The Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Works & Rural Development and Bomi County Senator, Edwin Melvin Snowe, has disclosed that the Committee has cleared Acting and Public Works Minister-designate, Madam Ruth Coker Collins and said the official confirmation is now a matter of Plenary decision through the Office of the Senate Pro tempore Albert Chie.
“it is unprecedented but I will tell you that at least the entire Committee on Public Works at the Senate has confirmed you, you cleared the Committee 100% and from all indications, because your confirmation was an opened process and we did not just limit it to the Committee.”
Senator Snowe made the disclosure Friday, June 17, 2022, at the closing & certification program in Certified Global Project & Contract Management (GPM) Training as well as the ceremony conferring the Doctor of Science in Civil Engineering Madam Ruth Coker- Collins, the Acting and Minister-designate of the Ministry of Public Works. The event took place in the conference room at the headquarters of the Ministry of Public Works, in Monrovia.
The Lawmaker said other senators who had concerns have been addressed, adding that “We are very positive that once our report gets on the flood we will stop calling you Minister-designate or Acting Minister and we will be working with you as Minister proper of the Ministry of Public Works, he assured.
Touching on the Committee work, according to Chairman Snowe, since the confirmation hearing the Committee has sent 4 to 5 documents to the Minister asking for additional information which she responded to and it was based on additional information that she provided that convinced the Committee to give her their vote as confidence as the next Minister of Public Works. Providing the necessary oversight he said the Senate will work closely with her office to make sure that she succeeds.
I have followed her activities since I was elected as chairman of the Public Works Committee and I have seen her capacity, not only that she understands the job but her willingness to learn, I think she has impressed us. Like I said the Committee has voted but it is still subject to the Plenary decision it is not a stamp on it that she is confirmed, the Plenary as the highest decision making body to make that decision, but we passed on it and she is standing good, so I am very confident that she will make a good minister amidst challenges, Senator Snowe added.
Meanwhile, Bomi County Lawmaker has extolled the Public Works Ministry on a program marking the end of a five-day training in the Global Project and Contract Management Program (GPM) held under the auspices of the Ministry of Public Works.
“During the confirmation hearing, you assured me that when confirmed you will endeavour to enhance training of your people and other sectors. Today is a clear manifestation of that commitment, I just want to encourage you that you can rest assured that we will be working with you to ensure that you achieve your goals.
The Senate Chairman on Public Works and Rural Development further assured Madam Coker- Collins of the Committee fullest cooperation and commitment towards implementing road projects across the country.
For her part, Acting and Public Works Minister-Designate, Dr. Ruth Coker-Collins paid homage to President George Manneh Weah for the chance to serve and mentioned that mentioning capacity building is part of her vision and her team is going to strongly concentrate on it.
The Public Works Official who was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering for her dedicated and invaluable contributions to the Infrastructural Sector in Liberia and out of the country lauded the Organizers for her preferment and emphasized the overarching need for capacity building for Public Service Practitioners aimed at enhancing efficiency.
Team work, coordination and cooperation with all stakeholders. We will work with the Legislature to do what we are asked to do in line with the budget, she said and praised the Leadership of the Global Quality Council and Green Economy Council for the Training which brought together over twenty participants from five institutions comprising the Ministry of Public Works, Association of Liberian Construction Contractors, Engineering Society of Liberia, Society of Women Engineers of Liberia, as well as the Liberia Institute of Architects.
By: Stephen G. Fellajuah
WhatApp: Stephen G. Fellajuah
Email fellajuahstepheng@gmail.com
