Africa-Press – Liberia. By: Emmanuel Wise Jipoh
SEHKIMPAH, Nimba County, April 27, 2026 — The long-promised relocation of the G.W. Harley Hospital from Sanniquellie to Sehyikimpa has stalled far from completion, leaving the county’s main referral facility struggling with congestion and missing critical services, hospital authorities say.
A New Dawn Newspaper investigation has established that the proposed US$3.5 million funding package for the relocation project has allegedly been mismanaged.
The project is reportedly being financed through the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) in partnership with ArcelorMittal Liberia.
Medical Director Dr. Ruth Malongai Jusu said the current facility is too congested and falls short of what a referral hospital should be.
“This doesn’t represent a referral hospital,” Dr. Jusu said. “It is the first referral hospital for the county, but it does not reflect the standard our people deserve.”
She said the hospital, Nimba’s primary health center, lacks basic infrastructure and services expected of a major public facility.
At the new relocation site in Sehyikimpa, she said work is moving slowly, a delay she warned is eroding the hospital’s status and progress.
“The hospital project in Sehyikimpa is nowhere near completion. We are constrained—there is no emergency unit and no private wards,” Dr. Jusu stated.
She said progress at the site remains unclear, amid continuing controversy over the funds required to complete the project.
“Completion will not happen anytime soon. Only three out of the planned 27 proposed structures have been completed. There is no clear information regarding funding. When I assumed office three months ago, ArcelorMittal stated it had paid part of its contribution, while the remaining balance was expected from the government. Up to now, there is no guarantee,” she added.
She cited persistent challenges, poor electricity, no emergency room, no private wards, and no operational vehicles, constraints she said continue to undermine service delivery.
“If the government pays attention and relocates this facility, it will be very helpful,” she urged.
Despite the setbacks, Dr. Jusu said the administration plans to improve over the next four to six months, including the construction of staff housing.
The relocation project was launched in 2022 under former President George Weah, with a projected two-year completion period and a handover expected in 2024. The work has since stalled, with no clear timeline.
Further investigations suggest that part of the funds intended for the hospital project may have been diverted to the construction of the Nimba County Sports Park.
Nimba County Superintendent Kou Meapeh Gono declined to comment officially but blamed the delay on the former Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) administration, LACE and ArcelorMittal Liberia, accusing them of mismanaging money earmarked for the project.
But LACE Executive Director Julius K. Sele denied any involvement in the contract or in the disbursement of funds to BMC Group of Companies, the project’s contractor.
Sele said LACE does not owe BMC any money and was not directly involved in paying the contractor.
He said ArcelorMittal, through the previous LACE administration under the Weah-led government, awarded the contract to BMC under a bank-guarantee arrangement with the International Bank Liberia Limited (IB Bank).
Sele said ArcelorMittal provided about US$2 million through the bank guarantee to start the work, while the Government of Liberia, through LACE, was expected to reimburse US$1.5 million upon completion.
He claimed ArcelorMittal has already provided full funding for the initial phase, covering three structures.
“ArcelorMittal provided funds to BMC to complete the first three buildings and continue the project. A similar arrangement was used for another contractor in Buchanan, and the government later reimbursed US$1.5 million,” Sele alleged.
Sele insisted LACE has no financial obligation to BMC until the project is completed.
“LACE owes nothing to BMC until the project is completed. The contract was directly between ArcelorMittal and the contractor through a bank guarantee,” he said.
He said LACE is aware of the project, but played no role in disbursing funds.
Sele warned that the bank guarantee could be revoked if BMC fails to complete the project by May 15.
“If BMC does not complete the work, we will revoke the bank guarantee through IB Bank,” he warned.
He also accused BMC of receiving about US$400,000 under the bank-guarantee arrangement from the US$2 million allocated for the project.
BMC Group Chief Executive Officer Hassan Kobassie denied that any pre-financing agreement exists involving BMC, LACE, and ArcelorMittal.
He said the company has received about 60 percent of the total US$3.5 million required, which he said was used to complete the first phase involving three structures.
Kobassie blamed the slowdown on the government’s alleged failure to pay the outstanding US$1.5 million needed for the next phase.
He said the contract remains valid until August 2026 and expressed confidence that the company will complete the work within the agreed timeframe.
“We have constructed three buildings and started another at the back. What is holding us back is the remaining funds the government owes us. However, we are still within time and have until August to complete the work,” Kobassie said.
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