Monrovia – Mounting internal conflicts between Minister Roland Giddings and Deputy Minister Prince Tambah are reportedly stalling operations at the Ministry of Public Works, FrontPageAfrica has learned.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
The tension peaked last week when Minister Giddings issued a formal warning to his deputy, accusing him of gross insubordination. According to the warning letter, seen by FrontPageAfrica, Giddings chastised Tambah for what he described as “unproductive conduct” in carrying out his duties.
“This communication serves as an official warning to you for unproductive conduct in the discharge of your duties in relation to the objectives of the Government and particularly the Ministry of Public Works. This warning stems from several actions by you that have stagnated the Ministry’s goals and undermined my authority as Minister,” Giddings wrote.
The Minister highlighted several key issues, including Tambah’s refusal to sign and his subsequent seizure of vouchers meant for the timely disbursement of funds for engineers tasked with independently verifying work completed under the 100-day corridor project.
Giddings further noted the lack of substantial oversight from Tambah’s department of Technical Services, specifically the Bureau of Operations, regarding the deteriorating state of the Buchanan-to-Saturday Town road corridor. He also accused Tambah of defying a unanimous decision by the Ministry’s Procurement Committee on September 30, 2024, concerning the poor performance of Robust, a construction company working on the same road project, which he attributed to inadequate monitoring and supervision.
This communication serves as an official warning to you for unproductive conduct in the discharge of your duties in relations to the objectives of the Government and particularly the Ministry of Public Works. This Warning stemmed from several actions by you to stagnate the goals of the Ministry as well as undermine my authority as the Minister of Public Works. These actions include but not limited to Your refusal to complementarily sign and subsequent seizure of vouchers intended to timely disburse funds for a select team of engineers to independently verify works done within the 100 days corridor.
Roland Layfette Giddings, Minister of Public Works
In addition, Giddings criticized Tambah for failing to remain in the country to address urgent issues within the Ministry’s 100-day plan, despite being advised to stay in preparation for the upcoming dry season works. This resulted in both Tambah and Giddings being out of the country simultaneously.
The conflict escalated further during a Senior management meeting on September 23, 2024, when Tambah publicly questioned Giddings’ authority to issue a warning to an assistant minister who had authorized the unauthorized modification of sidewalks and bus bays along the Japan Freeway for private commercial purposes.
In addition, there are allegations that Tambah has been leveraging his proximity to President Joseph Boakai to undermine and disrespect Minister Giddings.
‘It is normal’
When contacted for comment, Tambah did not respond to FrontPage Africa’s inquiries before publication. However, Benjamin Myers, Communications Director at the Ministry of Public Works, downplayed the conflict, calling the issuance of a warning letter “a normal administrative procedure.”
“Serving a warning letter to a person in a workplace is simply a function of administrative procedure. That person may have transgressed knowingly or unknowingly, and the law excuses no man,” Myers said in response to FPA’s inquiry. “Minister Tambah is a highly intelligent person whom I have come to know, and he has not used his proximity to the President to act in any unwholesome way at the Ministry. Hence, he still reserves the right to disagree when certain actions do not align with his principles.”
He added: “On the whole, FrontPage Africa, the two are working together. The media is amplifying this situation beyond reality. Minister Tambah remains fundamentally tied to the general terms agreed upon for running the Ministry, and Minister Giddings respects that. Nothing more!”
Despite Myers’ efforts to downplay the internal conflict, FrontPage Africa has learned that many of the US$22 million worth of contracts awarded to various construction companies are not being properly implemented due to poor monitoring and evaluation. Minister Giddings himself has acknowledged these challenges, particularly with the Buchanan-to-Saturday Town road project, which he attributes to inadequate supervision from Tambah’s office.
Ivory Coast: the alternative route
In Southeastern Liberia, the terrible condition of the roads has forced many commuters to travel through neighboring Ivory Coast. Some commuters told Ok FM that they have been compelled to use the Ivory Coast route to reach Maryland County due to the impassable roads. The Ministry of Public Works has attributed the poor road conditions to heavy rains.
President Boakai has made road construction and maintenance a top priority of his administration. After his inauguration, he promised that no vehicle would be stuck in the mud during his first 100 days. To fulfill this promise, he pressed the Ministry of Finance to allocate US$22 million for the maintenance of major laterite roads. However, the Senate later deemed the contracts unlawful, stating that they violated procurement laws.
Most of the companies awarded these contracts have underperformed, undermining the President’s promise. Across the country, roads remain in a dire state. While the Ministry of Public Works has repeatedly vowed to terminate the contracts of non-performing companies, no names have yet been released.
