MONROVIA – A National Executive Committee Member of the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Senator Saah H. Joseph, has outlined the reasons for his decision to bring about 20 buses into the country to ease the high cost of transportation amid poor services provided by the National Transit Authority (NTA).
By Obediah Johnson
Senator Joseph, who serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Executive, represents the people of Montserrado County in the 54th National Legislature. He is currently seeking re-election in the upcoming October 10 presidential and legislative elections.
The NTA, established in 2009, is responsible for providing affordable, convenient, and reliable mass transit services to the people of Liberia. Initially known as the Monrovia Transit Authority (MTA), it was formed in 1977 as a department of the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) to cater to the transportation needs of Monrovia residents.
It can be recalled that the Managing Director of the NTA, Herbie McCauley, recently informed members of the Senate Committee on Transport that the entity was facing numerous challenges due to several factors, including the cancellation of its contract with the state-owned University of Liberia (UL).
He claimed that the contract was terminated and signed with Senator Saah Joseph to transport students to and from the Fendall campus of UL.
According to him, the NTA was generating $18,000 from the deal before the cancellation. McCauley emphasized that the agency has been “put out of business” as a result of the situation and remains faced with numerous challenges, including the failure of authorities at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to release the $2.1 million allocated in the current fiscal budget for the NTA.
However, when he appeared as a guest on state-owned radio ELBC on Monday, September 11, Senator Joseph pointed out that his decision to procure buses was intended to help alleviate the constraints that Liberians, especially ordinary citizens and students, were facing in commuting from one place to another.
He observed that his actions were being misconstrued by the authorities of the NTA and other members of the public.
He disclosed that he procured and purchased about 20 fairly used buses from the United States, which were shipped and turned over to Montserrado County Superintendent Florence Brandy to address the challenges that Liberians were facing in the transportation sector.
Out of the total number of buses brought into the country, he disclosed that about 10 were given to the University of Liberia (UL), with the understanding that the university would be responsible for their maintenance and provide fuel for transporting students.
He said additional buses were also providing services by commuting citizens to and from Ganta, Nimba County, for just L$400, while others were charging about L$1000.
Senator Joseph maintained that although he procured and shipped several ambulances and medical supplies to Liberia during the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in 2014 while serving as an opposition lawmaker, he was never criticized by officials of the Unity Party (UP)-led government and others at that time.
He wondered why he is facing criticism for similar actions in the CDC-led administration, particularly from those who previously served in the past regime.
“When I brought those buses, I told the Superintendent let’s help make Montserrado County great. I wish I was making money from those buses as claimed by people. I did not break any law for bringing those buses to Liberia. During your government, I did not play politics with the lives of the people. It was ok for me to bring in ambulances at that time to save lives, but now you are saying it is wrong,” Senator Joseph stated.
Senator Joseph used the occasion to disclose that despite his pro-bono services rendered by him and his team during the Ebola virus outbreak, he was made to pay taxes for bringing in the ambulances and other medical supplies.
He noted that he also paid similar taxes to the CDC-led government to bring in the buses for use by Liberians.
He added that authorities of Guaranty Trust (GT) bank were ordered to transfer his $48,000, allocated by the government for a vehicle, toward part of the payment for the shipping of the buses.
“I took the buses to the Superintendent and turned them over with all the documents. I am only responsible for servicing these buses and paying the drivers, which I did three days ago. I cannot sleep or rest because there are many challenges in Montserrado County.”
He estimated the total cost of servicing the buses and ordering spare parts on an annual basis to be $200,000.
Senator Joseph claimed that his presence in the government is not to enrich himself at the expense of the citizenry but to provide the requisite services to help reduce the numerous challenges they face daily.
He urged critics and others to see his representation at the National Legislature as a “blessing” to Liberia and its citizens, instead of engaging in negative criticisms during this electioneering period.
“We brought in those buses because the cost of transportation was high. People were fighting and facing hard times due to the lack of transportation. UL students were going on strike regularly, so we had to do something to address it. These are the issues for which we brought the buses,” Senator Joseph emphasized.
He clarified that the LD$50 charge on the buses he donated is a minimum and reasonable amount that can be afforded by ordinary citizens.
He denied reports in the public that he signed a contract with the Ministry of Public Works for the rehabilitation of roads in various communities, stating that he does not own a construction company and has not signed any such contract.
Senator Joseph indicated that he purchased a few pieces of road equipment to address the deplorable road conditions in communities. He disclosed that community dwellers and others normally fuel these earth-moving equipment to improve their communities instead of waiting for the government to do everything.
According to him, the availability of his equipment in various communities across Montserrado County is saving the government about $20 million annually.
“I don’t have a company doing road construction; I only have some equipment. The Ministry of Public Works has not given me a cent to rehabilitate or construct any road in Montserrado. In fact, the Minister, when she appeared before the Senate, said there were a few companies that did not perform. She did not say that I owe a company.”
“People lied about me. Saah Joseph does not have any contract with the government. Public Works did not even give me any contract to construct a bridge. The bridge that I am constructing in Clay Ashland is on our own. We are doing this not because other people went there and promised that they were going to do the bridge and they failed, no. We are doing it because our people are challenged,” Senator Joseph explained.
Additionally, Senator Joseph pointed out that he plans to bring 10 garbage trucks into the country to ensure that Monrovia and other parts of Montserrado are clean. He observed that Monrovia has often been considered filthy, and the garbage trucks will help change the negative stereotype of the capital.
Despite the criticisms and accusations, he vowed to remain focused on finding solutions to the significant problems affecting Liberia and its citizens, particularly the youth.
For nearly two years now, the NTA has been ineffective and inefficient in carrying out its assigned statutory tasks and responsibilities.
Many of the buses intended for public transportation services are grounded, impeding the movement of people.
Citizens are forced to pay exorbitant transportation fares to private commercial vehicle drivers due to the situation.
During the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2015, the NTA received 20 buses as a gift from the Turkish government. However, the current management claims that they inherited only 15 operational buses from the previous government. Additionally, the NTA received a donation of 45 buses from the Government of India through its former Honorary Consul General to Liberia, Mr. Upjit Singh, making a total of approximately 60 functioning buses in the NTA’s possession.
Despite the significant number of buses, the availability of these vehicles for providing affordable transportation services to the Liberian people remains scarce. Sources within the organization suggest that almost all of the donated buses are currently out of service, severely impacting the NTA’s ability to generate revenue for its operations and meet its financial obligations, including employee salaries and contractor payments.
Financial challenges also plague the NTA, as it has accumulated significant debts to its service providers. Recently, the Debt Court ordered the closure of the NTA for allegedly owing Thunder Bird Corporation $105,202.33 for lubricant supplies. The court directed the seizure and potential sale of NTA assets and interests, with the Managing Director, Herbie McCauley, being held accountable. The court’s order has yet to be implemented, and it is unclear whether the matter has been resolved through other means.
There have been allegations of irregularities within the NTA, including the unilateral replacement of the former Comptroller by Mr. McCauley, who is accused of requesting funds generated from the buses to be delivered to his residence instead of the NTA compound. These leaked recordings prompted an investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC). He reportedly replaced the NTA’s former Comptroller with his close confidante Anthony Roberts.
