Finance and Growth Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan has come out swinging—breaking his silence and firmly stating that the choice to reallocate leftover COVID 19 pandemic stimulus package deal funds to the Dwelling-Grown Faculty Feeding Program was not his thought however one he inherited from his predecessor, Samuel D. Tweah.
Talking in the course of the Tremendous Morning Present on the Liberia Broadcasting Station(LBS), Ngafuan stated the rising hypothesis and criticisms—principally from the previous Finance and Growth Planning Minister Tweah and its allies—that he had diverted public funds. “I inherited and confirmed it,” Ngafuan stated, referring to the $234,000 leftover from the IMF-Supported COVID-19 Meals Aid Fund.
“It was a good suggestion. I noticed no purpose to reverse it.”
In keeping with Ngafuan, the choice to redirect the remaining COVID-19 Funds to highschool feeding got here from the earlier authorities.
He reminded the general public that in the course of the George Manneh Weah’s Administration, a nationwide COVID-19 Steering Committee—Chaired by the then-Commerce and Business Minister Professor Wilson Tarpeh and together with former Finance and Growth Minister Samuel Tweah—was set as much as oversee the emergency response.
The committee acquired US$25 million from the Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF) to offer meals help by means of the World Meals Programme (WFP). After the principle distribution train, the committee reportedly agreed that the unspent stability of round US$1.1 million can be redirected to a faculty feeding initiative underneath WFP.
“This was documented. The committee, which Tweah was a part of, agreed to it,” Ngafuan stated. “I reviewed the file once I assumed workplace and noticed no purpose to alter it. The cash was for meals, and it will nonetheless go towards meals—this time for kids in faculties.”
At a press convention in Monrovia final week, Tweah defined that the Authorities of Liberia (GoL), by means of the Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF), secured US$25 million for this system in 2020. A further US$5 million was supplied by the World Financial institution by means of the Ministry of Agriculture underneath the STAR-P Mission. In keeping with Tweah, all funds had been transferred on to the World Meals Programme (WFP) for implementation—bypassing any direct dealing with by authorities companies.
“I used to be very pleased with this association,” Tweah stated. “It meant no Liberian authorities establishment could possibly be accused of stealing the cash. The WFP acquired and spent the funds. If there’s an issue, they need to be those underneath investigation.”
He additional said that by July 2022, the WFP reported spending US$23.8 million of the whole US$30 million, with a remaining stability of over US$2 million. He claimed that by the tip of the CDC administration, the WFP had not returned the unspent funds to the Authorities of Liberia or the World Financial institution. He referenced a turnover word from the Division of Financial Administration detailing the funds and pending reimbursements.
Tweah revealed that in March 2025, present Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan wrote to him requesting clarification relating to the reallocation of US$234,350—20% of the remaining COVID-19 funds—for the college feeding program.
Tweah stated the reallocation was not accepted underneath his tenure, regardless of earlier requests from the WFP. “I rejected the request when WFP requested in 2023. It’s ironic that the present minister accepted it, but there are rumors of my arrest. If I had accepted it, they’d have accused me of diverting WFP cash for CDC elections,” Tweah added.
A letter obtained by FrontPage Africa from Aliou Diongue, then WFP Consultant and Nation Director, addressed to then-Minister Tweah, confirmed that US$2,029,300 in financial savings remained from the COHFSP—US$1,171,745 from the IMF-funded US$25 million, and US$857,555 from the World Financial institution-funded US$5 million.
In keeping with Diongue, the COHFSP Steering Committee, in its closing report, really useful reallocating these financial savings to help the Nationwide Homegrown Faculty Feeding Program. This system can be coordinated by the Ministry of Schooling, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Gender, Kids and Social Safety, and carried out by the WFP.
“This homegrown faculty feeding program goals to obtain roughly 1,300 metric tons of regionally produced meals—rice, gari, beans, and palm oil—every faculty yr. The purpose is to step by step enhance this to three,000 metric tons yearly, sourced from smallholder farmers,” Diongue said.
