MONROVIA – A FrontPage Africa investigation has uncovered that a portion of the remaining funds from Liberia’s COVID-19 Household Food Support Programme (COHFSP) has been redirected to the government’s consolidated account to support the national Homegrown School Feeding Program.
The COHFSP was originally designed to provide emergency food assistance to Liberia’s most vulnerable populations during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, questions surrounding the expenditure of the fund resurfaced after former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah recently addressed allegations made by Stanton Witherspoon, CEO of the Spoon Network.
At a press conference in Monrovia last week, Tweah explained that the Liberian government, through the International Monetary Fund (IMF), secured US$25 million for the program in 2020. An additional US$5 million was provided by the World Bank through the Ministry of Agriculture under the STAR-P project. According to Tweah, all funds were transferred directly to the World Food Programme (WFP) for implementation—bypassing any direct handling by government agencies.
“I was very happy with this arrangement,” Tweah said. “It meant no Liberian government institution could be accused of stealing the money. The WFP received and spent the funds. If there’s a problem, they should be the ones under investigation.”
He further stated that by July 2022, the WFP reported spending US$23.8 million of the total US$30 million, with a remaining balance of over US$2 million. He claimed that by the end of the CDC administration, the WFP had not returned the unspent funds to the Government of Liberia or the World Bank. He referenced a turnover note from the Department of Economic Management detailing the funds and pending reimbursements.
Questions Over Reallocation of Unused Funds
Tweah revealed that in March 2025, current Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan wrote to him requesting clarification regarding the reallocation of US$234,350—20% of the remaining COVID-19 funds—for the school feeding program. Tweah said the reallocation was not approved under his tenure, despite earlier requests from the WFP.
“I rejected the request when WFP asked in 2023. It’s ironic that the current minister approved it, yet there are rumors of my arrest. If I had approved it, they would have accused me of diverting WFP money for CDC elections,” Tweah added.
A letter obtained by FrontPage Africa from Aliou Diongue, then WFP Representative and Country Director, addressed to then-Minister Tweah, confirmed that US$2,029,300 in savings remained from the COHFSP—US$1,171,745 from the IMF-funded US$25 million, and US$857,555 from the World Bank-funded US$5 million.
According to Diongue, the COHFSP Steering Committee, in its final report, recommended reallocating these savings to support the National Homegrown School Feeding Program. The program would be coordinated by the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and implemented by the WFP.
“This homegrown school feeding program aims to procure approximately 1,300 metric tons of locally produced food—rice, gari, beans, and palm oil—each school year. The goal is to gradually increase this to 3,000 metric tons annually, sourced from smallholder farmers,” Diongue stated.
Was the Reallocation Authorized?
It remains unclear whether Tweah ultimately authorized or rejected the reallocation. However, FrontPage Africa contacted the Ministry of Finance to clarify its role in managing the funds and confirm the redirection of the remaining balance. While the Ministry has yet to respond officially, a senior source familiar with the process, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the unused funds are now being directed toward the Homegrown School Feeding Program.
The source explained that of the more than US$25 million initially allocated through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), approximately US$1.17 million remained unused. Importantly, the decision to redirect the funds did not originate solely from the current administration, the source noted.
“This decision stemmed from the final report of the National COVID-19 Steering Committee established under former President George M. Weah,” the source said.
The Committee, chaired by former Commerce Minister Wilson Tarpeh, included representatives from the Ministry of Health, MFDP, Civil Society Organizations, and other government stakeholders.
Utilization of Funds for School Feeding
Based on the Steering Committee’s final recommendations—endorsed in late 2022—it was agreed that the unutilized COVID-19 funds would support the Homegrown School Feeding Program. Managed by the WFP, the initiative aims to provide nutritious meals for schoolchildren while supporting local farmers through domestic food procurement.
“This dual-impact initiative is designed to improve child nutrition while stimulating the local agricultural sector,” the source said.
Continuity Under the Current Administration
Upon taking office, the current government reviewed and validated the Steering Committee’s decision. In partnership with the WFP, it was decided that 20% (US$234,000) of the remaining funds would remain with WFP for continued feeding operations, while the remaining 80% (US$937,000) would be transferred to the Liberian government to purchase food from local farmers.
Funds Secured and Ring-Fenced
The source confirmed that the transferred funds are secured in the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) and are ring-fenced to ensure they are used transparently and solely for their intended purpose. The MFDP, in collaboration with the MOA, MOE, and other partners, will oversee implementation.
“It is regrettable that some individuals are politicizing a transparent and well-documented initiative that originated under their own administration. The facts are clear: this program was approved by the former government and is being implemented in the spirit of continuity and national development,” the source added.
Call for Audit
The source concluded that it would be prudent for the Liberian government to conduct a comprehensive audit of all COVID-19 funds to ensure transparency and accountability.
“An audit will dispel misinformation and restore public trust in how these critical funds were handled,” the source said.
