Former Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) Deputy Managing Director MacArthur Hilton criticized the current Boakai administration, alleging misleading remarks regarding efforts to address water infrastructure challenges in the nation.
Hilton accused the government of misleading the public by claiming full credit for the ongoing 10-kilometer modern water pipeline project from White Plains to the Johnsonville turning point—asserting instead that the foundation for the initiative was laid during the George Weah-led government.
He disputed statements made by current LWSC Managing Director Mo Ali, highlighting the origin of the ongoing 10-kilometer water pipeline project funded by the World Bank.
Mo noted in a social media post: “They say the pipes the LWSC is bringing in the country was Weah’s vision. I’ve said over and over that I along with Fredrick Bobby Krah from the MFDP’s Debt Management Unit joined by former LWSC’s MD, Hun-Bun Tulay and his Deputy for Technical Services led the negotiations for the first US$10 million that initiated the Liberia Urban Water Supply Project. Our men dem say that Weah’s vision. This project started from the UP Administration when Hon. Amara Konneh was Finance Minister.”
Hilton, also known as the Original Country Man (OCM), clarified that groundwork and funding for the project were initiated under the previous CDC administration–a government in which he served at the LWSC. He emphasized the need for historical accuracy and recognition of past government contributions to infrastructure development.
The project is being funded by the World Bank, involves replacing an aging 36-inch pipeline built in 1953 with a modern 48-inch ductile iron pipeline, and is expected to enhance water flow from the White Plains Water Treatment Plant to the capital.
According to Hilton, Ali falsely suggested that a $10 million fund from the World Bank was untouched until the Unity Party government assumed power.
“The assertion that this $10 million was just sitting in a bank waiting for Mo Ali and the Unity Party administration is simply not true,” Hilton said. “By the time the CDC took over in 2018, most of that money had already been used.”
While acknowledging that the $10 million allocation from the World Bank under the Urban Water Supply Project did exist, Hilton stressed that the credit for the actual pipeline work lies with the CDC administration, which secured an additional $30 million in 2019. That funding, he explained, came as a result of a successful financing presentation made in Cape Town by then LWSC Managing Director Duannah Kamara.
“Let’s be clear – the project Mo Ali is bragging about was made possible because of the $30 million we secured. The pipes he’s talking about, including the upgrade from 36-inch to 48-inch, are part of that funding,” Hilton stated. “The contract for that work was signed under our administration.”
He went further to challenge the current administration to “give credit where credit is due” and to stop what he described as an effort to rewrite history.
“Government is continuity. But when your predecessor does something right, you should have the courage and decency to commend them,” Hilton noted. “The reservoir in Rock Hill, the expansion in GSA Road, the addition of 2,630 customers during the COVID period – all of these happened under our watch.”
Hilton also highlighted several other accomplishments by the Weah administration in the water sector, including the rehabilitation of the White Plains Water Treatment Plant, procurement of additional water trucks, and the signing of the pipeline contract that is now being implemented under the Unity Party-led government.
“The contract for the 10-kilometer pipeline was signed already. So, if you now decide to push it back or change the route, that’s your choice – but don’t twist the facts. We did the groundwork,” he emphasized.
The former LWSC official was particularly critical of suggestions that the Boakai administration had launched new transformative efforts at the corporation.
“Fifteen months in, and no major new project has been initiated by the Boakai administration. It’s time to stop with the rhetoric and start producing results,” Hilton said. “The people of Liberia deserve progress, not political spin.”
He pushed back strongly against claims that the original $10 million allocation could have been untouched between 2016 and 2018, noting that the World Bank does not operate that way.
“You can’t say you got $10 million in 2016, and it was still intact by 2018. The World Bank doesn’t operate like that. Funds are disbursed based on project milestones,” he explained. “By the time we took over, that money had dropped to about $4 million.”
Hilton then posed a rhetorical question to challenge the current administration’s claims: “The question is – where did the extra money come from for a $12.5 million pipe contract when you only had $10 million? It was our administration that went out and hustled for the $30 million. That’s what you’re using now.”
He warned against political grandstanding and called on the Boakai administration to begin crafting its own legacy, instead of claiming achievements made under President Weah.
So far, more than 400 of the 1,670 heavy-duty 48-inch pipes procured for the project have already arrived in Liberia from China, with the remainder expected in batches over the coming months. However, the unfolding political tug-of-war over credit continues to threaten public perception of what is otherwise seen as a crucial investment in the country’s fragile water infrastructure.
Once completed, the upgraded pipeline will significantly increase the volume of water available to Monrovia. The project is expected to be completed by October 31, 2025.
