Collins Slams Giddings’ Appointment, Government Strikes Back

Monrovia, Liberia: A public disagreement has surfaced between former Public Works Minister Ruth Coker Collins and the Government of Liberia following Collins’ criticism of Public Works Minister Roland Giddings.

Collins, an engineer by profession and former official of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) administration, questioned Minister Giddings’ suitability for the role, arguing that the Ministry of Public Works requires technical expertise.

“That place is not a history classroom for us to be lectured. It is a technical area, and Giddings is not a technocrat. He is wrongfully placed, and that is the challenge he is facing. Most of the road works they are running with today were initiated by us,” Collins stated.

In a separate remark, she added:

“Minister Roland Giddings is misplaced. He is an administrator and not an engineer. Any government that comes to power, we as engineers in Liberia will petition that government to appoint someone from the Engineering Society of Liberia.”

Collins’ comments triggered a sharp response from Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah, who defended Minister Giddings and rejected the former minister’s claims.

“If your definition of misplacement can be explained by what Giddings is doing, we will appeal to President Boakai to misplace all of us,” Piah said.

The Information Minister further criticized Collins’ tenure at the Ministry of Public Works, questioning the condition of roads and infrastructure during her time in office. Piah described her performance in strongly critical terms, arguing that Liberia would not benefit from what he characterized as ineffective past leadership.

The exchange has reignited debate over professional qualifications in government appointments, particularly within technical ministries such as Public Works.

Neither Collins nor the Ministry of Public Works has issued additional statements following the spokesperson’s response.

The disagreement comes amid ongoing national conversations about road development and infrastructure delivery across the country.