The chairman of the COVID-19 food distribution steering committee, Commerce Minister Wilson Tarpeh takes a 90 degree turn here, denying that he told the Liberian Senate the World Food Programme (WFP) charged the Government of Liberia US$9 million in “administrative and operational cost” to distribute food to vulnerable Liberians across the country.
Speaking in Monrovia via mobile phone to Prime Morning Drive, a live talk show hosted on Prime FM, Tarpeh summersaults, saying, “This is propaganda piece but I will take it from the point that we give the clarity. When I appeared at the legislature (House of Senate) on Thursday, I provided them the summary of the cost of the food program; I told them that the total package was US$30 million.”
He continues that the US$30 million is compressed of two amount – US$25 million from the Government of Liberia’s budget funded by facility of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and US$5 million from the World Bank, totaling the full US$30 million. According to him, of the said amount, administrative and operational funds were amounting to US$9 million dollars.
“I advised the Senate that because I didn’t have the details on me, because WFP should have appeared with me but didn’t; we take responsibility for it. So in that hearing, there was no way it was suggested that WFP was charging the Government of Liberia US$9 million dollars; no! It’s clear in the report I gave them; it said “administrative and operational cost.”
Tarpeh, also a university lecturer maintains that information the WFP headquarters provided to the editor of FrontpageAfrica here Tuesday is exactly the same direction he came from when he appeared before the Senate.
WFP Communication Officer James Belgrave from Rome, told FPA, a Liberian daily in Monrovia that claim that the UN food agency is charging Liberia US$9 million to distribute food in the country is unfunded, contrary to Tarpeh’s explanation before the Senate last Thursday.
Mr. Belgrave clarifies that WFP is being allocated a small percentage of around six percent (US$1.8 million) of the US$30 million to conduct the exercise, not US$9million.
However, Tarpeh insists, “We will provide the details of that US$9 million and then you will be in the position to make the proper comment; that’s what I advised the honourable senators, wait until I give you the details of this administrative and operational cost before you can make any statement of how you feel about it but again, that’s a different situation.”
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According to him, he had informed members of the Liberian Senate the cost of the program was estimated by WFP with detail information which brings the amount to US$9 million, pointing that there’s no point in time that WFP is asking the government to pay US$9 million dollars.
“Let provide some information here, the operational cost includes the in-country transport cost, to cover the rest of the country you will need trucks and for the southeast, you will need fishing boats transport, you will need security, you will need health team to go, you will need fuel, you will need repairs, that in-country cost total around US$2.1 million dollars; I’m rounding it up but we will publish it in the newspaper because it’s important to clarify this; then we have the supply chain cost for the distribution being done by the NGOs that cost US$485,461 thousand dollars and you have the casual laborers US$121,000 thousand dollars, you have the GPS installations and services, all those things are detailed,” Tarpeh defends.
But some members of the Liberian Senate termed as wasteful, a proposal by the Executive Branch allotting US$9 million as “operational and administrative cost” for the distribution of the stimulus package (food). They are alarmed by the US$9 million proposal which they believe is a huge slash from a small budget of US$30m intended to distribute food to vulnerable population affected by the coronavirus crisis here.
Margibi County Senator Oscar Cooper says it’s being very wasteful for the team to allocate US$9 million for operational and administrative cost, calling for a reduction of the amount to enable food package reach the vulnerable population. Sen. Cooper suggests that there’s a need for the operational and administrative cost to be reduced so that those who are vulnerable can get their package.
The Margibi Senator argues that vulnerable people are not only disabled people, but those who were sitting home and never had job during the state of emergency. Taking the same line of argument, Gbarpolu County Senator Daniel Naathan concurs with his colleague of Margibi the committee is being wasteful, rather suggesting the food distribution should have been done through coupon in which each household or family head is given a coupon to get ration.
Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon urges the Tarpeh-led committee to submit to the Liberian Senate the contract between the Government and the World Food Program, demanding that Tarpeh should tell the Liberian people how many bags of rice or cups of rice each household or family heads should expect to receive.
