“I will be glad and willing to work if the new government ask me to stay”Public Works Minister Ruth Coker Collins

January 18, 2024: Liberia’s Public Works Minister Ruth Coker Collins vowed to continue from where she stopped with her work once asked to maintain her position by the Joseph Nyumah Boakai administration.

“I will be willing to stay and maintain My positions once I am asked by the new government in order to continue from where I stopped”

Minister Ruth Coker Collins also hailed President George Weah for the confidence reposed in her to serve the Liberian people over the years.

“My appreciation to H. E. Dr. George Manneh Weah for his confidence reposed in me to serve his government on such crucial Ministry that drives his road agenda” She said.

She indicated that President Weah has over the years shown that he is a true leader with humility, who believes in potential people like her and he demonstrated that over the past years.

Speaking at a press conference recently in Monrovia providing deliverables while serving as Minister under the Weah led government, Minister Collins said the task to take over all the road projects as Minister has been a very huge and difficult one and there are lot of challenges that were faced by the Ministry but it still yield fruit.

Making reference to the ELWA road, Banjor road, Sanniquille roads amongst others at which some is 100% completed and the rest is nearing completion, with these roads and projects, She termed it as unwavering and uncompromising, stating that it has made a significant impact on the ministry.

In what was considered a farewell speech, Minister Ruth Coker Collins, revealed that She ran the Ministry in close consultation with her team mates.

She disclosed that despite the Ministry of Public Works being engaged with too many road projects, construction, but all of those challenges couldn’t have been sort out or solve by the Ministry within six years of her administration, including finance being one of the major challenge, COVID -19, climate change amongst others which also contributed in putting halt to most of the projects that were undertaken and later abandoned.

“While the Ministry of Public Works is heavily engaged with construction of roads, the Ministry could not sort out all of the challenges within six years of this administration. Key among those challenges was financial, the COVID pandemic and climate change situation also led to many projects being stalled and in some instances abandoned”.

According to her, their administration has made a great and positive impact since she took on as Minister, stating that she should be graded 100% by the Liberian people for her work done. “The Ministry of Public Works was able to pave the total of 400Km of roads from 2018 to 2023”.

Speaking about the allegations labeled, alleging US260,000 given to her Husband for road works, Minister Collins classified the allegations as misinformation and misleading which was aired by Stanton Witherspoon on his talkshow and she is also calling on the LACC to thoroughly look in to the matter and finalize the closure for good for the sake of her character and that of the society at large.

Going further, Minister Ruth Coker Collins stated that every contract signed has passed through the rank and file of every department that is signatory before reaching her being the last to sign, something she classified as transparency.

Making reference to the ongoing ELWA Road, she acknowledged that it will be completed within the first quarter of the year which is within three months.

As finishing touches are on-going in other areas relating to the construction of roads, bridges as well as the remaining components of the construction process, Minister Collins assured some projects that are at 95% of completion to be completed shortly.

Meanwhile the Public Works Minister Ruth Coker Collins is calling on the transitional government and her successor to employ more engineers in order to have a smooth and fast work of the construction work.

Also cautioning her successor to not sit behind his or her desk and give instructions but should rather go into the field to get the work done in a speedily manner.

Madam Coker-Collins has been serving the Ministry since her appointment and confirmation from 2018-2024.