Monrovia – The Executive Director of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), Mr. Ansu V. S. Dulleh Sr., and three senior staff members are accused of diverting donor and Government of Liberia funds after allegedly failing to attend the COP30 Climate Conference in Brazil, despite receiving sponsorship and Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) for the trip.

By Edwin G. Genoway, Jr., edwin.genoway@frontpageafricaonline.com 

FrontPage Africa has gathered information indicating that Mr. Dulleh and the three officials did not travel to Brazil for the high-level climate meeting, even though their participation was reportedly financed by donors and the Liberian government. Only the NDMA’s Head of Legal Affairs, Atty. Mrs. Ellen Ziah-Nimley, is confirmed to have attended the conference.

COP30, a major international summit on climate change and disaster risk reduction, was held at the Hangar Convention Centre in Belém, Brazil, from November 10 to November 21, 2025. The event brought together global leaders, policymakers, and heads of disaster management agencies to discuss climate adaptation, mitigation, and environmental protection.

Funds Allocated, No Travel

According to a whistleblower, Mr. Dulleh and his delegation were allocated travel funds and DSA to attend COP30. However, they allegedly failed to travel and have not returned the funds to the government.

FrontPage Africa gathered that these officials’ travel was funded  by the Government of Liberia through the NDMA budget. Mr. Dulleh himself was reportedly sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), while another official, Mrs. Roberts, was sponsored by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

Despite the multiple sponsorships, Atty. Ellen Ziah-Nimley was the only NDMA official who actually traveled to Brazil for the conference.

Climate of Fear at NDMA

Sources within the NDMA told FrontPage Africa that employees are afraid to speak openly about internal issues. One staff member, who requested anonymity, said:

“There are lots of things going on here at the NDMA, but we can’t speak about it because he always tells us that he’s untouchable due to the role his party played in bringing the current government to power. He feels entitled to the job and says the NDMA is his party slot.”

Another source alleged that Mr. Dulleh frequently claims close ties to the presidency and runs the institution as though his word is final, creating a culture of fear among staff.

Political Ties and Growing Scrutiny

Mr. Dulleh serves not only as Executive Director of NDMA but also as Chairman of the All Liberia Coalition Party (ALCOP), one of the political parties that backed President Joseph Nyumah Boakai during the 2023 elections. Following President Boakai’s victory, Mr. Dulleh was appointed to head the NDMA.

Since his appointment, several allegations of corruption and mismanagement have been leveled against him, yet he has remained in office.

ALCOP itself has been rocked by internal disputes. Some party members have accused Mr. Dulleh of weak leadership, alleging that he failed to secure legislative seats for the party in the 2023 elections and did not provide transparent financial reports. A group identifying itself as “concerned partisans” has publicly demanded his resignation, accusing him of mismanaging party funds.

Calls for Suspension

The allegations at NDMA have drawn national attention. Civil society groups, including the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations of Liberia (COCSOL), have called on President Boakai to suspend Mr. Dulleh.

In an August 3, 2025 press release, COCSOL disclosed that the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and the General Auditing Commission (GAC) placed Mr. Dulleh under investigation in March 2025 over alleged corruption and mismanagement of disaster response funds. The Liberian Senate has also reportedly reviewed aspects of the allegations.

Despite the ongoing investigations and public pressure, Mr. Dulleh has neither been suspended nor removed from office—fueling claims by critics that he is politically “untouchable.”

No Response from NDMA Boss

Before publishing this report, FrontPage Africa contacted Mr. Dulleh to offer him the opportunity to respond to the allegations.

A professional inquiry was sent via text message outlining claims that he and members of his delegation received sponsorship and DSA for COP30 but failed to attend. Follow-up calls and messages were sent on December 8 and December 9, 2025.

As of the time of publication, Mr. Dulleh had not responded to FrontPage Africa’s inquiries, and no confirmation has been received that the alleged funds were refunded.

MONROVIA – The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) of Liberia, through its Executive Director Henry Williams, has expressed fear that the outbreak of a potential conflict during this electioneering period would increase the growing wave of unpredicted disasters across the country.

By Obediah Johnson

Liberians are expected to go to the polls on Tuesday, October 10 to elect their new leaders, according to a timetable released by the National Elections Commission (NEC).

Speaking to Reporters in Monrovia on Tuesday, October 3, Mr. Williams observed that despite the efforts being applied by local and international partners, disasters may get worse in Liberian society.

He said though fire and flood were the most prevalent disasters being attended to by the agency, conflict has added to the list.

“Since this year, we have been having a series of serious disasters and we have been trying to cope, but disasters are either man-made or natural. Sometimes they are hard to predict and prevent. We want to caution because in our priority area, we have issues that we look at to be very important like flood, fire, and windstorm. But now, conflict has added there. We know what happened in Lofa and two persons died.”

Mr. Williams said Liberians should refrain from activities that would lead to conflict as part of efforts to curtail the increase in disasters.

According to him, conflict is very destruction when it occurs on a larger scale.

He said citizens and others would lose their lives and properties as a result of conflict, thereby imposing severe suffering on vast majority of the citizenry.

“Conflict results to displacement and what we have seen in Lofa, conflict results to deaths. So, we want to bring all of these issues to the public to make them to be cautious that yes, disaster is a serious issue and it needs to be taken care of.”

