On Thursday, April 13, 2023 the National Road Fund (NRF) office, Payne Avenue, 9th & 10 Street, Sinkor, was a scene of embarrassment and a display of what many observers termed as the implementation of the conspiracy against the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the office, Boniface D. Satu, when officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP), on an allegation of assault by the Administrative Manager, Joseta Neufville-Wento, abruptly bashed into the office of the NRF CEO and insisted on arresting the Head of Finance of the institution, Charles Ferguson.
The LNP officers, after disrupting the daily functions of the office for about two hours in an attempt to arrest the Finance Manager at all cost, were recalled to the LNP headquarters by their commanding officer, Police-165, who had dispatched them on the operation. However, after the officers left the scene, the husband of the complainant, Nick Wento, believed to be the son of former presidential candidate McDonald Wento, appeared on the scene and demanded that Ferguson follows him to the police headquarters. He attempted pushing the accused but was stopped by some NRF employees.
A renowned journalist who had gone to the NRF for other matters asked whether the man, Wento, was a police officer to behave as such. When the journalist was told that he was only the spouse of the victim, he walked up to him and urged him to invite uniformed officers to carry out such an action. Apparently realizing his own fault, Wento walked away, threatening to return and ensure that Ferguson is arrested.
All these episodes were exhibited at the NRF office without the least courtesy to the NRF boss, who was left shocked in his office regarding the police’s action.
Fortunately, the Spokesman of the LNP, Moses Carter, who was tipped about the happenings at the NRF, appeared on the scene, calmed the situation, took all the accused to the LNP headquarters and turned the case over to the Police Deputy Commissioner for Crime Service, Prince B. Mulbah. Commissioner Mulbah reminded the LNP officers that they have a code of conduct in executing their duties, and should always endeavor to behave accordingly. He emphasized that the operation was, in fact, at another government entity, which made it an inter-governmental operation, and therefore needed to be handled with care, citing the case that occurred some years back at the National Bureau of Concession. He then referred the case to the Crime against Persons Department, which is still investigating the matter.
Sources who preferred anonymity have told the Hot Pepper that Joseta Neufville-Wento is the one tipped to replace Boniface Satu upon the expiration of his first term in May; as such, she is being used to stir unwarranted dramas at the Road Fund Office. Joseta is said to be a “stool pigeon” of the Minister of Public Works, with close relationship to President George Manneh Weah, whom he relies on to feed him with the gossips at the entity.
Joseta, as she is called by her workmates, stands accused of being a “horrible” and “disrespectful” person, who usually provokes people to anger and, when they react, she video-records them and submit the recordings to her allies. They say sometimes she even threatens to go live on Facebook.
This accusation appears similar to what occurred at the NRF office on Thursday. In her explanation to LNP investigators when the matter was taken to the LNP headquarters, Joseta said she went to the Finance Department of the NRF to inquire how well the employees were coping with a software they were required to use, but Ferguson went to her and warned that it was not in her purview to evaluate employees of the Finance Department. “It should never be repeated again!” she quoted Ferguson as saying.
She said Ferguson’s harsh statement did not go down well with her, so she went back to his office and told him not to use such words on her, but he began to shout at her, pointing fingers in her face, which prompted her to video-record him. In the process of video-recording him, she said, he slapped her hand and, when her phone fell to the ground, he picked it up and locked it in his drawers. According to her, it was the intervention of those in the office that Ferguson returned her phone, and immediately she called the police.
From her explanation, observers said the matter should have been handled through internal means, instead of immediately inviting the police. But the Hot Pepper reporter, who was present at the LNP headquarters, observed that the observation would not have yielded any fruit, as Joseta even refused to recognize the Corporate Relations Manager (Communications Manager) of the entity, who was sent there by the NRF Office to observe the case.
After Joseta’s written communication was read and Ferguson made his oral testimony, the Head of Corporate Relations, Pearl Banks-Williams, requested that she clarifies a statement made by her colleague, Joseta. When asked who she was and she said she was sent by their office, Joseta objected that she did come there on her behalf, instead she was escorted only by her husband. On this note, the police denied Banks-Williams her request.
The NRF, during its earlier days of establishment, was just a one big, happy family; however, this cordiality has been tempered with by low politics and the greed for power. The entity was proudly the engine of President Weah’s most successful development agenda—road connectivity—sourcing funds for the Ministry of Public Works to smoothly construct, maintain and rehabilitate community and feeder roads, as well as highways. But this seems to become history very soon.
The Minister of Public Works, Ruth Coker-Collins, recently refuted an allegation of undermining the NRF boss, and clarified to the public that her letter to the Minister of Finance and Development Planning was only to call for a review of Satu’s performance contract.
According to Section 4.3.3 of the Act establishing the NRF, “The appointment of the National Road Fund Manager shall be for a period of five years, during which performance shall be monitored in line with their performance contract. Subject to satisfactory performance, appointees may be considered for an extension of contract.”
But Minister Corker-Collins’ letter to Minister Samuel Tweah, dated March 20, 2023, however requested that “the needful actions be undertaken so as to begin the necessary open advertisement process for the selection of a Manager of the National Road Fund…”. Nowhere in her letter requested for performance review of the Manager’s contract or disclosed results of a review; instead, it persistently emphasized on advertising the position for a new NRF manager to be recruited.
Since the appointment of Satu, there has been no query about his performance, which could suggest that the NRF CEO has been implementing his duties in accordance with law and in a satisfactory manner to the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee (IMSC), established to supervise the NRF activities. Satu’s performance should have been reviewed for the last year (2022—2023), and then a decision be made to either retain or relieve him. But Minister Coker-Collins is requesting otherwise.
In contrast to the Act establishing the Road Fund Office, Minister Coker-Collins has formally informed Satu that the NRF is at a transitional time and, until an Officer-in-Charge and a new Road Fund Manager is recruited, he should not submit any payment request to the Ministry of Finance without her approval as Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee (IMSC).
The Minister’s letter, dated April 3, 2023, reads, “I present my compliments and on the premise of Section 3.3(1)(b)&(c) of the National Road Fund Act of 2016 and in keeping with best practice to mitigate possible governance and financial related risk at this crucial transitional time of the NRF, please be informed that effectively as of April 1, 2023 and until an Officer-in-Charge (who shall be named) and a new Road Fund Manager is recruited, all financial payment request or any other financial related instrument emanating from the NRF will have to be approved by the Chair of the IMSC through a written formal approval letter.”
What is left to be answered is whether Chairperson Corker-Collins has already decided to dismiss Manager Satu without firstly reviewing his performance, in accordance with Section 4.3.3 of the Act establishing the NRF.
Unconfirmed news is that the decision of booting out the manager has already been approved, and the appointment of a “stooge” (presumably Joseta) is in the making, with the claim that Satu is a pompous individual who does not associate himself with the ringleaders of the CDC or heed to their financial requests. With this attitude, a source said, they are not sure Satu will dance to their beat to use some of the NRF funds for campaign purpose; as such, the earlier he is booted out the better for them.