Transport Ministry’s Alleged Weighbridge Syndicate Deepens …As Pressure Group Seeks Ellen’s Intervention Liberians United To Promote Good Governance has issued a release in Monrovia tackling lots of inadequacies concerning the weighbridge project; coupled with variety of pertinent issues that are affecting the Ministry of Transport. The release, which was signed by its Executive Director, Amos T. Kollie, stated that “in the wake of reports in the media, specifically the Monday and Tuesday, June 10 & 11, 2013 editions of the National Chronicle News Paper and the Focus News Paper which points to irregular procurement activities in the selection process of the company to undertake the installation of a weigh bridge for the Ministry of Transport, with a subsequent clarification in the Friday, June 14, 2013 edition of the Inquirer Newspaper, the Liberians United to Promote Good Governance has conducted a fact finding initiative with the aim of informing the Liberian people about reality surrounding the weigh bridge project,” the group asserted. The Ministry of Transport identified the weigh bridge project to boost revenue generation and later became part of the procurement plan for 2012/2013 fiscal year. The Ministry of Transport placed advertisements in the newspapers for potential vendors to submit bids for the installation of the weigh bridge and only one vendor (MAGIC ENTERPRISE) submitted bid but the vendor was disqualified on grounds that the vendor lacked the experience to undertake the project. Magic Enterprise is the same vendor that supplied the Ministry of Transport with the License Plate Production Machine even though their line of business was stationeries supplies. Assistant Minister for Land and Rails, Abu Bana Kamara, served as chairman of the bid evaluation panel that disqualified Magic Enterprise. The Ministry of Transport wrote and requested the Public Procurement and Concession Commission to single handedly source the vendor to undertake the purchase and installation of the weigh bridge. The PPCC granted the Ministry of Transport request to single source. The Ministry of Transport upon the approval by the PPCC selected the West Africa Architectural Consulting and Engineering, (WAACE), a company owned by Mr. John Gbedzee, the man whose role in the controversial Private Use Permit with the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) led to the squandering of millions of United States Dollars from the government of Liberia. John Gbedzee is also an uncle to Assistant Minister Abu Kamara who was instrumental in the selection of WAACE amidst serious internal fight in which Assistant Ministers were at variance with Deputy Minister J. Ebenezer Kolliegbo accusing him of corruption and bad administrative practices. A contract was entered into by the WAACE and the government of Liberia by and through the Ministry of Transport and the Ministers of Justice, Finance and Transport that signed on behalf of the government. The weigh bridge valued at US$295,000.00 and not US$195,000.00 as reported by the Inquirer Newspaper on June 14, 2013 has not been purchased. Furthermore, the Ministry of Transport wrote the Ministry of Public Works in May, 2013 requesting engineers to inspect and help in the installation of the weighbridge. The Ministry of Public Works responded and designated two Assistant Ministers (Sloh and Smith) to work along with the MOT, but since then the MOT is yet to hold any technical meeting with the engineers of public works with the aim of making further progress. According to the Group’s investigation, the Ministry of Finance paid US$295,000.00 to the WAACE without the Ministry identifying the site where the weighbridge will be installed and/or mounted. The Ministry of Transport failed to adhere to the PPCC contract management section enshrined in the PPCC 2010 restated ACT, but rather the full amount was paid in the absence of the completion of the project by WAACE. The payment voucher amounting to US$295,000.00 in favor of WAACE was prepared without the knowledge of the comptroller of the Ministry of Transport. The Ministry of Transport initiative to procure a weigh bridge to enhance revenue generation is laudable but the execution of said contract was characterized by unorthodox managerial and procurement practices, the group revealed. Instead of making installment payments to the vendor (WAACE) in order to ensure that the job is completed and delivered, the Transport Ministry authorities allegedly influenced a lump sum payment. Additionally, the failure of MOT officials to allow the comptroller of the ministry to spearhead the payment process has seriously created doubts about the transparent nature of paying such a huge amount. There exists collusion between officials the department of expenditure and budget at the Ministry of Finance and the Authorities of the Ministry of Transport in the payment of the US$295,000.00 to John Gbezee’s WAACE, without considering the contract management section of the PPCC Act before making the payment final. The Physical Audit Unit of the Department of Expenditure of MOF, according to the group, should have also ensured that physical inspection of the weigh bridge was conducted before making the payment to WAACE. Based on the facts established above and considering the potential waste and abuse of tax payers monies that characterized the implementation and/or execution of the weigh bridge project, the Liberians United to Promote Good Governance is requesting President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to sanction the intervention of the General Auditing Commission and the Liberia Anti Corruption Commission so that the US$295,000.00 in question is accounted for by MOT officials.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:35:17 +0000
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