Monrovia – Records from the Ministry of Finance Development Planning (MFDP) show that More than Me (MTM) is operating illegally currently in Liberia.
Reported by Bettie K. Johnson-Mbayo, [email protected]
Raymond Ziama, Assistant Director for NGO Coordination at the MFDP says MTM accreditation expired April 17, 2018.
A new application was done in the same month but documents required have not been presented up to date, according to Ziama.
“The last time we provided accreditation was April last year so it means that their accreditation is expired and they reapply for renewal of accreditation, but there are certain requirements you are to meet, that include your financial and activity report; if your expenditure exceeds US$50,000, according to your PFM law, you have to provide an audit statement,” Ziama said.
He added that before renewal of accreditation, the agency must have a valid business registration certificate.
According to Ziama, if the required documents are submitted, a background check is done before accreditation is the issue.
He said though MTM applied this year they have not submitted any requirement for accreditation so their file it is still pending and “We have not acted on the accreditation.”
MTM is one of few schools is accredited by the Ministry of Education (MoE) as a private school providing free education to the most vulnerable girls in West Point and Central Monrovia aged 5-16 in grades K-6.
NGO policy guidelines state that NGOs seeking re-accreditation should provide a letter of request.
Section 6.1.1 of the policy further states that applications for re-accreditation are to be submitted within three months prior to the expiry of the current
The policy says failure to apply for and obtain re-accreditation within six months following the expiration date of the accreditation, the concerned NGO shall lose its rights to operate as an NGO in Liberia.
Though it is over five months since MTM accreditation expired, the MFDP has not officially informed MTM about their failure submit requisite documents.
MTM is an American charity founded in 2009 by Katie Meyler to help get girls from the streets of West Point and offer them education.
The NGO has come under intense pressure over the last few weeks after an investigative report exposed how some of the girls recruited into the scholarship program were beings sexually abused by a staff responsible for recruitment, McIntosh Johnson, and infecting them with HIV.