary to how the money should be spent.
“The CSDF is not intended for government projects, rather it is meant to impact the lives of the citizens directly through community driven initiatives,” Sen. Kogar said.
Although he did not make any comment on the trip of the superintendent and entourage to Japan, the big question is what benefit Nimba stands to get and who is funding the travel is yet to be answered.
The Daily Observer text the HR of Nimba County Darius Vaye and Communication Officer Amos Gbannah was contacted via mobile phone, but neither of them reply/respond to the inquiry up to press time.
AloJapan.com