MONROVIA – The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mr. Nathaniel Blama has been relieved of his post for an alleged act of fraud.
Report by Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
Blama who recently returned from a controversial suspension which began March this year unilaterally signed a US$20 million contract without the signatures of the Minister of Justice and Finance, according to the Executive Mansion.
But speaking to FrontPageAfrica, Dr. Blama insisted that he committed no crime by signing the agreement and did not commit any government asset.
According to him, it is a non-binding agreement signed on an environmental platform like all other environmental agreements which states that proceeds go the EPA for the use of environmental improvement in Liberia.
The contract was reportedly signed on March 7, 2020.
According to the Executive Mansion, Mr. Blama on March 7,2020 unilaterally signed a US$20m contract without the signatures of the ministers of justice and finance contrary to government established principles and procedures.
The Executive Mansion stated that investigation conducted by the ministry of justice established that Mr. Blama did not follow any government standard procedures regarding the selling of government of Liberia assets.
The contract, a copy of which FrontPageAfrica has obtained was signed between the EPA and CO2Bit Technologies, LLC, a company registered and incorporated in Florida, USA.
Mr. Blama signed on behalf of the Government of Liberia while Ronald J. Wilkins signed on behalf of CO2BIT LLC.
“It’s a platform like the Green Climate Fund, like the Adaption Fund, like the Global Environment Facility Fund – it’s the same kind of platform set up globally. We have had this discussion with the finance minister before, I’ve had the discussion with the Minister of State and they are aware.”
– Nathaniel Blamah
CO2BIT is part of an international dispersed group of technologists and philanthropists undertaking the oration and support of CO2Bit, a Shun Network Bashed Digital As set created as a mechanism to finance and promote the proliferation of sustainable carbon neutral energy generation projects and assets to enable evolving participation in global economy.
As per the agreement, the company shall award and the EPA shall acquire a future right to utilize CO2Bit coins as part of a finance mechanism within Liberia for the sole purpose of addressing climate change effects associated with declining CO2 sequestration within Liberia.
BITCoin shall award 5,000 CO2Bitcoin assets to the EPA. The company shall deliver the encrypted key associated with the CO2Bitcoins and any passwords or asset as well as any all other transaction documents.
As per the management, the EPA shall solely be responsible for the identification of climate mitigation activities and allocation of funds and shall appoint a management team which shall be responsible for the management of the funds raised from the award.
The agreement also states that the any proceed from the sale of CO2Bitcoins shall be distributed promptly to the climate change activities.
Blama: I Did No Wrong
In a telephone interview with Mr. Blama challenged the government to prosecute him with evidence if he did any wrong.
He had been in conversation with the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Mr. Nathaniel McGill and the Minister of Finance concerning the agreement and they both expressed optimism that it would be a fruitful agreement.
Mr. Blama told FrontPageAfrica that contrary to reports that he committed government’s resources in the agreement, he only stated that whatever proceeds that come out of the agreement would be used for environmental works.
“It’s a platform like the Green Climate Fund, like the Adaptation Fund, like the Global Environment Facility Fund – it’s the same kind of platform set up globally. We have had this discussion with the finance minister before, I’ve had the discussion with the Minister of State and they are aware,” he said.
He explained that he signed the agreement on March 8, though it was dated on March 7 before leaving for Switzerland where he later returned COVID-19 positive.
“I think it is just personal vendetta. For me, I’ll just thank the President for the opportunity to serve in his administration but I maintain I did nothing wrong and it is his will. We all work at the will and pleasure of the President, I hold no malice, no grudge; I served with diligence, my records are there and it proves it.”
– Dr. Nathaniel Blama, Dismissed head of the Environmental Protection Agency
“On April 4 they signed and sent me the scanned copy, I was in the hospital there was no way I could brief anybody about it. I came from the hospital, I made several attempts, I sent McGill texts that we’ve got these things going on and I need to bring you up to speed on it, nobody gave me audience,” he said.
He said on the Sunday following his reinstatement, he visited the Min. McGill at his home and briefed him on the agreement. According to him, Min. McGill read through the agreement and understood that the Liberian government was never committed in any way in the agreement.
“I said by December, this thing should reach maturity when it reaches maturity, there will be a transitory account set up at the Ministry of Finance so that this money can be transferred to the government and the government will decide what kind of environmental-related project we’ll implement,” he further explained.
He stated that the US$29 million endorsement he did for the defense project for New Kru Town was never signed by the Minister of Justice nor the Minister of Finance, noting that such is the case with environmental platforms.
He added: “I think it is just personal vendetta. For me, I’ll just thank the President for the opportunity to serve in his administration but I maintain I did nothing wrong and it is his will. We all work at the will and pleasure of the President, I hold no malice, no grudge; I served with diligence, my records are there and it proves it.”