“A Craft to Bring Min. McGill to Public Ridicule” -NACSUL Describes Allegation of Multi-Million Resort

The National Civil Society Union of Liberia (NACSUL) has described as baseless and trivial, the allegation against the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel Falo McGill, that he built a multi-million dollar riverside resort for his wife for her 36th birth anniversary.

Minister McGill has been under attack for allegedly building a multi-million dollar resort for his wife, Vivian Innis McGill, while the vast majority of Liberians are going to bed hungry and hospitals are without medication, an allegation that the Minister has refused to dignify.

A statement issued on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 by NACSUL, headed by Amos B.S. Kanneh, noted that the country has been politicized to the extent that everything done by an official of the government is interpreted from a negative perspective. “The little palava hut cannot be equated to the amount being alleged, as the allegation only sounds like a craft intended to bring the reputable Minister to public ridicule,” the NACSUL statement noted.

The President of NACSUL, Amos B.S. Kanneh, disclosed that investigation conducted by his institution has revealed that the construction of the mini project was given to a company owned by Richardson, owner of the Ocean View Hotel, and that the engineer on the project, Benjamin Walker, who resides in Marshall, Margibi County, has disclosed that he was paid US$2,000 (two thousand United States dollars) to build and plant the pillars that are upholding the hut.

President Kanneh wondered why people are happy to run with fake news instead of finding out the truth. “Just a simple visit to the site would have informed the rumor-mongers that the palava hut was not built within Minister McGill’s compound on the Robertsfield Highway, where he and his family have been residing for a couple of years. Besides, there is nothing like estate in that compound, as opposed to the rumor,” President Kanneh added.

Kanneh noted that NACSUL’s fact-finding investigation unearthed that the structure, which is located near the Farmington River in Marshall, is a palava hut that was actually constructed by Vivian Innis McGill herself, and that the building attached to the photo of the palava hut is Minister McGill’s current house that he and his family reside in.

He argued that the palava hut should not be a constraint for someone who has been working for so many years, noting that Vivian McGill has been with the UN System for a protracted period of time.

According to him, the NACSUL investigation revealed that Vivian Innis McGill has over the years been involved in working with the UN system on a couple of projects, after obtaining higher education from the United Methodist University, where she obtained a bachelor of business administration degree in management and the Brandeis University Heller School for Social Policy and Management, USA, where she obtained a master of art degree with honors in sustainable international development. “Mrs. McGill is also a second-year student of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Liberia,” President Kanneh quoted the NACSUL investigation.

“Her career path began at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection as the Supervisor of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR-1325) Secretariat at the ministry. Upon completion of her graduate studies in 2016, she was seconded by the Ministry of Gender to serve as the Project Manager for the Girls Ebola Recovery Livelihood Support Project (GERLS), sponsored by the World Bank.

“Vivian McGill, despite the very important position of her husband in the government, prefers to work with international non-governmental organizations. She currently works as the Gender Justice Specialist for the Rule of Law Program and Gender Focal Person for UNDP Liberia Country Office.

“With several professional certifications in various disciplines, Vivian McGill worked in the private and public sectors in Liberia and abroad, and has a passion for social entrepreneurship. She hopes to blend her work with a sustainable fashion initiative,” the NACSUL investigation revealed.

Meanwhile, the National Civil Society Union of Liberia (NACSUL) has frowned on those parading with the misinformation, and blamed the young generation for availing themselves to be used as conduits for blackmailing others. The group emphasized that, if Liberia is to move forward in this 21st century, the young generation, who are the near-future leaders, will have to redirect their effort and energy to meaningful endeavors that will yield positivity for the society.

   The group however called on Minister McGill to remain focused and not be distracted by unsubstantiated arguments.