By Grace Q. Bryant
The government has filed a lawsuit against Green Park Management in an effort to reclaim control of five public parks in Monrovia.
Announced by Minister of Information Jerolinmek Piah at the MICAT regular press briefing on October 29, the lawsuit seeks to terminate Green Park Management’s oversight of the parks.
The government argues that the parks, constructed using taxpayer funds, should be managed directly by state entities to ensure public accountability.
Minister Piah further explained that the lawsuit stems from findings of a General Auditing Commission (GAC) audit, which reviewed the management practices and selection process surrounding Green Park.
According to him, in the GAC’s report, Green Park Management was established on August 23, 2023, and was awarded the management contract just nine days later, on September 1, 2023.
The government claims this rapid assignment to a newly formed entity contravenes financial and procurement best practices.
The audit highlighted that Green Park Management had no prior experience managing parks or similar projects, raising concerns about its capacity to handle large-scale public assets.
The GAC found that Green Park’s contract allowed it to retain a significant portion of any revenue generated from the parks, with minimal return to the public treasury, despite the parks being financed with public funds.
The five parks involved in the lawsuit include: Invincible Park in the Fish Market Community, Unification Park in the PHP Community, Survival Park in Doe Community, New Kru Town Park and West Point Park.
These parks were constructed under former President George Weah’s administration as part of a broader initiative to enhance public recreational spaces.
However, following their completion, management was transferred to the Monrovia City Corporation, which then entered into a 20-year contract with Green Park Management.
The GAC audit identified several issues with this process, citing potential conflicts of interest and a lack of transparency.
Green Park Management is privately owned, with a 60% share held by a shareholder and a 40% share held by an individual named Fauci.
Allegations within the audit suggest the company may have been created specifically to take advantage of the lucrative park management contract, given its lack of operational history prior to securing this bid.
Represented by the Ministry of Justice, the government argues that revenue generated from these parks should directly benefit the Liberian people.
The government aims to restructure the parks’ management to ensure transparency and enhance public benefit from these investments.
As the legal process ensues, the government has reiterated its commitment to responsible public asset management and adherence to best practices in financial governance.
In another development, Minister Piah disclosed that the Government of Liberia, alongside the Ministry of Agriculture and international partners, have launched a new $5 million project titled seeds for Liberia, aimed at building resilient seed systems within the agricultural value chain.
He emphasized that the project is funded by the European Union and led by Africa Rice, the initiative seeks to strengthen agricultural productivity and improve food security. Collaborating institutions include the Central Agriculture Research Institute, the National Fishery and Aquaculture Authority, and the Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority.
The initiative is expected to contribute significantly to Liberia’s agricultural sector, fostering long-term sustainability and resilience.
Meanwhile, Minister Piah has revealed that Liberia’s civil service recruitment has taken a transformative step with the establishment of a National Civil Service Testing Center, marking a significant shift towards a transparent, merit-based hiring process.
The computer-based testing facility replaces the former paper-based system, which was discontinued four years ago due to concerns about fairness and effectiveness.
The new center ensures a rigorous and standardized evaluation process, reducing opportunities for bias and procedural inconsistencies.
