–As Gov’t Allegedly Receives US$200,000 From Western Cluster
It appears like the detractors of the Boakai administration are just within the administration, as the Minister of Public Works, Roland Giddings, who is supposed to be at the forefront promoting the road and infrastructure component of the Unity Party administration’s ARREST agenda is allegedly the one undermining the effort by reversing President Joseph Boakai’s decision on Western Cluster regarding their damaging the Tubmanburg-Monrovia Highway.
On April 30, 2024, during a tour to Tubmanburg, Bomi County, President Boakai resolved to shut down Western Cluster due to the company exploiting the county’s resources without benefit to the citizens and future damage of the bridges the company’s trucks often ply on. President Boakai informed Minister Giddings that if Western Cluster is not shut down the nation will lose those bridges, and it would be disastrous.
A week later, on May 8, the Ministry of Public Works suspended the Road User Permit of the company with immediate effect for “Violation of the Terms of the Permit”.
The government demanded that Western Cluster fulfills its obligations under the permit until any/all violations and defaults under this permit are cured, and failure to cure the violations within 60 days the company risks termination of its road user permit.
However, two days after, without consultation with the National Legislature, which has oversight on public works, or permission from the Office of the President, on May 10, 2024 Minister Giddings singlehandedly granted Western Cluster a three-day respite (relief), from May 10—12, 2024, to allow the company to lift its ores that were already prepared for export, which contravened the suspension.
On June 5, 2024, Minister Giddings further announced the lifting of the suspension placed on Western Cluster. In the communication addressed to Western Cluster’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Joseph Coeiho, the Public Works Minister, Roland Giddings, said the “restoration of the Road User Permit” was predicated upon the company’s compliance in providing US$200,000 for the repairs of the road from Klay’s intersection to the St. Paul Bridge and the receipt of the assessment report to provide for the railway bridge parallel to the St. Paul Bridge.
Whether or not Minister Giddings consulted the President on the decision could not be ascertain, but members of the National Legislature, mainly senators of Bomi County, have expressed disapproval in Giddings’ decision.
On Tuesday, June 11, 2024, Bomi County Senator, Edwin Melvin Snowe, requested the Liberian Senate to investigate the “unhealthy decision” by the Ministry of Public Works to restore the Road User Permit of Western Cluster Limited (WCL).
According to Senator Snowe, the Ministry of Public Works allegedly instructed Western Cluster Limited to increase its fleet of trucks from 100 trips per night to 250 trips per night, which he sees as a continued violation of the terms and condition enshrined within the MDA and the MoU signed with the Government of Liberia (GOL). He disclosed that the allowable gross load has increased from 30 to 45 tons per truck using damaged bridges along the Monrovia to Bomi road corridor.
He further underscored that these grave violations are not only adding damages to the already dire conditions of the St. Paul Bridge to Bomi Hills Road Corridors but imposing a serious safety hazard to pedestrians plying the road.
The Liberian Senate then authorized its committees on Public Works, Transport, Judiciary and Lands, Mines and Energy to investigate the Ministry of Public Works’ decision to restore Western Cluster Road User Permit (RUP-220620-004) amidst continued violations of the mineral development agreement (MDA). The committee is to report its findings in two weeks’ time.
According to Martin K.N. Kollie, a proponent of the Boakai administration, Western Cluster alone trucked 438,415 metric tons of iron ore in 2023, damaging the roads and bridges between Tubmanburg and Freeport, but gave US$200,000 to patch potholes instead of paving. “This is not change,” Kollie said.
Giddings has been accused of undermining President Boakai’s road agenda and showing no regard for people with authority above him.
Before his appointment as Minister of Public Works, engineering experts described President Boakai’s pick of Giddings for the Minister of Public Works position as a violation of the New Executive Law, which required that an engineer heads the ministry, as Roland Giddings holds a degree in public administration and financial management.
They said as an administrator, Giddings does not understand the critical role the minister is supposed to play in getting the job done at Public Works, and it will only be fair for the President to send the right person to the ministry before his legacy and vision for road connectivity remains a dream that never comes to reality.