By Bill W. Cooper
The Roberts International Airport (RIA) seems disorganized more on accountability issue as barely a month in office, US$ 150 is being disbursed daily on transportation for the new Officer-In-Charge (OIC), Massaquoi M. Kamara,
OIC Kamara, himself has failed to justify the spending of daily expense for the vehicle but said he needs transport to and from work because the entity does not expect him to walk or be convey in commercial vehicle to or from work.
Kamara also admitted that though office furniture was procured for his office, he had thought that, that office was fully furnished since it was not dormant before his ascendency but he was not aware how much was used to purchase the furniture.
Kamara was nominated as OIC of the RIA by President Joseph Boakai on February 1, 2024, with hope to improve the working conditions of the RIA which has been engulfed with numerous challenges in recent years.
Upon taking office, Kamara met with employees of the RIA and assured them of President Boakai’s commitment to improving the entity and meeting the needs of the users and employees of the airport.
Prior to his engagement with staff, Kamara also had a lengthy discussion with senior staffers of the airport on improving the sector and mitigating some of the challenges currently confronting workers and RIA.
He also, on behalf of the entity, received a new fire truck (The Panther 6×6, built by Rosenbeuar, based in Austria) to be used by airport after a long stay at the Freeport of Monrovia.
The RIA is a crucial institution in the country and as such, any instances of corruption or mismanagement could have serious implications for the safety and efficiency of planes coming to and leaving Liberia.
According to information, the OIC has been under scrutiny for his extravagant spending habits and lack of transparency in his financial dealings with just 23 days in office but Kamara denied giving approval of any of the expenditures.
Kamara disclosed that the entity is still renting a vehicle for him while the vehicles for the Director and Deputy are being parked; all in deplorable condition but he had wished that they could have one repaired so he could use for work purpose because even the one being rented is not to his comfort.
With the issues of lack of accountability and transparency which are wrapped in corruption and mismanagement at the RIA, staff, stakeholders, and the citizenry eagerly awaiting an audit at the RIA or a thorough investigation.
Kamara who had just taken over that entity denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the expenses were done by the procurement unit of the RIA without his knowledge as OIC in terms of dollars and cents but admitted that he was shown the different kinds of furniture from which he picked for his office while regarding the vehicle, he only made request for vehicle and was assigned one that is best to be used on rural roads.
Even though Kamara said the spending was necessary for the efficient operation of the RIA, he failed to take responsibility and provide detailed documentation or funds used for the purchasing of his office furniture.
This, he stressed, “I never authorized the spending of any funds to buy me chair or whatsoever for me to start work. I went to the office and realized there was no chair for me to even sit and work on that Monday.”
“So, because of the embarrassment and the fact that I needed to do my work, the staff of the entity then decided to purchase those items, for which I came to work the next day and saw the office fixed and ready for work.
I was never told how they spent or where the money came from because that was not my concern. My concern was to get a functional office to enable me do the Liberian people’s job,” he said.
Appearing on the Spoon Talk on Spoon FM over the weekend, the RIA OIC also clarified that he never instructed or told the Airport management to rent any car for him as being speculated or reported.
Kamara asserted, “It is just unfortunate that people will not get the fact before spewing out lies. When I was nominated by the President, I had my personal vehicle which I was using daily but later got damaged due to the road.”
“So, it was at which time the staff informed me that only two vehicles were available for the Airport, of which one was for the Director and one for his Deputy, but unfortunately, they were down and could not move or even start.
And at that point, they later told me that they were going to find alternative to enable me go to work because I am living way in Paynesville. So, the following I went to work, I was then given the new car,” he explained.
Kamara furthered, “I never knew that the car was rented at first but it was later on I was told by management that they are renting the car daily to help ease my transportation burden, since, in fact, all of the cars were down.”
“And look Liberians, one thing you should understand is that the Airport is an institution which was running in my absence and as OIC, I came and met it running; so, all I could do was to observe and understand the system.
Yes, I agree that my TOR gives me as OIC the same power of the Director proper, utterly again, I couldn’t do anything upon taking over because the Airport has been running and functional before my arrival,” he added.
Kamara has accused some people from within the system of trying to undermine the leadership of President Joseph Boakai due to political reason/affiliation.
He wants employees of the entity to desist from being political, on grounds that elections are over, and they should focus on the growth and development of the country.
