Monrovia — In May this year, the tenure of the current Chief Executive Officer of the National Road Fund (NRF), Boniface Satu, would expire and uncertainty hangs over his re-selection by the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee (IMSC).
Satu assumed that office about five years ago and had the task of ensuring that road assets are sustained and that sufficient funds for both periodic and routine maintenance are allocated for this purpose.
As CEO of the NRF, it was also his responsibility to ensure that each of the categories of national, sub-national, and feeder roads have a sufficient share of the total budget such that these roads can operate as an integrated network and also to ensure that the needs of the road users and those impacted by roads are considered in terms of safety, security, and environment.
In 2016 the Government introduced a fuel levy of 25c per gallon to resource the NRF. The National Budget Law for 2018 / 2019 factored a 30 cents per gallon of fuel. The GOL through the National Road Fund Office, and the Infrastructure Implementation Unit at MPW collaborate with various partners, World Bank, Millennium Challenge Account Liberia, Millennium Challenge Corporation, African Development Bank, GIZ, Swedish Government, Europeans Union etc. in the implementation of the Annual Road Maintenance Expenditure Program throughout the Republic of Liberia.
Cold Beef Between NRF and MPW?
Both the NRF and the Ministry of Public Works have been rattled in recent times by the Liberian Senate, particularly Senator Edwin Snowe of Bomi County who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Works and Rural Development.
In February, Sen. Snowe accused the Minister of Public Works, Ruth Coker-Collins, of selectively paying contractors who have worked for the Liberian government.
Sen. Snowe claimed that the Ministry of Public Works and the National Road Fund were cherry-picking which contractors to pay and accused the minister of deciding which contractors to prioritize.
In response to Sen. Snowe said Works Minister claimed to have recalled more than 20 payment certificates from the National Road Fund because they had overstayed and the request for payment was only made if there was money in the account of the National Road Fund. She explained that a payment certificate was generated for contractors only if the administrator of the Road Fund confirmed that there was money available.
However, Satu denied that payment requests had been sent to the Road Fund and not paid to contractors. He stated that once a payment request reached them, it was paid and that there was no such thing as no money, thereby, raising eyebrows on the collaboration between him and the Public Works Minister.
Due to his response, Sen. Snowe wrote the Minister of Works documentation relating to the statuses of the major road corridors and other projects across the country and the management of the National Road Fund.
In-House Wrangling
FrontPageAfrica further gathered that there exists a sour relationship between Satu and the Minster Cooker-Collins, Satu has not been enjoying a good working relationship with his Deputy for Administration, Joseta Neufville Wento, whom FPA learned had been lobbying intensely for the post.
The Act establishing the NRF requires that the CEO is selected through an application process and vetting process after the post has been advertised.
While this process is yet to begin, FPA has observed a series of Facebook posts from Mr. Satu showcasing his achievements at the NRF in what many believe is a stunt by him to impose his significance to the sector on Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee.
There have also been publications in some local dailies insinuating that the Minister of Public Works has been working around the clock to ensure that his tenure is not renewed. These publications also included all his achievements at the NRF and other places he has worked and served.
However, Mr. Satu in another Facebook post stated:
Considering all social media and newspaper communication concerning the NRF, especially from Hot Pepper Newspapers and GNN newspapers, I have no idea and I am not associated with all headlines pertaining to the tenure of my office.
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I look up to the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee of the NRF and the Minister of Finance to make the determination for renewal of the term based on performance as required by the NRF ACT.
I understand the concerns of the general public based on information circulating but solely rely on my performance over the 5 years I have served the institution if I am to be reconsidered.
I am sending out an official Press Release on the matter.
It can be recalled that an audit of the National Road Fund conducted by the General Auditing Commission (GAC) for two fiscal years from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2020, revealed that millions of dollars of fuel levies paid by motorists for the maintenance and rehabilitation of roads in Liberia were either not being remitted to the road fund account as required by the Road Fund Act or expended for unintended purposes.
The GAC report showed that the Liberia Revenue Authority deposited $53,018,871.54 in the Consolidated Fund Account instead of the National Road Fund Account. Of this amount, $28,152,231 was remitted to the National Road Fund, leaving a difference of $24,866,637.54 that was not remitted.