At the same time Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Kangar Lawrence describes the entire food distribution scheme as very “shameful, disgraceful, embarrassing” in which the Government of Liberia claims the WFP is charging US$ 9million for operations, but WFP debunks the claim and officially puts the amount at US$1.8 million. Writing on her Facebook page Senator Lawrence warns that if it is determined that Tarpeh misled the Legislature, they would call for his dismissal, investigation and prosecution.
She notes that senators requested details and a chance to question authorities from the Ministry of Finance and development Planning over the recast budget and related sources of funding and contract, including the WFP, but they were insulted and maligned as bent on working against the interest of the people. “Blind loyalty, incompetence and partisanship are hurting the country and suffering our people”, the lone female among the 30-member senate laments.
By Ben P. Wesee & Ethel A. Tweh–Editing by Jonathan Browne
Tarpeh needs to submit the contract between the Liberian Government and The World Food Program( WFP) as demanded by the Senate, failure which, he should be dismissed, investigated and prosecuted for misleading the Legislature while under oath.
Tarpeh is the best Minister of Commerce in the world.
Tarpeh needs to submit the contract between the Liberian Government and The World Food Program( WFP) as demanded by the Senate, failure which, he should be dismissed, investigated and prosecuted for misleading the Legislature while under oath.
Mr. Wilson Tarpeh, is a hardened crook of the Kru tribe. He sees Weah’s ascension, a Kru tribe’s mate to power, as a means to make a one time haul to prominence and riches. For why would the Minister of Commerce under oath, mislead the Liberian Senate in an attempt to siphon off 9 million dollars, that very huge sum of money when our people are dying under the Corona Virus and languishing in poverty during this period of national history ?
We must commend our very smart Grand Bassa Senator Nyonblee Kangar Lawrence, as well as Senators Oscar Cooper of Margibi county, Senator Dillon of Montserrado, as well as senator Daniel Nathan of Gbarpolu County among others, for being smart to uncover the so called corrupt “professor” attempt to steal public funds through tricks and artifice and who seemingly has no integrity when it comes to stealing the people’s money.
An example needs to be set that ministerial miscreants appearing before the Liberian Senate under Oath, must speak “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth…..”. Tarpeh did not speak the truth. He must be dismissed from office and turned over to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution. His crime ? Misleading the Senate while under Oath. We need to set example of this rascal who thinks because he is Kru, and we have a Kru President, he can steal all he likes and nothing will come out of it.
Liberia is for all of us. Grebo, Bassa, Gio, Gola, Kissi, Beleh, Mano, Kru, Bandi, Lorma, Vais, Americo Liberians, and all Liberian tribes. The public coffer is for all the people. People like Tarpeh who think education means to fool the people and then steal from them to enrich yourself is the proper way of life should be given the boot from important positions that require transparency and honesty. This man is dishonest when it comes to money. It is alleged that Weah “gave him a dirty slap when it was discovered that he failed to give account of CDC Campaign Funds which was entrusted in his custody.
Wilson Tarpeh should be dismissed and turned over to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution. His crime, “misleading the Senate while under oath.” This should be done to set the example so that other Ministers do not follow his foot-steps when they appear before that august body.
Wilson Tarpeh, for his dishonesty, and lack of transparency, should immediately be dismissed and turned over to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution. His crime, “misleading the Senate while under oath.”
This midget, or so called “professor”, needs to be taught a lesson that stealing or attempting to steal the poor people’s money will not be tolerated in the new Liberia.
During the Presidential campaign, Tarpeh, who was put in charge of the CDC Campaign funds could not account for how the funds had been dispensed. There was a huge shortage and the matter we are told, was brought to Weah’s attention. The story goes that Weah gave Tarpeh a “dirty slap” and demanded restitution of the money. That’s why Tarpeh who was slated for the position of Minister Of Finance on the CDC ticket, was later denied the position for fear of his handling of money due to his known dishonesty. He clashed several times with his Deputy at the Ministry of Commerce, Jemama Wolokolie, who was against his bad habit of joining hands with foreigners(Lebanese and Indian businessmen) to hurt us as a people.
He has done it again. Old Man Tarpeh should be given the boot!!!