“Where is the US$2M to Buy Fire Trucks?” -Sen. Dillon Grills Bumbling Fire Service Director; Recommends His Sacking

MONROVIA – In the wake of the continued widespread fire outbreaks in Monrovia and other parts of the country, the Liberian Senate on Tuesday, January 28 cited the Director of the Liberia National Fire and Rescue Service, Colonel G. Warsuwah Barvoul Sr., to provide answers as to why his Agency, after being allotted US$4 million in 2024 failed to buy a single fire truck and accessories, leaving the citizens’ lives and properties vulnerable in the throes of the continuous roaring inferno.

Predicated on a letter of citation placed on the floor by Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, Director Barvoul showed up Tuesday to provide answers to the senators’ queries but ended performing so dismally that Senator Dillon recommended the Fire Service Director’s dismissal for gross incompetence.   

Beginning his line of questioning, Senator Dillon was deeply concerned about why the Agency and its Director failed to purchase the firetruck and accessories that were budgeted in 2024, when in fact the legislative had stepped the Fire Service budget up from $2 million to $4 million to make allowance for the purchase of the fire trucks.

“I am asking you, if you got the $4 million in 2024, that means you got the $2 million that was added for you to buy the firetruck and other fire-fighting equipment. Did you buy them?” Senator Dillon asked Director Barvoul.

Barvoul: “We put in for them. The procurement process was done but the bottleneck we had was the payment from the Ministry of Finance.

Dillon: “You got $4 million and you received it, then you say bottlenecks.”

Barvoul: “No, the $2 million was purposely for the equipment and other accessories.

Dillon: “Then you got $4 million inclusive of salaries and everything. The additional $2 million we put there in 2024 deliberately for you to boost up. If you got $4 million but you didn’t buy fire trucks, what is the bottleneck?

The back and forth continued without Director Barvoul providing any reasonable answers, a situation that caused some senators to plead for Dillon to have consideration on the Fire Service director.

“No, why should we consider this director, when our people who brought us here don’t consider us. They say we aren’t doing anything. Now we have the opportunity to prove that we’re doing something, that the executive is not performing. We have done our part as the legislature. It is the executive that has not done its part. Let the man answer. If he doesn’t answer, it will show his gross ineptitude. We will call for his removal,” Senator Dillon blasted angrily.

Continuing with his grilling of the Fire Service Director, Senator Dillon pinned him to make a confession that he did receive $4 under the 2024 budgetary appropriation for Fire Service.

“Mr. Director, we took the Fire Service Budget from $2.1 million in 2023 to $4.1 million in 2024. So that the said salaries, benefits and other recurrent expenditures will not be touched; and we put in $2 million for fire trucks and other firefighting equipment, including the beginning of recruiting firefighters. Did you receive $4 million in 2024?” Dillon continued.

“,,,, Yes Senator,” Director Barvoul agreed reluctantly.

Dillon: “If you received $4 million in 2024 according to your answer, why have you not bought the firetrucks that we appropriated for you to buy?

Barvoul: “Thank you, Senator Dillon. Before then, you made mention of personnel cost and goods and services for the core budget. The extra $2 million that was given for the purchase of firetrucks and other accessories, the breakdown is there on the first sheet. So, the reason that we did all the procurement processes, the vouchers were prepared and approved like I said, the Ministry of Finance received those vouchers, if you look at the report, they are $2 million. Out of the $2 million…”

At this point, the senators could not allow the Fire Service Director to continue evading the question as to why he failed to buy the firetrucks and accessories for which he admitted receiving $4 million.

Coming to Director Barvoul’s rescue, Gbarpolu Senator Amara Konneh quickly interjected.

“I listened to Senator Dillon keenly. If you don’t understand anything, please say so. He told you how much we raised your budget in 2023 by $4 million and we put money there for the purchase of firetrucks and firefighting equipment. You said you received the money, $4 million. But your report here accounts for $2 million. Then what happened to the other $2 million?” Senator Konneh asked the Fire Service Director.

“The $4 million like he said, the personnel cost $2 million…” the Director mumbled as his Finance Director sat dejectedly beside him.

The deteriorating situation then compelled Maryland County Senator J. Gbleh-bo Brown to ask the presiding Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security, Defense, Intelligence and Veteran Affairs, Lofa County Senator Momo Cyrus, to postpone the hearing for another day to allow the Fire Service Director better prepare himself.

“For us to sit down here, the witness must be prepared. The way the witness is speaking is confirmation he’s not prepared for this hearing. Even if you look at the report that he submitted, he received 60%, there is no breakdown of the 60% he has received. For the goods and services, he received $38,000 but no breakdown. My recommendation for this hearing is that this hearing be postponed, the director should remain under oath, until he can reappear on a date that this committee will decide,” Senator Brown recommended.

“The performance of this director today is very troubling, and if the senate does not take this seriously then we are not ready. Every day somebody’s house is burning. Maybe as we are even sitting here now, someone’s house is burning. Because we are not holding these people from the Executive accountable, the sympathy and the respect for this place is dwindling. We put money into the budget, the director can’t even tell us whether he received the money, and he’s been a director for one year. In fact, we are supposed to be recommending his replacement already,” Senator Dillon fumed as the hearing was adjourned for an unassigned date.