NOCAL’s interim team condemned

The Political Leader of the opposition Movement for Progressive Change or MPC has criticized recent restructuring or transitioning plan announced by authorities at the National OIL Company or NOCAL saying, there is no such plan taking place at the cash scrapped entity.

MPC leader Simeon Freeman told a news conference on Friday September 4, 2015 at his Brewerville resident outside Monrovia, that all those at the helm of the transitional management team are all confidantes of Mr. Robert Sirleaf, the son of the President whose stay at NOCAL saw huge criticisms being hauled both at him and his mother.

Freeman says if President Sirleaf and authorities at NOCAL really want transitioning and restructuring at the entity, then those individuals that were appointed by Mr. Sirleaf should be relieved of their various positions. “But they are still in power, and these are individuals who are responsible for the disasters that took place at the oil company,” he adds.

Freeman also continues his rant against the president accusing her regime of misusing public resources. He says the decision to appoint Cllr. Althea Sherman as head of the interim management team at NOCAL is an attempt to allow the continuation of waste of public resources at the entity saying, because Cllr. Sherman was a 1978 classmate of Robert Sirleaf.

He says if President Sirleaf means well, she must set an example by relieving all those individuals who were hired by Robert Sirleaf of their respective positions, adding “you cannot leave the main corrupt officials at the company then you talk about restructuring or transitioning the company what sense does it make”.

On the President’s statement that she takes responsibility of the mess at NOCAL, Freeman says the President has no regret. Freeman: “when someone does wrong as head of state, and decides to take responsibility, there must be a punishment to that effect to avoid reoccurrence. But she just told citizens that she take responsibility for the wrong that was done.” “When you accept responsibility you must be willing to go to court, or jail,” he said adding that the president’s action is a complete abuse of state resources and the punishment is resignation.

Freeman says what is needed to be done now is to look at the institution’s (NOCAL) weaknesses and the factor that broke it down and hold the heads responsible for breaking it down. He said at which time the Liberia Anti Corruption Commission or LACC can be invited to prosecute those responsible for the break down.

Several officials at NOCAL recently tendered in their resignations as part of an ongoing restructuring plan taking place at the company. Its President & CEO, Dr. Randolph McClain has been retired as part of the plan, all to give way to an interim management team headed by Cllr. Sherman.

By Lewis S. Teh – Edited by Othello B. Garblah