Published: November 4, 2026
MONROVIA — Public Works Minister Roland Layfette Giddings has blamed the previous administration for what he described as poor design, financial mismanagement and contractual irregularities surrounding the Roberts International Airport (RIA) road project, disclosing that nearly US$100 million was secured for two road projects despite limited construction progress when the Boakai administration took office.
Giddings, however, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to completing the RIA road by 2027, although he acknowledged that construction could extend into 2028.
Speaking Tuesday, Nov. 3, during the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing in Monrovia, Giddings said the government inherited the project when construction was only about 5% to 6% complete, despite substantial payments reportedly made to the contractor.
“The RIA road project is one of the most complicated projects we inherited. The previous government designed and managed the project terribly. When we took over, construction had reached only about five to six percent completion, yet a substantial amount of the project funds had already been disbursed to the contractor,” Giddings said.
The minister said the current administration has since made progress on the project, with nearly 30 kilometers of road reportedly completed after engagements with the contractor and efforts to address outstanding contractual and financial challenges.
According to Giddings, the previous government secured three loans totaling US$80 million, along with an additional US$21 million, for two road projects. He alleged that substantial portions of the financing were paid directly to the contractor before corresponding construction work was completed.
“The previous government secured three loans totaling US$80 million, with an additional US$21 million, bringing the total to nearly US$100 million for the two road projects. A substantial amount of the money was paid to the contractor in advance. When we took over, there was still a balance of about US$20 million owed to the contractor, even though the road was not even 10 percent complete,” he stated.
Giddings questioned the financial arrangements under which the projects were implemented, arguing that disbursing substantial funds without corresponding physical progress created serious challenges for the incoming administration.
He also criticized the contractual arrangement that allowed the project consultant to receive payments from the contractor, raising concerns about the consultant’s independence in supervising construction activities.
According to the minister, the government has moved to restructure the arrangement by separating the consultant’s responsibilities from the contractor’s to strengthen oversight and accountability.
Giddings further said the Ministry of Public Works engaged the contractor to address the outstanding challenges rather than abandon the project.
“As a government, we had to find a way to fix the project rather than abandon it. We engaged the contractor, pushed for additional work, and called on the General Auditing Commission to audit the project and match the financial expenditures against the physical work completed,” Giddings said.
The minister said the proposed audit would help establish the relationship between funds already disbursed and the actual construction work completed under the project.
He maintained that the government was working to reorganize the contracts and resolve outstanding financial and administrative issues to facilitate the continuation of construction.
Giddings also said President Joseph Nyuma Boakai had instructed the Ministry of Finance to work with relevant authorities to identify the additional resources needed to complete the road.
Describing the RIA road as a major national corridor connecting the country’s principal international airport to Monrovia, the minister said the government could not afford to abandon the project despite the challenges inherited from the previous administration.
He emphasized that completing the road remains a priority for the Boakai administration, citing its importance to transportation and national infrastructure development.
“We are targeting completion by 2027, although it could extend into 2028. It would be a disgrace to the country to allow this major road project to remain unfinished. We are committed to completing it because a responsible government must take responsibility for fixing the challenges it inherits,” Giddings emphasized.
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