Ngafuan, clearly disturbed by what he described as “deliberate mischaracterizations” of his function, didn’t maintain again. He stated it was disingenuous for individuals who had been a part of the unique COVID-19 Steering Committee—notably Tweah—to now act shocked by the reallocation plan.
“Tweah was a part of that committee. I inherited that call. The WFP got here to observe up with my predecessor, Boima Kamara. However that didn’t get consummated till he left. They got here to observe up. After I reviewed the choice taken by Tweah and others, I stated that was a very good resolution.”
“I’d do what the CDC authorities proposed. And that’s what we did. It’s solely turning into a difficulty as a result of possibly it’s not good to be disingenuous. They attempt to create this ambiance of thievery round my character. I confirmed the reallocation of the funds as proposed by him.’’
There’s a problem. Let him come and say that he disagreed with the COVID Committee of which he was a member. Go and ask former Minister Wilson Tarpeh. Go and ask whether or not he disagreed with the choice. And there’s nothing on report on the Ministry of Finance that he wrote the WFP saying that was a nasty resolution, Ngafuan stated”
Ngafuan additionally famous that the federal government’s portion—roughly $937,000—was formally remitted to the Central Financial institution on July 10, 2025. “As we converse, the cash is sitting within the Consolidated Fund. Anybody can go confirm it. How can somebody with intentions to steal ask that the cash be positioned the place the Auditor Basic has oversight?” he requested.
Ngafuan used the second to remind the general public that the Dwelling-Grown Faculty Feeding Program will not be a random initiative. It’s a longstanding coverage supported by companions corresponding to USAID and the Ministry of Schooling.
“In truth, USAID’s personal faculty feeding program was cancelled, leaving a spot in for teenagers that authorities was determined to fill. “USAID ran a college feeding program. The Ministry of Schooling and others are hounding us for alternatives to place again cash within the faculty feeding program. So, the cash has come, and we are going to redirect the cash again in this system to profit our youngsters”
He added that the federal government plans to channel the funds into feeding Liberian faculty youngsters utilizing regionally produced rice—stimulating each diet and the home agriculture economic system.
However the authorities’s portion is on the central financial institution. It was remitted July tenth, 2025. A day or two earlier than Tweah’ press convention. So, the WFP was not sending that cash due to his press convention. So, the cash is there and we’re working with Agriculture. We make sure that all of the techniques and buildings are put in place. All the federal government procedures are met in order that the cash will probably be spent.”
Regardless of the accusations and political mudslinging, Ngafuan says his focus stays on nationwide priorities: job creation, financial enlargement, and transparency. “I’m not right here for political facet battles. I’ve a Premier League focus—nobody will pull me down to 3rd division video games,” he declared.
He referred to as on the WFP to step ahead and make clear its function and communications on the fund to place public hypothesis to relaxation. “And that was a very good resolution, taken by the CDC authorities, for me to backpedal and create a way, a cloud of curiosity round it. The WFP can provide the particulars. I believe they need to. I believe they’re listening. They need to come and supply readability,” he stated.
Nonetheless, the federal government’s portion is on the central financial institution. It was remitted July tenth, 2025. A day or two earlier than Tweah’ press convention. So, the WFP was not sending that cash due to his press convention. So, the cash is there. So, we’re working with Agriculture. We make sure that all of the techniques and buildings are put in place. All the federal government procedures are met in order that the cash will probably be spent.
“I didn’t come to the Ministry of Finance with this sense of being, I didn’t include a celebration perspective. I got here with a nationwide perspective. So, I wouldn’t take a look at a file, one thing that’s completed by the CDC authorities that was applicable and take a unique place, “he stated.
Ngafuan issued a warning to what he referred to as “lackeys and surrogates” making an attempt to pull his identify by means of the mud. “You have no idea that recreation higher than me,” he stated, signaling a readiness to defend his integrity within the public area.
