The Civil Society Network of Liberia (CSNL) is seriously drawn to information by panelists on Spoon TV show that Public Works Minister, Ruth Coker-Collins, awarded over US$250,000 road contract to her husband in a bid to fund his representative campaign.
They further accused Minister Coker-Collins of corrupting the road fund with the intent of enriching her family.
The Civil Society Network of Liberia sees Spoon TV podcast against the Minister as a blatant lie and dangerous campaign to undermine her laudable achievements and positive performance rating.
“Firstly, we like to state in emphatic terms that contrary to claims by that Minister Coker-Collins and her husband were poor and had nothing, the couple were well established before she took on the Public Works job,” the civil society network asserts.
According to the group, based on the quality education the coupe acquired, Madam Coker-Collins and her husband have had great jobs with fabulous incomes far before her ascendancy to Minister of Public Works.
They explained that as CEO of a construction company called Tabitha Renaissance Engineering and Design Incorporated, Madam Ruth Coker-Collins undertook several contracts during the regime of former President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, including a US$500,000 contract to construct drainage systems in Clara Town and its surroundings; a contract awarded by the National Housing Authority for the construction of the housing units in Brewerville, and the renovation of the Minister’s floor at the Ministry of Finance &Development Planning under the Administration of former Minister, Boima Kamara.
The Civil Society Network of Liberia said its investigation also revealed that the husband of Minister Coker-Collins, Luther Samby Collins, worked with the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA) as Food Aid Manager for WFP programs.
He also served as Logistics Officer for the UN mission in Liberia, and as expatriate with the UN Mission in Dafur, Sudan, with responsibility of over US$3millon for fleet management adding that the income acquired from these fabulous jobs enabled the Collins family to engage into many businesses and other humanitarian ventures. Notable among their businesses is a 200-acre rubber farm that is currently producing rubber for the world market.
The CSNL also clarified that Luther Collins started making interventions towards the people of Gbarpolu County as far back as 2014, when his wife was nowhere near a government job and that he was the first in the history of the county to provide boats for water transportation, and over L$2 million as village savings loans to hundreds of women; and said loan is currently ongoing.
“During the 2014 Ebola outbreak, he sacrificed his life by being on the front lines to provide financial and material support towards the fight against the menace in Gbarpolu County and so Spoon’s assertion is farfetched and misleading,” the group contended.
The Civil Society Network of Liberia strongly believes that Spoon is being used as a surrogate media network for individuals who see Minister Coker-Collins as a threat to their quest of becoming the next Minister of Public Works.
It is ridiculous that instead of using that media platform to preach peace and reconciliation, which can also be achieved through the involvement of all Liberians, Spoon panelists are using it to lie and blackmail hardworking public servants like Minister Coker-Collins.
