Latest altercations at the Public Works Ministry between Roland Lafayette Giddings, the Minister-proper, and his Deputy for Technical Services, Prince Tamba, appear to be far from over as the both have expressed discontent of each other.
The controversy came to public attention when President Joseph Nyumah Boakai preferred Deputy Minister Prince Tamba to form part of his delegation to China for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Giddings, available details in the possession of Verity News including three separate communications, expressed displeasure of Tamba going with the President instead of him (Giddings) as Minister proper.
Although included on the trip as Tamba, Giddings is said to be feeling insecure working with Tamba as his deputy due to Tamba’s technical background as a career engineer. The Minister recently served Tamba a letter of warning due to what he termed as alleged “usurpation of functions and gross-insubordination”.
Tamba, an earner of a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering attended and graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, United States of America. He furthered his education at the same institute where he obtained his Master’s degree in Transportation engineering and construction engineering management from the same institute.
The Deputy Minister for Technical Service, returned home and enrolled at Cuttington University’s graduate school and professional studies where he earned two separate Master’s degrees in Finance and Economics in 201 and 2023 respectively.
Unlike Tamba, Giddings, on the other hand, is not a construction engineering expert. His academic credentials record in the possession of Verity contains that the Minister obtained a bachelor degree from the African United Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU) and a Master’s from Wuhan Institute of Technology and has been teaching management at both AMEU and the United Methodist University (UMU) in Monrovia.
Could the rising tension be attributed to the discrepancy in the both academic credentials and job experiences; more so that Minister Giddings is a marketing manager, a politician and lecturer rather than an expert in construction engineering?
The drama began when the Public Works Minister, on August 26, 2024 wrote the Ministry of Finance requesting the replacement of Tamba to travel with the President to China. He noted to the Finance and Development Planning Ministry that he (Giddings) was making the trip with President Boakai and other delegates instead of Tamba and as such, all travel allowances be allotted in his name.
“I present my compliments and herewith write in reference to a letter dated August 19 with reference #PDT-DMTS,MPW-RL/248/’24 resquesting an allotment in the tone of US$5,368.00 (Five thousand Three Hundred Sixty-Eight United States Dollars) as foreign DSA (daily sustenance allowance) and means of travel in favor of Deputy Minister for technical Services to accompany the President to attend the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, China from August 30, 2024 to September 8, 2024.
Kindly be informed that adjustment has been made in the travel arrangements, and Minister Roland Lafayette Giddings will be replacing Deputy Minister Tambah for the Forum mentioned above,” Giddings wrote Finance Ministry.
He assigned US$2,784 as foreign means of travel with the code of 221101, the amount of US$3,230 for foreign travel DSA with the code of 221102 and foreign travel incidental accounting for US$280. The grand total amounted to US$6,294 instead of US$5,368 as indicated in his letter to the Finance Ministry.
In the possession of Verity is copy of the letter dated August 15, 2024 and written by Sylvester Grisgby, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs in which he designated Deputy Minister Tamba to travel with the President; noting, however, that the cost of his travel was to be taken care of by Tamba’s Ministry’s foreign travel budget.
Having been informed of Giddings’ disapproval of Tamba making the trip, Minister Grisgby wrote the Public Works Minister letting him know of the President’s executive powers to decide on whoever he feels comfortable traveling with him to anywhere.
“Please be reminded that it is the President’s prerogative to invite whoever he wants included on his delegation. You and Deputy Minister Tamba are hereby approved to attend the 2024 FOCAC Summit.
Giddings, beyond his expression of anger that Tamba poses a gross-insubordination posture, fears that his deputy’s appointment must have been necessitated by nepotism and tribalism, hence Tamba comes from the same tribal group to which President Boakai belongs.
A credible source from within the Ministry of Public works who has close proximity to both Tamba and Giddings informed Verity that there is fear that Tamba is preventing the Minister from making quick money for his personal benefits.
“The two are not on the same level. I see Tamba being more professional and knows his job compared to the Minister. This, I think is breeding this tension between the two,” the informer, name withheld, disclosed.
The source indicated that Giddings, having served at different levels, including deputy minister for administration from the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to George Weah and now President Boakai, knows a lot on how officials at the Ministry eat public money without any worry of punitive action. ‘We can’t talk all but it is embarrassing.”
Tamba, while on a local radio station recently noted that he supports the working goals of the Ministry and has nothing against Minister Giddings.
He denied any wrongdoing and stated his dedication to the Ministry’s objectives remain his top priorities.
“My focus remains steadfast on advancing the infrastructure projects critical to our nation’s development. The allegations of unproductive conduct are not only baseless but are also distractions from our real work,” Tamba said.
He acknowledged the critical challenges confronting the road sector of the country, especially during rainy season period. He noted that climate change has a great impact on the roads across the country, with water level on the rise. He reassured that his is and continuous to be actions that align with the Ministry’s standards and objectives.
Giddings, through a text message to Verity, noted that disagreement at any work place is normal but that would not stall the operations of the Ministry.
“We are focused on achieving our goals at the Ministry, especially during the dry season. There will always be disagreements, but that doesn’t surmount to conflict,” he responded through a text message on the impact of the ongoing impasse between him and his Deputy Minister for Technical Services as the Ministry has huge tasks at hand to construct roads and improve others paved but in deplorable conditions.
Liberia is among the least of countries in Africa and the world when it comes to good road network, according to ResearchGate.
“Road travel in Liberia can be hazardous. Potholes and poor road surfaces are common, making safe driving extremely challenging,” the research based think tank noted in its 2021 report.
The incident of top officials not agreeing with each other on issues and coming to public limelight is not unique to the Public Works Ministry as Abraham Kromah and Hassan Fadiga, suspended director and deputy director of the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) were the first who nearly got into a fist fight and could not agree with each other until the both were suspended for time indefinite by President Boakai.