He, however, failed to disclose whether or not the NDMA is fully prepared to respond to disasters arising from conflicts during this electioneering period.

“Disaster cannot be handled by one entity or even one government. What is happening now around the world, countries are partnering. So, we are looking for partners to help because single government cannot. The activities that happened are unpredicted and you cannot determine the magnitude by even your budgetary allocation. For conflict, I will not say we have what it takes, but when it comes to conflict resolution, we have the joint security that we are also part of. It’s a joint intervention to take care of the conflict. We want conflict not to even occur because, it is expensive to control.”

High magnitude of disasters

Speaking further, Mr. Williams disclosed that several citizens, including women and children have lost their lives as a result of fire or flood incidents in Montserrado County.

In Maryland, he reported that a house collapsed, leading to the deaths of seven persons.

Mr. Williams disclosed that the agency is presently assessing the situation in Maryland to make an intervention.

He stressed that disaster management is not a “cheap area to take care of”, and as such, government and its partners should see the need to provide adequate support to the agency.

He said though the agency remains grateful to the government and others including the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the ECOWAS Commission, the Saudi government, more support needs to be provided to the agency to tackle and curtail disasters.

Mr. Williams called on citizens to brace themselves and get prepare or take measures to prevent disasters due to climate change and other natural occurrences.

He maintained that that it would be problematic if the requisite support is not provided to prevent and manage disasters in Liberia.

“What is happening in terms of the loss of lives (as a result of disasters), the magnitude is getting higher and this is an issue that we have not predicted. This year, those that are affected by floods are almost surpassing the 100,000 mark. Montserrado bears the most of the problem but equally so, other counties have been affected.”

“If you look at the gravity of the flood situation or disasters, it is a little drop in the budget. So, we are calling on partners, the private sector to intervene. The flooding and fire situations are grave. The agency needs adequate support for us to be able to tackle these problems. Let’s know that when disaster takes place, people suffer and we that are intervening or responding will also suffer.”

He used the occasion to also commend international partners and other local governmental organizations, including the Ministries of Public Works, Mines and Energy, Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Reintegration Commission (LRRRC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), among others for putting in place preventive and mitigation methods to address the increase in disasters.

Take precautionary measures

Meanwhile, Mr. Williams has called on Liberians and foreign residents to prioritize mitigation measures before purchasing parcels of land or constructing their homes.

He said some environments may appear conducive for habitation during the dry season, but those same areas may be deplorable during the rainy season.

He emphasized that some disasters cannot be prevented due to geographical changes, but however, citizens residing in flooded slum communities should always prepare for disasters.

“When building your house, use the best of electrical mechanism that will not affect you. On the market there are items that may not have the quality and they are used. If you know that flooding is always in your area, prepare for that. Pack your things on the higher level, instead of them being on the lower level.”

Mr. Williams, however, disclosed that the NDMA has put in place measures, including the airing of jingles and leaflets to raise awareness in the communities to help curtail disasters in Liberia.

Monrovia – The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), has initiated a three-day training program for school teachers and education stakeholders. The aim is to integrate disaster risk reduction and management into the school curriculum in Liberia.

By Jaheim T. Tumu

The training seeks to enhance the capacity and knowledge of teachers and educators in Liberia, enabling them to effectively incorporate Disaster Risk Reduction and Management principles into the school curriculum.

During her opening remarks, ECOWAS Resident Representative Madam Josephine Nkrumah emphasized the vulnerability of the sub-Saharan region to various hazards. Liberia, known as one of the wettest countries, faces natural risks such as floods, sea erosion, and storms, making it susceptible to hydro-meteorological hazards and natural disasters.

Madam Nkrumah explained that ECOWAS is currently implementing an action plan with a priority focus on education, training, research, and technology programs related to disaster management. She highlighted that this training will provide a platform for national stakeholders to discuss how educational policies, planning, and programs can enhance the resilience of children, youth, schools, communities, and the entire education system. This comprehensive approach to school safety and social cohesion will empower schoolchildren to understand, prepare for, and proactively address challenges within the African context.

Madam Nkrumah emphasized, “Integrating disaster risk reduction into the education sector is a cost-effective measure to mitigate the long-term impact of disasters. It prepares each new generation by incorporating disaster preparedness into the formal learning process.” She further stressed the importance of raising awareness in the school community, which leads to the construction of safer school buildings that can protect the lives of students, teachers, and school officials during disasters. These buildings often serve as safe shelters during such events.

She concluded by saying, “To increase awareness of disaster risk reduction, consolidate intervention efforts, and establish a foundation for long-term risk reduction, it is crucial to start raising awareness among future generations, especially school children and students in general.”

NDMA Executive Director, Henry O. Williams, expressed gratitude to ECOWAS for its genuine partnership in ensuring continued cooperation with the government. He outlined the program’s objective, which is to equip participants with the skills and resilience needed to address disasters effectively.

“We aim to build the capacity of teachers and administrators in disaster risk reduction within schools, enabling them to assist students,” he stated.

In a brief remark, the Secretary-General of the Liberia National Red Cross Society, Gregory T. Blamoh, urged participants to view this training as a valuable tool to make a difference. He emphasized the importance of preventing disasters rather than allowing them to occur.

With these corrections and improvements, the news story is more polished and easier to understand.