“The Entity Lacks Infrastructure and Technical Capacity for Human Resource” Minister Nuetah Describes CARI’s Status
By: Matalay Kollie, Bong County correspondent, matalaykollie0@gmail.com
SUAKOKO: April 5, 2024-: The Minister of Agriculture J. Alexander Nuetah has expressed serious worries over the current state of the Central Agricultural Research Institute of Liberia (CARI).
Addressing a team of reporters at the central office of the institute on April 5, 2024, in Suakoko District, Minister Nuetah disclosed that following the Board of CARI’s first meeting, he has observed that the Institution currently lacks the Infrastructure and Technical Capacity for Human Resources to do the job.
He added that the situation has therefore created a huge gap in the functions of the only Agricultural Research Institution in Liberia.
Additionally, Minister Nuetah further attributed the downward conditions of CARI to “the lack of proper management of the Institution” over the past years and the migration of Technical employees from the Institution.
Moreover, the Liberian Agriculture Minister further noted that the situation at CARI is also contributed to the employment of unqualified individuals to key positions at the Institution over the past years; thus adding that the situation doesn’t only affect CARI, but the entire Agriculture Ministry of Liberia.
“CARI doesn’t have an infrastructure, CARI doesn’t have the Technical Capacity for Human Resources to do the job, so all of these situations have created huge gaps in the day-to-day activities of the Institution” Minister Nuetah asserted.
At the same time, the Liberian Agriculture Minister who also chairs the Board of Directors at CARI has emphasized the need for Human Resource Capacity Enhancement in Agriculture to improve the sector.
Minister Nuetah added that the ministry under his watch intends to lace with international partners using the government of Liberia as an institution to appropriately improve the resources with the capacity needs of the Central Agricultural Research Institute.
Interestingly, Minister Nuetah further disclosed that the Ministry is currently working on a plan to revamp the entire Agriculture sector of Liberia, taking into consideration the pivotal role CARI plays in developing the sector.
He also told reporters that under his leadership as Agriculture Minister in the next three to four years, CARI as an elite Research Institute will develop some value chain that will develop the central institution on the National level.
Meanwhile, Minister Nuetah has revealed that in the next forty-five to sixty days from now, and by April 10, 2024, a term of reference and criteria for the appointment of a new Director and Deputy Director Generals of CARI will be instituted.
According to Nuetah, following that, the Board of Directors of CARI will on April 15, 2024, publish a vacancy for the position of Director and Deputy Director Generals of CARI, followed by a vetting and subsequent recommendation to President Joseph Boakai for onward appointments to those positions by the end of May 2024.
He made these assertions after the board’s first acquaintance and discussion meeting. The appointment of Director and Deputy Director Generals at CARI is required by the act creating the Central Agricultural Research Institute.
As it stands, CARI is currently being run by its new Officer-ln-Charge Dr. James Sulonkwiley Dolo.
