By Ethel A Tweh
The Liberian Senate has cited authorities of the Ministry of Public Works to a contempt hearing for lying under oath and providing contradictory accounts.
On Tuesday, 11 July 2023, the plenary of the Liberian Senate invited the Ministry of Public Works with the management of various companies that were awarded contracts with funding for the construction and maintenance of roads in Liberia.
They were also invited to speak on the deplorable road conditions in the country coupled with contracts awarded with payment made to companies that have failed to live up to the intent and obligations of said contracts.
Those who appeared include Public Works Minister Ruth Coker-Collins, Deputy Minister for Administration Joseph Todd, Deputy Minister Amos Barclay, and Assistant for Operations Kaustella Kialain-Sarsih.
During Tuesday’s public hearing, Minister Collins disclosed that the road between ITI to Greenville, Sinoe County is about 83% complete by the Desire Construction.
But Senate Pro-Tempore Albert Chie termed the information a blatant lie and a deceit, threatening to detain the Minister for fabricating a story.
He said contrary to the Minister’s claims, the road in question is not pliable and it baffles him to have heard the Minister of Public Works lying under oath and deceiving the Liberian people when nothing has been done on the road.
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The Grand Kru County Senator noted that Desire Construction was awarded the US$1.9 million contract in April 2020, but the Ministry complained that the company was not performing the task.
In a sharp response, Dave Koomey – the owner of the Desire Construction Company, disclosed that from 2020-2022, his company completed 90% of the project.
But he said the Ministry of Public Works reduced his work to 83% and paid him 60% of his money.
He said despite his acceptance of the Ministry’s rating of his job done, the Ministry of Public Works still owes him some money, a claim minister Coker-Collins alluded to. She however cited challenges faced by the institution.
Mr. Koomey also used the occasion to appeal to the Senate Pro-Tempore to prevail on the Ministry of Public Works to pay back his balance money.
Maryland County Senator James Biney reiterated his continuous call for the crafting of a workable policy to ensure the Ministry of Public Works maintains all roads across the country.
Senator Biney stressed that the Senate and the government will always be going in a circle with the same argument without experiencing any change.
The Maryland lawmaker indicated that he shall not be willing to partake in such an argument involving claims and counterclaims between the Ministry of Public Works and its contractors about road maintenance if the policy cannot be given attention.
Minister Coker-Collins said the corridor between Buchanan City, the capital of Grand Bassa County, and ITI in Sinoe County was awarded to a local contractor called Gbeh-Zohn Construction Company.
She explained that the company was paid for the mobilization task but could not be given additional money because the contract with the contractor to advance the work was terminated.
According to her, the contractor did not meet the expectation of the Ministry of Public Works, while stressing that no adequate fund was available to hire another contractor to continue the work.
Minister Coker-Collins noted that the maintenance cost was 1.8 million United States Dollars and the Ministry made available US$643,000 out of the total money.
She added that the corridor under discussion is dated as far back as the 2020/2021 fiscal period, noting that the remaining fund was left with the National Road Fund as the Ministry does not take hold of the balance money.
The Minister stressed that the Ministry of Public Works is still managing to continue the project with the help of equipment bought by the Liberian government and efforts of the Liberian Senate.
She noted that the Ministry is compensating through the provision of DSA for its workers, adding that the DSA is being taken from the budgetary allotment of the Ministry.
After long deliberation on the floor by senators, the plenary passed a majority vote through a motion to cite authorities of the Ministry of Public Works to a contempt hearing this Thursday, 13 July 2023 at about noon.
In the motion, Grand Kru County Senator Numene Bartekwa stressed that Minister Coker-Collins along with her two deputies and one assistant lied under oath.
As such, he said the authorities should appear before the full plenary and show reasons why they should not be held in contempt, adding that they are at liberty to either come alone or appear with their legal counsels.
