Liberia: US Sanctions Against McGill Manifesting?

The Minister of Public Works’ open confession on Capitol Hill that East International Construction Company (EICC), a company contracted by the government to do an expansion of the ELWA-RIA highway, is technically and financially incapacitated to execute the task, validates what the obvious.

Minister Ruth Coker-Collins’ revelation of the incapacity of the company, made during a senate Public Works Committee hearing, did not come as a surprise to many Liberians as skepticisms over the capabilities of the company,  which has been linked to the former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel McGill, to execute the contract had been in the public glare for a while.

“We have realized that East International does not have the technical capacity to do the RIA road, and there is a need for stakeholders’ dialogue towards a possible review of the contract,” the minister said. “The revision of the contract by stakeholders should also ensure the Ministry is signatory to the account of the road project, in order to ascertain how much is being spent on the construction.”

McGill, according to available information, has a share in East International and, based on that, he allegedly influenced  the procurement process, for which he was sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasures.

But McGill and EICC General Manager, Jakona Kelvin Buima, have since denied this claim.

The former minister was a very powerful official during his time in the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government with many referring to him as the ‘de-facto president’ and ‘Prime Minister’ of the Liberian government.

But McGill’s fate encountered a sad chapter on August 15, when the US Treasury designated him and two other top officials for sanctions, for their involvement in what the US termed as ongoing public corruption here.

The other officials were former Solicitor General, Sayma Syrenius Cephus, and the National Port Authority Managing Director, Bill Twehway. All three resigned after immense public pressure.

In its sanction notes, the US government noted that during his tenure in government, McGill bribed business owners, received bribes from potential investors, and accepted kickbacks for steering contracts to companies in which he has an interest.

He was also accused of manipulating public procurement processes in order to award multi-million dollar contracts to companies in which he has ownership interests, including by abusing emergency procurement processes to rig contract bids.

“McGill is being designated as a foreign person who is responsible for or complicit in, or who has directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts, the extraction of natural resources, or bribery,” the US government said.

McGill is credibly accused of involvement in a wide range of other corrupt schemes including soliciting bribes from government office seekers and misappropriation of government assets for his personal gain. “He has used government funds allocated to other Liberian government institutions to run his projects, made off-the-books payments in cash to senior government leaders, and organized warlords to threaten political rivals.”

With the sanction, the US government may have clipped the wings of the company, which was contracted to upgrade the nation’s foremost highway that leads to a crucial national gateway, the Roberts International Airport. This project has the total cost of US$94.5 million that is allocated in three major segments. The civil works, with the actual construction valued at US$80 million; design and supervision cost, valued at US$7 million; and the management and resettlement action plan, valued at US$7.5 million. The length of the road is 45km or 27.8 miles.

The stalling of the RIA road then, which coincided with McGill’s fall from grace, has led to many believing that the reasons for the sanctions are gradually manifesting.

“Nathaniel McGill is out, and East International is reported to be incapable of doing the RIA road. This is a glaring manifestation of the rationale behind the US government’s sanction,” said a Senator who asked for anonymity on grounds that consultations are being made with others to decide the fate of the company soon.

 “His influence has been winding since he left government so all of his influences and interests are dying along with him. If no one ever believed that McGill was the backbone of that bogus company and he manipulated others to have such a huge contract given to East International, then I don’t know what more we need to see.”

“I don’t want to undercut my friends that I’m working with on this matter but we will be coming out very strong on this matter soon,” the Lawmaker said. “Those who are questioning the truthfulness of the US government’s actions against McGill and the others now need to open their eyes.”

The East International began raising eyebrows when it began to get other major contracts under the George Weah-led administration including the 45km RIA Highway.

The design of the road takes into consideration many factors, including population density, social activities, and the topography, which led the highway into different sections. The new road, when completed, will have a toll location, which is the Junk River Bridge.”

The framework calls for the project to be executed into three lots which include: 1) from Roberts International Airport to Junk River Bridge; 2) from Junk River Bridge to ELWA junction; and; 3) the construction of the Junk River Bridge and the upgrading of the existing bridge.

The RIA road is a project that is long overdue because of the safety hazards presented by its narrowness and darkness. The RIA Highway has been a death-trap since it was built in the 1940’s, during World War Two. In the 70 years of its existence, it has claimed the lives of thousands of unfortunate passengers, both Liberians and foreigners alike.

Meanwhile, the US government sanction, which subsequently led to McGill’s resignation has McGill fielding his political options through lavish scholarship and other seemingly benevolent schemes across multiple counties, including Margibi County, where he currently resides.