No Evidence of 50 Fiberglass Boats in NaFAA’s $2.5M Contract as Claimed by Suspended Director Glassco

In Summary:

• Madam Emma Metieh Glassco has claimed that in her capacity as Director General of NaFAA, she signed a $2.5M contract for the manufacturing of 50 fiberglass boats that have started arriving in the country.
• We have verified these claims by consulting credible sources and found that while it is correct that she signed the contract, some of the assertions she shared in her ssocial media post are misleading.
• The NaFAA’s US$2.5 million Contract only accounts for 24 boats – 23 of the boats are being manufactured locally, while the others are being manufactured in Oman and are yet to arrive in Liberia.

Suspended Director General of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Madam Emma Metieh Glassco, claimed in a May 10 Facebook post that, during her tenure as Director General, she signed a US$ 2.5 million agreement in 2023 for the manufacturing of 50 fiberglass boats of various sizes and lengths.

She also stated in the post that some of the boats have already arrived in Liberia.

The claim

In her words: “I, in my capacity as Director General, signed a USD 2.5 million agreement under the $40M World Bank-funded project in 2023 for the manufacturing of 50 Fiberglass Boats with different specifications in sizes and length. It brings me much joy to see the fulfillment of this project, as a few fiberglass boats have recently arrived in-country.”

Rating Justification

To verify these claims, our fact-checker contacted Madam Glassco via WhatsApp, requesting a copy of the agreement or any relevant documentation outlining the total procurement cost, the number of boats, and their technical specifications.

She declined to provide the documents and asked us to direct our inquiry to NaFAA for verification.

We then reached out to Atty. Abraham Dioh, Coordinator of the Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project (LSMFP), regarding the claims made by Madam Glassco.

The US$40M Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project is a five-year project funded by the World Bank.

Atty. Dioh responded with documentary evidence indicating that the contract was signed on May 20, 2024, and does not reference the procurement of 50 boats. Instead, it outlines the supply of 15 Kru canoes, 8 Fanti canoes (Types I and II), and 1 semi-industrial fishing vessel

According to Dioh supported by excerpts from the contract, the 23 fiberglass canoes will be manufactured in Liberia while the semi-industrial vessel is being built in Oman and will be imported upon completion.

He also indicated in an email that NaFAA, through the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), has initiated the registration process, noting that upon completion, the vessel will set sail and is expected to arrive in Liberia at least 35 days from the date of sail.

Please email response from Atty. Dioh:

“Dear Jerry,

Thank you for reaching out. 

Please see below responses to your questions. I have also attached the specifications as requested in Q3.

1. Was there an official agreement signed in 2023 for the procurement of 50 fiberglass boats as part of the USD 40 million World Bank-funded project? If so, could you please share the date the agreement was signed and a copy/screenshot of the signature page?

Answers:

Contract signed date: May 20, 2024

Number of Boats: Twenty-three (23) Kru and Fanti canoes + One (1) Semi-industrial fishing vessel.

THERE IS NO MENTIONED OF 50 BOATS ANYWHERE IN THE CONTRACT.”

Question #2: Can you confirm that the value of the agreement was indeed $2.5 million?

Answers

 Lot 1: $256,300.00

 Lot 2: $1,518,500.00

Lot 3: $675,700.00

Contract value: $2,450,500.00

3. What are the technical specifications of the 50 fiberglass boats? Can you also send a copy/screenshot of their specifications?

Please see attached specifications for Lot 1, 2 & 3. 

4. Have any of the boats arrived in Liberia? If yes, how many? Could you provide details on the shipment(s), arrival date(s), and press releases to that effect?

Answer 

CONTRARY TO STATEMENTS MADE, THE SEMI-INDUSTRIAL VESSEL HAS NOT YET ARRIVED IN LIBERIA 

Currently none of the boats are ready:

1. The Semi-industrial Vessel posted on Facebook by the former Director General is currently at the manufacturer’s premises in Oman. NaFAA through the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) has initiated the registration process. Upon completion, the vessel will set sail and is expected to arrive in Liberia at least 35 days from the date of sail. THEREFORE, I CAN CONFIRM THAT THE VESSEL IS NOT IN LIBERIA

1. The Canoes are currently being manufactured in Liberia, with around 55% completion to date. NONE OF THE CANOES ARE READY OR WERE BROUGHT INTO LIBERIA ALREADY MADE CONTRARY TO CLAIMS.

Best regards,

Atty. Abraham W. Dioh,

Project Coordinator, Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project (LSMFP)

Dioh email

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We also reviewed the official Facebook page of the Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project (LSMFP). The LSMFP’s Facebook page contains posts and video evidence of ongoing work on the 23 fiberglass canoes.

The video also confirms that the semi-industrial vessel is still under construction and is expected to arrive in the country in the coming weeks.

In addition, we found the World Bank’s October 2024 mid-term review of the LSMFP on the website of the Bank. A review of page #5 of the document revealed that the LSMFP has signed a US$2.5 million contract for the supply of fiberglass boats (15 Kru canoes, 8 Fanti canoe Types I and II, and one semi-inshore semi-industrial fishing vessel).

The report also confirms that the canoes are being manufactured in Liberia, while the larger vessel is to be imported and assembled in the country.

Conclusion

Based on these facts, we conclude that Madam Glassco’s claim that she signed the US$2.5 million agreement is correct; however, the claim that the contract was signed in 2023 is incorrect. The contract was signed on May 20, 2024.

Meanwhile, her claim that the contract was for 50 fiberglass boats is misleading; the contract agreement only accounts for 24 boats.

Her additional claim that “a few fiberglass boats have recently arrived in-country” is also misleading. The Kru and Fanti Canoes are being produced locally, and the larger vessel has not yet arrived.