4 Mins Read
Following the front page publication on NPHIL as provided by its communication Director, facts findings were conducted on specific assertions that proved his statement misleading.
In a desperate attempt to secure the Director General position at NPHIL, recent assertions made by Mr. Joseph Wiah, Communication Director of NPHIL, that Mr. Amos Gborie’s appointment has revitalized donor support are deeply misleading, as Journalist Togar Alexander Bealded is investigating every assertion made by Mr. Gborie and his media man in this period of transition and provide clarity to the public.
Our independent investigation reveals that, contrary to claims that NPHIL struggled to secure donor support post-Dr. Fallah’s administration, and the renewal of major partners such as the WHO, USAID, and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention due to Mr. Gborie’s appointment is DECEPTIVE, MISLEADING and an attempt to sway public sentiments in his favor, while in desperate search of the Director General position. In fact, these organizations have a long-standing commitment to supporting Public Health initiatives in Liberia regardless of who becomes the Director General.
Moreover, our investigation reveals that contrary to the Director of Communications of NPHIL assertion that “NPHIL struggles to secure donor’s support” failed to acknowledge gains made by past administration. We have been reliably informed that NPHIL has consistently attracted grants, several sub-awards agreements and indirect supports from Multilateral and bi-lateral organizations and other Universities, including, but not limited to, the Washington University through the Bill Gates Foundation, the John Hopkins University, the International Development Research Center ( IDRC), the CDC foundation – USA, the African Development Bank (AFDB), Resolve to Save Lives and she has consistently received support from the US-Center for Disease Control to date. These grants and sub-award agreements were signed in the last three years except for the US-CDC grant which is a perennial support to the organization. To indicate that the entity did not attract resources since the departure of Dr. Fallah speaks volume of the lack of transparency, accountability and an attempt to undermine the same institution Mr. Gborie wants to lead. Furthermore, our research deep dive into the entity’s sustainability uncovers that in the absence of consistent non-support by central government over the last two years as indicated in the resignation letter of NPHIL’s formal DG MaCauley, NPHIL has survived on donors’ support and specifically overheads cost from grants and other research projects. As a matter of evidence, NPHIL’s improvement in her capability to prepare, for and respond to public health threats, she was recently honored as “Center of Excellence” by Africa CDC, a testament to institutional strength, not an endorsement of Mr. Gborie’s 1-month leadership.
His appointment as being termed “well deserved,” followed his alleged undermining of past Director Generals, despite being a close ally to them, and a history of fraud. Be reminded that Mr. Amos Gborie was found guilty of serious offenses during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in imprisonment that significantly tarnished NPHIL’s reputation and contributed to Dr. Mosoka Fallah’s dismissal. Despite Mr. Gborie’s integrity issues, it is unfortunate that he was preferred as Acting Director General. Is it that there are “shadowed” Director Generals controlling NPHIL’s trajectory? Could Mr. Gborie be a figurehead, allowing such people to control NPHIL?
Lastly, the Civil Society Organization would like to admonish other stakeholders against wrongful influence of NPHIL’s operations because the exploitation of public health funds, as seen during the Ebola and other health crisis or initiatives, will not be repeated. NPHIL’s integrity and effectiveness depend on transparent, ethical leadership committed to public service rather than personal gains.
“In conclusion, while NPHIL’s rebranding and strategic initiatives are commendable, they must be built on a foundation of integrity and competence and this in our mind can only be delivered by a public health expert from outside of NPHIL’s current management team. We, Liberians, and our esteemed partners deserve a leadership that upholds the highest standards of accountability and transparency. We urge the NPHIL Board of Directors to ensure that such standards are met,” Journalist Togar Alexander Bealded reported.
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