Tarpeh Rubbishes EPA Claims of Broke Coffers at Exit -Says Agency had Over $900K in Central Bank Account Alone

MONROVIA – Current EPA Executive Director, Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, in his recent yearend report delivered at a press conference claimed his administration inherited a paltry $325 in the EPA actual bank account when he took over in February of this year. To Yarkpakwolo’s claims came a prompt response from the immediate past former Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Professor Wilson K. Tarpeh, terming as untrue, unfair and patently incorrect statements by the incumbent EPA administration. The Analyst reports.

Professor Wilson K. Tarpeh, the immediate past Executive Director of the Environmental Agency (EPA), has sharply reacted to claims by the current EPA boss that he met a broke institution with a meager US$325. But barely before inks got dry on Mr. Yarkpawolo’s revelations, Prof. Tarpeh barked in rejection, retorting that before his exit, the Agency had in Central Bank account alone the amount of $933,000, and there was another $17,000 in Ecobank when Dr. Yarkpawolo took over. 

“Ordinarily, we prefer our successor to do their work in peace and don’t bother them,” Tarpeh said said Monday, December 23, 2024 when he appeared on Spoon Live Talk Show to address the issues that his successor raised.

“But when it gets to a point where they take a line that is directed to tarnish established reputation, we must set the record straight.”

Making specific reference to Dr. Yarkpawolo’s speech delivered on Friday, December 20, at his Christmas Party in which he said he met $325 in the account, that the workforce is divided; that there was no financial report, nor any bank statement, the former EPA boss said Dr. Yarkpawolo was grossly unfaithful to the truth.

“I sent you some documents, I sent you the bank statements, I sent you the name of the banks, I sent you the account numbers, you can check them. The balances that we left as of February 20 when we left, we had about $933,000 in the Central Bank. We also had an amount of $17,000 in the Ecobank operating account. These balances are separate and distinct from the project accounts that are co-managed by the United Nations Development Programme and the African Development Bank. The Ministry of Agriculture has the Climate Resilient Project which is a $9.5million project,” Professor Tarpeh informed the Spoon Talk Show panelists.

He said the United Nations Development Programme has the Monrovia Metropolitan Climate Related Project which is a $25 million project and the Sinoe Revetment Project which is a $10 million project.

“In those accounts, they carry a minimum of $1.5 million at any point in time. So, it is wrong, it is incorrect, it is grossly unfaithful for Dr. Yarkpawolo to have said that,” he stressed.

“In the EPA there are two payrolls; one that is paid by the Ministry of Finance and one that is paid by the EPA ordinary resources, and these are salaries that we pay to additional technical people that we need, for which the government from its central resources is not able to do. That payroll is at least $25,000 a month. If we had $325 in the account, which is wrong, is incorrect, how did we pay that? It’s wrong, and Dr. Yarkpawolo knows that.

“He claimed that were no bank statements. If there were no bank statements, how did he know that there was a balance of $325. It’s sad, when you know the truth and decide to say something different. I sent you quarterly reports that are filed regularly with the Ministry of Finance as required by the Public Financial Management Act, with copies to the General Auditing Commission. These reports are done quarterly, and copies are in the EPA. So, it is wrong, it is incorrect, it is grossly inaccurate, it is unfair for the young brother to say that there are no financial reports. There are financial reports. And he knows that there are financial reports. I thought to clarify because all of these things are intended to besmear the character of people. It is wrong,” Professor Tarpeh lamented.

Continuing, Professor Tarpeh also picked bones with Dr. Yarkpawolo’s statement that the former EPA boss had only completed 20% of the institution’s five-year strategic plan.

“The strategic plan was crafted in 2022 to cover up to 2026. It was revised at midterm because at the time we approved it, the budget was from July 1 to June 30, so effectively it was 2022 to 2023. By the middle of 2023, we had done 26% of that budget. If you take dollar for dollar in terms of resources acquired, the entire strategic plan was costed at $8.5million.

“A major part of that plan was the construction of our headquarters that we call a Green City, and this a model headquarters that we were going to build. We had acquired the property near the 14 Military Hospital. We have a deed for it; at least I left a deed there, and I am told that deed was given to Dr. Yarkpawolo.

He continued: “The building was costed. We hired one of Liberia’s best architects, Jones and Jones, they did that and they sent it to us. The Board approved it. I went to the Global Environment Fund; they had given us $20million to do a project in the forestry and other related sectors. When the plan came out, we needed that. I went back to them and said, ‘can I use some of this money to build a Green City?’

“So, I reduced the amount that we had initially given to the United Nations Development Programme to $10million. That means the $10million was secured, part of which to finance the project. So, if you take that acquisition of the funds on a global plan of $8.5 million, the success rate is more than half. So, Dr. Yarkpawolo cannot say that. It is wrong, it is incorrect, and I thought to set the record straight.”

Regarding Dr. Yarkpawolo’s statement that he met two dilapidated buildings, Professor Tarpeh concurred, noting that he also met those building there, but had been working to construct a new headquarter for the EPA before he was removed.

