By Our Reporter | Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA – Anderson Miamen, Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), has called for an investigation into the reported donation of 150 motorbikes to chiefs and elders in Nimba County, allegedly by Mines and Energy Minister Wilmot Paye.
Miamen raised the concern following information attributed to Journalist Nyantee Genero Samuel Togba of OK FM, who reportedly referenced a Facebook post by Matthew Konah claiming that Minister Paye had donated a combined 150 motorbikes to traditional leaders in Nimba County.
Miamen stressed that the information should first be verified, but said that if confirmed, the source of financing for the reported donation should be established.
He estimated that 150 new motorbikes could cost between US$105,000 and US$120,000, based on an estimated unit price of between US$700 and US$800.
Miamen questioned whether such an expenditure could have been financed from the minister’s personal income, private contributions or another source.
“Where did he get such money from? From his salary? From his friends? Or other sources?” Miamen asked.
He also questioned the minister’s history of donations before his appointment to government and called for examination of his declared assets, income and liabilities.
Miamen urged the Office of the Ombudsman to work with the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to establish whether the reported donation complies with Liberia’s Code of Conduct and other laws governing the conduct and financial responsibilities of public officials.
The CENTAL executive director said the public has a right to know the source of funding for substantial donations involving public officials, particularly where questions could arise over the use of public resources.
The call comes amid broader concerns about transparency, accountability and the management of public resources by government officials.
However, motorbike distributions to traditional leaders are not unprecedented in Liberia.
In January 2022, the administration of former President George Manneh Weah announced the distribution of 150 motorbikes to traditional leaders nationwide, with 10 motorbikes allocated to each of Liberia’s 15 counties. The Executive Mansion said the distribution formed part of a broader package of logistical support for traditional leaders and county health services.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy has also previously disclosed the acquisition of motorbikes for its county operations as part of efforts to strengthen decentralization and support field activities.
Those precedents make it important to establish whether the reported Nimba distribution represents a new government-supported initiative, ministry property, a privately financed donation or another form of logistical assistance.
The distinction could determine what financial, procurement and disclosure requirements apply.
If the motorbikes were purchased with public funds, questions could arise about the procurement process, authorization, ownership and whether the assets were properly recorded by the government.
If they were privately financed, questions could still arise concerning the source of the funds and whether the transaction complied with applicable rules governing public officials.
Miamen is therefore calling for the relevant integrity institutions to establish the facts surrounding the reported donation, including the number of motorbikes purchased, their total cost, the source of financing, the identities of the beneficiaries and the circumstances under which the distribution occurred.
The inquiry, if conducted, could also determine whether the motorbikes are intended to remain government property, were transferred to traditional leaders as gifts, or were provided for official community or administrative use.
The Office of the Ombudsman and LACC could play a central role in determining whether the reported transaction raises issues under Liberia’s integrity and anti-corruption framework.
For now, the claim that Minister Paye donated 150 motorbikes to Nimba chiefs and elders remains subject to verification.
The central questions are whether the motorbikes were actually distributed, who financed their purchase, what they cost, who received them, whether public funds were involved and whether all applicable legal and financial procedures were followed.
Those questions, Miamen argues, should be answered through evidence rather than speculation.
