The National Road Fund (NRF) of Liberia is among few government entities with multiple legitimate sources of revenue, with the advantage of obtaining loans for road purposes. Section 5.1 of the Road Fund Act established that the Road Fund shall receive contributions from monies collected from road user charges; monies appropriated by the National Legislature; grants and loans arranged by government to undertake specific programs, projects or works; monies received in respect of a loan obtained on behalf of the Road Fund; monies paid into the Fund proceeds acquired through the sale of assets; and capital gains derived from interests or dividends earned on investments.
These sources of funding complement the levies on every petroleum product brought into the country which, in addition to the budgetary allocation, forms the primary source of funding for the NRF. This makes the revenue intake of the NRF constant, legitimate and reliable. Because of these and many other financial standings, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has allegedly singled out the entity to bankroll its campaign for the 2023 general and presidential elections.
Information accessed by the Hot Pepper is that, some time ago, the Government of Liberia (GOL) applied for a US$40 million (forty million United States dollars) loan at a certain bank in Nigeria (name withheld) for road projects. After all the required investigations, the bank has agreed to disburse the funds and has prepared the accompanying documents to seal the deal, with payment terms being concluded. What is left is for the authorities of the Liberian government to affix their signatures to the document.
The loan document, according to information, requires the signatures of the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel Tweah, Jr., Minister of Justice, Cllr. Frank Musah Dean, and the National Road Fund (NRF) Manager, Boniface D. Satu.
The Hot Pepper is informed that upon hearing about the loan, Satu and others in the road sector were on their heels to receive the funds in order that they may complete some major on-going road works before the rainy season can completely take shape. However, Satu’s joy was short-lived when he, too, was told that US$20 million (twenty million United States dollars) of that amount is intended to bankroll the CDC campaign for the up-coming elections.
Accordingly, Satu allegedly contacted Minister Tweah to ascertain the facts surrounding the loan, and they had a lengthy conversation over the matter, but was allegedly given the same details. This, according to information, has put Satu in a catch 22 situation—sign the document and retain his position at the Road Fund Office or refuse and kiss his job goodbye.
Up to now, the loan document is allegedly lying on the desk of the Road Fund Manager, who has given a second thought about signing it, for fear he would be reprimanded if the government defaulted on the repayment.
Because the NRF is a member of the African Road Funds and other international bodies, the entity is being thoroughly monitored by international partners; as such, any loan for road projects will be fully monitored, evaluated and reported on a regular basis. The risk of Satu affixing his signature to a loan for road projects to be diverted for political activities could not only tarnish his reputation but land him behind bars, especially when the government fails to complete the earmarked projects and delays to repay the loan.
Due to the risk involved, Satu has allegedly refused to sign the document; unfortunately, his refusal has allegedly instigated a conspiracy to remove him. Officials of the Weah government apparently have no ears for Satu’s excuses, as their focus right now is to secure a second term before any other thing can follow. But because Satu cannot be booted out for such a reason, they have resolved to use the alternative—deny him the opportunity to renew his term even though he has performed to expectation over the years, turn the entity over to someone they can pull by the nose and use the person to do what it takes to secure the loan.
According to investigation, Satu has been given two options: sign the loan and be retained, or refuse and be booted out. The plan is that, if he insists on his refusal the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee (IMSC) with oversight responsibility over the NRF, headed by the Minister of Public Works, Ruth Coker-Collins, will name an Officer-in-Charge soon, and the search for a new NRF Manager will be advertised.
According to the plan, the IMSC will vet and announce their person of interest, and her first responsibility upon taking over will be to sign the loan agreement.
A high-profile official of government boasted that the quest to secure a second term is of paramount concern, and anyone seen as an obstacle will be booted out. This, when politically interpreted, means that the tenets of democracy may likely hit its ebb and the disregard for the rule of law may become the order of the day.
Liberian politics is structured in a way that the ruling establishment holds the major instruments needed to win election, including state resources, state security, propaganda machineries and influence of regional stakeholders, with the opposition left only with the constraint of convincing the electorate that the incumbent administration is not performing as expected, and with the challenge of providing an alternative to improved governance.
The Weah administration has already begun ignoring Constitutional requirements, with the National Legislature failing to reapportion constituencies before the conduct of a voter registration by the National Elections Commission. “These are conduits for chaos,” a critic told the Hot Pepper. To be continued.