“Of course, the buildings are dilapidated, I met the buildings there. When the EPA was formed in 2003, they moved into those buildings. When I got there in October 2020, we decided we can’t live here; the building is not habitable. It is risky, so let us go and build our own. That’s how we acquired the four acres, deeded, perfected, and it was given to the EPA. Then we got the plan, and we did the plan.

Prof. Tarpeh clarified that instead of continuing with the construction of that plan, to follow up the funding that the EPA had acquired from the Global Environment Facility, which was almost 95% complete, because what they told me, in February, that Professor Tarpeh, we know you want to build the building, but we will prefer to take this from another source, some Green City funding, we will take that from there’.

“So, instead of Dr. Yarkpawolo to follow through on that and see if we can construct our own building that will be powered by solar, where we will be green, no emission, trees were going to be planted to sequester carbon credits and the headquarter was going to pay by itself in seven years from carbon credits because trees were going to be planted; instead of that, the gentleman has decided to go and rent. But that’s his decision. I am just here to clarify the issue of the dilapidated building, for which something was done about it.”

The Radiation Lab, another Falsehood

Professor Tarpeh also decried the tendency for people to discredit others while showing no appreciation for what he achieved, making specific reference to the current EPA radiation lab which Dr. Yarkpawolo listed as one of this administration’s achievements. 

Tarpeh also stated: “He also said that they had opened a radiation lab. This is unfair. It’s one thing if you are in a position and you succeeded and you do not want to give your predecessor credit for anything, do not discredit him. I come from the background where I was taught by my grandmother and in school to look at the glass half full and not half empty. The radiation department was opened in 2022.

“There is one of our best scientists called Ralpie Gnombo. You can call him now. How did this happen? Through his contacts, we engaged the International Atomic Energy Agency that we needed assistance. They readily came and they said, ‘okay if this is what you want, we will send people to do an investigation’. They sent people to Liberia, one of their chief scientists, and they said they liked what they saw. So, they agreed to work with us. But I told them I need capacity. I am not talking about soft capacity, or three weeks workshop. I need long term capacity. They agreed and we sent four persons to Southern Africa. We also sent people to Europe. Today, when I left, we left EPA with some the best trained scientists in the country. We have that radiation lab.

“We decided since radiation is a concern, let us see what we can do to help the JFK Medical Center. At the time I left, discussions were advanced for the establishment of a cancer treatment facility. The IAEA sent us equipment worth at least 150,000 euros. Those equipment are there. So, why would you come and say this thing was not there? I did it. These are some of the things I came to correct. It’s wrong and you cannot do that,” Prof. Tarpeh lamented.”

A Divided Work force?

According to Professor Tarpeh, he doesn’t understand why Dr. Yarkpawolo who doesn’t know him as a person would rely on third party information to malign his character, noting that the divided work force issue he raised in his statement was disjointed and had to do with an employee who breached administrative procedures and rules of the institution.

“This is a young man I don’t know. He doesn’t know me. All he knows about me is from third parties. In his speech he spoke about a divided workforce, that we dismissed people wrongly. When I run corporate organization, you must follow the rules and procedures. We are not running a popularity contest.

“I go outside there and lobby for Liberia to host a major conference that it never hosted before; and with the help of Secretary Kerry, and got support for Liberia to host the conference. I think it was good gain. Now, when I have a number of institutions who write the rest of the international community that Liberia is not safe, because you don’t want Wilson Tarpeh in the job because elections are taking place, for me, it’s a no-no. It has nothing to do with me. It is the reputation of the country. For the first time Jeff is the major funding problem in the climate change architecture, so I dismissed him.”

Some of Prof. Tarpeh’s laurels

Professor Tarpeh said as a leader who believes in empowering Liberians and building institutions, he was instrumental in bringing about some positive changes that impacted funding and empowered Liberians.

He recalled that the EPA was established 2003, and he became Executive Director on October 2, 2020.

Between that time and the date that he got in, EPA received at least $782 million as grant into the country.

None of this money was managed by EPA, Tarpeh further said.

“That’s another problem that people thought I was interfering. I took position because as head of the EPA, you are the national designated authority. All funds that come to the country by way of climate change, you have authority over it. But it was not the case before I got there,” he also said.

“The money comes in and it is approved. Then the UNDP applies a fit for partner; the African Development Bank applies; Conservation International applies to manage. So, they manage the resources. When I moved in the EPA I decided, no. We must put Liberians together and they can manage these projects. And I am proud that one of the two major projects in this country, the largest, the $25 million Monrovia Metropolitan Climate Resilience Project aka the West Point Project is managed 100% by Liberian engineers, oceanographers, and so forth.”

The Sinoe Project, the revetment to keep the sea wave a bay is also managed by Liberians. Prior to my going to the EPA, these projects were managed by outsiders. Of this $82 million, two thirds were consultancy, and Liberians were nowhere around there. I insisted that Liberians be part of the project, unless if you must bring people in from outside because you cannot find competent Liberians, and even if you bring other people in, there must be a counterpart approach where competent Liberians will work with the expat consultant who will leave when the Liberian is well adjusted to the project,” Professor Tarpeh stated proudly.

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