Filed in by Olando Testimony Zeongar – 0776819983/0880-361116/life2short4some@yahoo.com
Monrovia – In an apparent attempt to clarify rumors that outgoing Executive Director of the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC), James Dorbor Jallah was pressured into resigning, President George Weah has given contradictory accounts.
In a bid to harness efforts to spawn transparency in the public procurement practices and the granting of concessions, the Government of Liberia with the technical and financial support of the World Bank and other international partners prepared the Public Procurement and Concessions Act (Act or PPCA) of September 2005, which was amended in 2010.
The PPCA came into force on January 16, 2006 following the inauguration of the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf led government, with the PPCA thereby establishing the PPCC, which mandates include maximizing economy and efficiency in procurement, and obtaining best value for public expenditures; promoting economic development of Liberia; building capacity of officials and institutions in public procurement; Promoting competition and fostering participation in procurement proceedings and concession agreements by qualified suppliers, contractors and consultants.
Recently, reports of James Dorbor Jallah’s tenure expiration at the PPCC emerged, with rumors being rife also that he was pressured into resigning his post.
But speaking to journalists Friday when he cut ribbons at the dedicatory ceremony of the Bishop Michael Francis Road, formerly the Chuckie Taylor Road named in honor of former president Charles Taylor’s son Chuckie Taylor, in Oldest Congo Town leading onto Paynesville, while praising the outgoing procurement chief for his vital services rendered the nation, President Weah said at one point he (Dorbor Jallah) should rebid for the position and at another point, the Liberian leader stated clearly that Jallah had served the previous regime for 12 years in the same post, insinuating therefore, that now was the time for him to bid farewell to that job.
“…So if his tenure has expired, he has the responsibility to rebid, to reapply for him to get the job,” said President Weah, who hinted that the issue with Jallah’s tenure expiration is being politicized.
Howbeit, responding to a reporter’s inquiry as to what was his assessment of Jallah’s performance for the period he has served since he took over as president and whether his works at the PPCC would qualify him to be retained, President Weah said he intends to pursue his own vision, stating that as a man who had served the previous government in the same post he (President Weah) is of the thinking that Jallah was not the only qualify Liberian for the post.
The president’s response left many observers who spoke to Punch FM/TV Online Service on condition of anonymity to express the belief that Jallah will not be rehired by the Weah-led government in spite of his immense contributions at the PPCC, especially regarding his stance on upholding integrity at the entity over the years.
“For what I want to do is my own vision. He worked in a government for 12 years in the same position and it expired, I don’t think he’s the only citizen that has the knowledge of the PCC” [PPCC], President Weah said.
President Weah went on to say that under his regime, now was the time for new things, adding that Jallah should rather help in the development process of the country in other ways and in a different role, even suggesting that the outgoing PPCC boss returns to the class room where he once taught as a professor.
“So it’s time for new things, you know. He can help me… He taught the University of Liberia before – he’s a professor,” President Weah said.
Contrary to President Weah’s assertion that Jallah served the previous government for 12 years as executive director of the PPCC, a Punch FM/TV Online Service investigation has established that James Dorbor Jallah, a winner of an integrity award in 2018, was appointed to the post by the Board of Commissioners of the entity in August 2014.
His appointment, according to our investigation, followed a “competitive and transparent recruitment process” witnessed and certified by international organizations and institutions, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), GEMS, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
At the time of Jallah’s endorsement by the PPCC Board, the interview panel comprised the Liberia Institute of Public Administration (LIPA), Civil Service Agency (CSA), Governance Commission (GC), and the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC).
Out of 52 applicants, Jallah was one of 11 candidates shortlisted, and finally became the pick of the PPCC Board.
Famous for being morally upright and bluntly principle minded, Jallah was announced the winner of the 2018 edition of Integrity Idol Liberia—an initiative with the objective to highlight the efforts of public servants who, amidst widespread proclivity toward corrupt behavior, are serving with integrity.
He was awarded the 2018 Integrity Idol accolade for his honest, and responsible work ethics, in which he ensures standards even during challenging circumstances, according to organizers of the award, who noted that “He refuses to take bribes from anyone, even higher ups in the society.”
“We have a small country with a lot of resources. If we can all commit ourselves to doing the right thing, we will be able to make Liberia prosperous,” said Jallah at the time, while receiving his award at a colorful ceremony.
Jallah, who holds a Master of Arts degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at Zaragora, Spain, is credited with planning, supervising, and administering the 2013 entrance and placement examination of the state-run University of Liberia, whose final results sparked a national and international debate on the quality of the country’s educational system.
Following the conduct of the 2013 UL entrance and placement examination, Jallah was famously known for his stance not to back-down on the results that witnessed over 20,000 applicants flunking the public test.
Jallah also got another national applause for his roles in the investigation of the massive abuse of Liberia’s forest sector by logging companies through the Private Use Permits (PUPs) during President Jonson-Sirleaf reign.
The fraudulent acquisition of PUPs and the subsequent illegal logging activities being carried out at the time largely by international logging firms precipitated the setting up of an investigative panel by former president Johnson Sirleaf, who appointed Jallah to head the investigation during which he reportedly resisted all attempts to have him discontinue the probe, but ensured that those culpable were exposed and recommended to be penalized in accordance with Liberian law.
