A Dent On Gov’t Accountability-Transparency Credential & ‘A PR Disaster’
By Frank Sainworla, Jr., fsainworla@yahoo.com,newspublictrust@gmail.com
Why now? Why the prolonged silence and the flip-flop by some senior officials over the months? In the professional effective communications and public relations business, believability and trust are key, a loss of which eventually leads to public relations disaster.
After months of official silence and a chain of contradictory comments from officials, the Unity Party (UP) government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has finally attempted to shed light on a multi-million US dollars complex being constructed in Foya, northeaster Lofa County, which has been dubbed “presidential villa”, 450km from Mornrovia.
In a formal response, the Ministry of Information this week said the project is neither a private residence nor a presidential retreat, but finally admitted that it is a state-owned strategic facility known as the Mano River Union (MRU) Center for Regional Peace and Development, something the MRU had earlier said it was not aware of.
Months ago, the head of a civil society NGO, NAYMOT, Eddie Jarwolo alarm over what he said was a massive project which no one knew about and which the government said nothing about being put up in the home town of the Liberian leader.
NAYMOTE Executive Director Jarwolo, in a post published with pictorial of the big facility under construction, questioned the construction of a multimillion-dollar Presidential Villa.
In his post shared on social media, Mr. Jarwolo raised concerns over the reported US$10 million cost of the project, the source of its funding, and its justification in a region where residents continue to face limited access to basic public services and economic opportunities.
“A factory that would create jobs and economic benefits for the residents of Lofa County could be built for $10 million,” Jarwolo wrote. “What rationale exists for spending over $10 million on a Presidential Villa when the residents of that district are deprived of fundamental public services and economic prospects?” the NAYMOT Executive Director said.
Security-sensitive but partly privately-funded
Now, the government has admitted that it is true that a multi-million US dollars complex is being built in Foya, but that the amount is not US$10 million but instead US$6.1 million.
“This project is not private property, some political actors and media outlets, the government said.
Instead, it described the facility as a public asset situated on approximately seven acres of land, featuring a 500-seat conference hall and nine secure accommodation units for visiting dignitaries.
Even though the government says that the controversial project is not private property but it says it is a government, regional project yet the complex construction is partly privately funded.
The nature of the public and private funding is also shrouded in secrecy, with no public knowledge of allocation in the national fiscal budget, neither was there any official, public groundbreaking ceremony held.
Interestingly, the government has disclosed that the Foya project is being funded through a combination of national, regional, global, and private contributions, with an estimated total cost of US$6.1 million.
What percentage of the over US$6 million of the construction cost is being shoulder by the Liberian government? Also what percentages are the governments of the other MRU countries—Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast? More than that with such a highly regional security-sensitive project being put up, what percentage of it is being shouldered by private money and who are the private individuals and entities rallying in? More so, it the Liberian government sensitive to the huge public relations disaster that this whole controversial Foya project has unraveled, fueling deepening public mistrust and what some political observers see as the government’s self-inflicted energizing of misinformation?
In its latest breaking of silence on the complex construction issue, the government has argued that the controversial Foya project has become necessary given Liberia’s historic leadership role in the Mano River Basin, combined with its current and upcoming responsibilities on the United Nations Security Council, makes such a facility both timely and necessary.“Liberia is respected as a regional leader and is looked to for guidance on key issues, including regional peace and security,” the statement noted.
It goes further to says the Foya center would enhance Liberia’s capacity to host sensitive diplomatic engagements.
Besides NAYMOTE’s Director Eddie Jarwolo, the controversial veiled Foya project has come under fire from the local corruption watchdog group, CENTAL, the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia.
In a statement some time ago, its Executive Director, Anderson Miamen said that CENTAL’s review of the 2024-25 budget showed no allocation for a villa under the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs or any other agency.
“We call on the Liberian government to provide detailed information about the project. Its continued silence, in the midst of multiple concerns, does not send a good message to the public about full compliance with procurement and other laws,” the CENTAL boss said.
Dent on Gov’t accountability and transparency credential
While the Liberian government maintains that the Foya project is a security-sensitive one, yet the whole venture is shrouded in secrecy.
“It is unconventional to publish or discuss the blueprints and security layout of a facility designed to host regional and global leaders while it is under construction,” the statement said.
The government’s Public Relations/Public Information arm even goes to the extent of warning that the leaked drone footage itself posed a security risk.
Politicians and the opposition have also raised eyebrows regarding the controversial Foya complex.
Mr. Wantoe Teah Wanto of the main opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) recently raised serious queries about the situation in the local media.
“The facts surrounding the Foya project do not align with the government’s narrative. After prolonged attempts to cover it up, the government has now dug itself into a deeper hole,” Mr. Wanto said.
Mr. Wantoe and other government critics raised a range of legal concerns such as the ‘absence of legislative act or resolution establishing the MRU Center in Foya, no identifiable budget line for the project, allegedly violating Sections 17, 18, and 37 of the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act, undisclosed donors and agreements, contrary to Section 48 of the PFM Act.’
In Liberia’s political democratic practice and in line with the “rescue” government of President Boakai who took power and vowed to adhere to the democratic tenets of accountability and transparency.
Amid the controversy and many months after the construction works started, the government has now announced that President Boakai, along with senior government and security officials, is expected to inspect the site in December.
According to the latest government statement, this is part of a broader review of national development projects, adding that regional launch is planned after completion in 2026, with participation from national and MRU stakeholders.
Months back when she was asked at an Executive Mansion press briefing, President Boakai’s Press Secretary, Atty. Kulah Fofana was herself apparently largely in the dark about the nature of the project and other details as to its purpose.
“As to the presidential project, whether or not it should be called a ‘presidential project,’ I’ll provide more updates in our next briefing. We’ve received some information, but I’ll be able to give you the full details later,” the Presidential Press Secretary told Journalists who were in high anticipation to get the factual details.
“Public Relations disaster”
Many cynics belief that coming up with such pronouncement at this stage will only leave a large section of the citizens with an increasing sense of apprehension about the true intent and purpose of the controversial Foya construction project.
Why now? Why the prolonged silence and the flip-flop by some senior officials over the months? In the professional effective communications and public relations business, believability and trust are key, a loss of which eventually leads to public relations disaster. And some Public Relations experts who want to be anonymous tell this writer that the controversial Foya project “just one of many PR disasters the current Liberian government has experience in nearly two years since coming to power on January 22, 2024.