The National Civil Society Union of Liberia (NACSUL) says its attention has been drawn to the prolonged delay by His Excellency, President George Manneh Weah, to appoint a minister-proper at the Ministry of Public Works and other government institutions, including Internal Audit Agency (IAA), Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) and Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA).
According to NACSUL, since the death of former Public Works Minister, Mabutu Vlah Nyepan, a little over a year, one of his principal deputies, Ruth Coker-Collins, has continued to act in the position—a situation the civil society group said must be corrected by President Weah. In the same vein, the group said, the death of Bartu Nyensuah led to his deputy, Clarence Williams, to act in his position; Alvin G. Brown’s suspension ascended Edwina Zackpah to the acting position; and the dismissal of Bishop John Allen Klayee ascended Martin Hayes to the Acting Managing Director position.
In a statement issued on Monday, January 24, 2022, NACSUL President, Amos B.S. Kanneh, argued that the operation of a government ministry or agency is strangulated to some extent when there is an acting head, because some of the decisions or transactions do not allow an acting boss to institute such mandate.
President Kanneh said since their appointment by President Weah as caretakers of these entities, they have shown the ability to conduct the affairs of these institutions with competence, professionalism and high degree of honesty; as such, called on President Weah to use his appointing power to nominate them as proper heads to enhance the massive infrastructure developments currently taking place across the country.
Specifically, he said Ruth Coker-Collins, who is acting Minister of Public Works, is young and energetic, with a wealth of technical experience and qualification, and that they have no doubt that she can drive the affairs of the technical ministry from where the late Minister Mabutu Nyepan left it nearly a year ago. He also emphasized that the other acting heads are as competent as Acting Minister Corker-Collins, and equally called for their proper appointment at the positions they are acting in.
It can be recalled that in recent time some members of the Liberian Senate, through a communication from River-Gee County Senator, Jonathan Boye-Charles Sogbie, raised concern over the action by President Weah to perpetually keep individuals in a position to act when he has the appointing power to nominate them to proper serve at the institution for effectiveness and efficiency.