The Unity Party-led government, under the leadership of Joseph Nyuma Boakai, has moved the first batch of the controversial 285 heavy-duty trucks and pieces of earth-moving machinery to the BTC Barracks on Saturday from the Freeport of Monrovia.
The equipment is supposed to be distributed throughout Liberia’s 15 counties for feeder road maintenance and rehabilitation. It was imported into the nation through a tense deal with South African millionaire Robert Gumede.
When Mamaka Bility, the Deputy Minister of State Without Portfolio, revealed the proposal to import the equipment during a cabinet retreat in May, it sparked a scandal. During the three-day retreat, Minister Bility declared virtually that each county would receive nineteen pieces of equipment.
Bility stated, “The reason for bringing [the equipment] into the country is to promote the president’s vision of low-cost modern equipment for road maintenance. The plan is to have 19 pieces of earth-moving equipment in each county. We did this calculation with the help of Public Works Minister Lafayette Giddings.”
Despite the anticipated advantages, the deployment moved forward without following the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission’s guidelines for such a big concession or providing a detailed explanation of the agreement with the billionaire from South Africa.
A few weeks ago, Minister Bility, Public Works Minister Roland Lafayette Giddings, and Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Sylvester M. Grigsby attended the virtual transfer of the equipment. Xu Ming, Senior Vice President of Sany Group, a Chinese multinational heavy equipment manufacturer, and Robert Gumede, Chairman of the Guma Group, a South African firm, attended the event. Robert Gumede emphasized Liberia’s connection with China and South Africa, while Xu Ming expressed his honor at being a part of the transfer.
Minister Bility emphasized the significance of the equipment’s arrival in Liberia, stating, “If you know the history of Liberia and the conditions of our roads, this is more than just turning machines over. This is changing the lives of our people completely. We are totally grateful.”
Robert Gumede, a South African billionaire and businessman, has been embroiled in several corruption scandals. These include allegations of bribery, fraud, and tender irregularities linked to government contracts. Notably, his company, Gijima, faced scrutiny for securing lucrative IT contracts under questionable circumstances. Reports have suggested that Gumede used his political connections to influence contract awards. Additionally, he has been accused of making illicit payments to secure business deals. Despite these allegations, Gumede has consistently denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the accusations are politically motivated and aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
According to reports, businessman Robert Gumede of South Africa has agreed to pay a signing fee for the exploration of Wologizi Mountain in Liberia through his company, Guma Group. The cost of the 285 pieces of earthmoving machinery, believed to be between $30 and $50 million, would be borne by the SANY Group in China. But the fact that there isn’t a legally binding contract for this expensive equipment has raised questions.
The unexplored mineral resource on the Wologizi Mountain has been left by the administrations of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and George Manneh Weah for future exploration, citing that they cannot give out all the country’s resources for concession now and leave nothing for the unborn generations of the Country. Gumede’s participation has generated intrigue, but there is also caution because of his reputation and the arrangement’s financial ramifications.
Liberian-born Emmanuel Orlind Cooper is an accomplished multimedia journalist with extensive experience covering news and stories on a variety of media platforms. Orlind's work frequently demonstrates his profound grasp of the region and its complexity, given his Liberian heritage.
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