By Alex Yomah
The confirmation of the Minister Designate, Ruth Coker-Collins revealed an easy ride for the nominee as the Liberian Senate committee on Public Works headed by Edwin Melvin Snowe showed sheer passion by dismantling all the walls created for entrapment.
Senator Snowe’s reservation in quizzing Minister-designate Collins showed a twist of thought when he had earlier told plenary that President George Weah should dismiss the Minister due to lack of confidence in her than keeping her as a proxy for over two years in the same position.
Senator Snowe’s assertions on Collins’ over-stay to act was reinforced by Sinoe County Senator, Milton Teahjay who is another ranking member of the Public Works Committee with other officials of the committee but to the dismay of many, the very committee members were witnessed withholding all the key questions observers believed would have been asked on the workings of the ministry in such open hearing instead they were all seen hailing the Minister-designate.
“Any question that you did not answer or have not responded to, you will respond to it in committee room shortly before your confirmation,” Senator Snowe concluded the hearing over the weekend.
The Minister-designate had gone to the Senate with a full detailed power-point presentation to show all of the roads she had constructed within her two years as Acting Minister as Senator Snowe and several other senators’ perception was that the roads being constructed were invisible.
In compliance with Article 54 of the Liberian Constitution, President George Weah nominated Acting Public Works Minister, Ruth Coker-Collins to replace Mabotu V. Nyanpan who died October 2020 after years of observation.
The late Nyanpan served as the CDC-led government first Minister for Public works having started a very good work was succeeded by Collins who then was the Deputy Minister for Technical Services and had acted since October to 2022 until her sequential appointment as Minister.
Minister-designate Collins in her brief respond to a question of her suitability for the position, in a clearer statement boasted of being qualified with wealth of experience stating that she is a very good team player; something she said was needed to achieve operational goal.
She emphatically vowed to triple her works as Minister when confirmed by the Liberian Senate and among other things, vowed to be forceful with the alleyway exercise, something she termed as challenging.
