Mo Ali Correct About UP Gov’t Developing Southeast Road Project, But Incorrect about Securing Funding

Jerry Gaye

9 hours ago

Summary:

Mo Ali, managing director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation and stalwart of the Unity Party, claimed that the UP government had developed and secured full funding for the Southeastern Corridor Road Access Management Project (SECRAMP) in 2016.
We verified his assertion by reviewing key details of the project and found that the project was initiated in 2014, during the UP administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
We found that the World Bank did not approve and fund the project until December 2018, during the administration of former President George M. Weah
Therefore, while Mo Ali is correct about the UP’s role in developing the project, his claim about approval and securing full funding in the same year is incorrect.

On Sunday, May 4, Mo Ali, the Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, claimed in a Facebook post that the Unity Party-led Government developed a project in 2016 called the “SOUTHEASTERN CORRIDOR ROAD ACCESS MANAGEMENT PROJECT:(SECRAMP).”

Mr. Ali added that the UP Government secured full funding with a guarantee from the World Bank to pave the 225km road from Ganta to Zwedru under the project.

He made this claim in reaction to social media reports that the CDC administration secured the funding for the construction of the road corridor.

The Claim

An excerpt of Ali’s post reads, “The UNITY PARTY-LED GOVERNMENT developed a project in 2016 called the SOUTHEASTERN CORRIDOR ROAD ACCESS MANAGEMENT PROJECT: (SECRAMP), Ganta-Zewdru 225 km and secured full funding with a guarantee from the World Bank.”

Rating Justification

To fact-check, this claim, we reviewed the website of the World Bank Group and found key details about the Southeastern Corridor Road Access Management Project.

A review of the project details showed that SECRAMP was developed by the UP administration in December 2014, during the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

**Screenshot showing the concept stage of the SECRAMP in December 2014 – Source: World Bank**

According to the project document, the estimated date for the approval of the project by the World Bank Board was set for July 26, 2016; this did not happen until December 2018.

**screenshot above shows details of the project — the project was not approved as expected**

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors then approved and financed the project on December 18, 2018, during the administration of former president George Weah, providing a $29 million International Development Association (IDA) credit and a $48 million payment guarantee to leverage an additional $60 million from the private sector.

Screenshot of the press release of December 18, 2018 announcing the approval by the International Development Association (IDA) credit financing of $29 million for the Liberia Southeastern Corridor Road Asset Management Project (SECRAMP).

Conclusion

Based on a review of the Southeastern Corridor Road Access Management Project Concept document, we conclude that the claim made by Mo Ali that the Ganta to Zwedrew Road project was developed by the Unity Party administration in 2016 is correct.

However, he did not get his facts right when he indicated that the UP administration secured full funding for the project in the same year.

The SCRAMP was developed by the UP administration in December 2014; however, the approval and funding of the project by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors took place on December 18, 2018, during the administration of the CDC Government.