MONROVIA – Sabastian Collins, the man at the center of the allegation of receiving over US$400,000 contract with the National Road Fund for the purpose of conducting an Annual Quality and Status Review has no family ties with the Minister of Public Works, Madam Ruth Cooker Collins.
By Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
It has been alleged that the Public Works Minister gave the contract to Mr. Sabastian Collins of Belco Group, Inc., who was alleged to have been the brother to the husband of the Public Works Minister.
However, FrontPageAfrica has been able to establish that Sabastian Collins and the Works Minister’s husband have no family relations, as he, Sabastian, hails from Maryland County while the Minister’s husband hails from Gbarpolu County, sources familiar with Sabastian told FrontPageAfrica.
“The two are not in any way related, and whoever said they’re related does not know anything about Sabastian,” a source familiar with Sabastian said.
FrontPageAfrica contacted Mr. Sabastian Collins to confirm his alleged family ties with the Works Minister, but he failed to comment despite several calls and text messages sent to him up to press time.
When contacted for comments on whether or not she was aware of the contract, Minister Collins told FrontPageAfrica that she never heard of any such contract until she was informed that it was being discussed on Spoon Talk.
She emphasized that she had never heard of any Sabastian Collins and that he is no relative to her husband, who was wrongly referenced by Spoon Talk.
“The National Road Fund awarded the contract, not the Ministry of Public Works. I only saw a copy of that contract when I decided to follow up on the allegation because it took me by surprise that someone would say I gave my husband contracts and paid him upfront, which is absolutely untrue,” she said.
Minister Collins sternly advised SPOON Network and the hosts of the SPOON Talkshow and journalists in the country to adhere to the ethical standards of the profession, emphasizing accuracy, fairness, and balance. She criticized SPOON TV for neglecting professional journalism when disseminating information, suggesting a possible motive. She highlighted that a simple effort to reach out to her, her husband, or the mentioned Sabastian Collins could have clarified any potential familial ties.
“I urge them and all journalists to exercise due diligence when broadcasting or publishing allegations that could impact the hard-earned reputation of individuals. What was said about me lacked professional scrutiny and is completely untrue,” she said.
The contract, a copy of which FrontPageAfrica has obtained, is a consultancy agreement between the National Road Fund (NRF) and BELCO Group Inc. to conduct quality assurance and review of all road projects funded through the NRF for the periods of FY2020/2021, Special Budget Year 2021, and Budget Year 2022. The three-month contract was signed on August 18, 2023, to November 20, 2023.
The contract was signed by the CEO of the NRF, Mrs. Joseta Neufville-Wento, Sabastian Collins, Managing Director of Bleco Group, Inc., reviewed by Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel Tweah, and attested by the Minister of Justice Cllr. Frank Musa Dean.
FrontPageAfrica contacted Mrs. Neufville-Wento to ascertain whether or not the Minister of Public Works was aware of the contract, but she failed to provide comments up to press time.
According to the contract, the overall objective of the Annual Quality and Status Review is to provide analytical observations on the past performance and subsequently make operational and strategic recommendations for projects in the 2023 and 2024 years.
The contract agreement further asserts, “Based particularly on relevance and substantiality, the National Road Fund Office will assess whether or not to continue to support after the project period. If support should be continued, the National Road Fund will present justification for it and make initial recommendations on its scope and size.”
The Annual Quality and Status Review are also expected to enable the competent authorities and the main stakeholders to evaluate whether the chosen approaches for the various projects’ implementation are sustainable, effective, and enhance local ownership benefits. It shall provide useful information to stakeholders to enhance recommendations for future actions and possible modifications in the project set-up, design objectives, and implementation, among others.