“Show Us Where the US$800,000 Agricultural Inputs Went” — Kwagrue Fires Back at Nuetah, Demands Independent Probe

Monrovia, Liberia:Nimba County District #5 Representative Kortor Kwagrue has fired back at Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah, accusing the Ministry of Agriculture of failing to account for US$800,000 disbursed for agricultural supplies and alleging that companies linked to the minister benefited from contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In a strong rebuttal to Nuetah’s criticism of his understanding of the ministry’s expenditures, Kwagrue said he was presenting budget allocations and transaction details to challenge the minister’s response to his earlier allegations. The lawmaker’s claims, which have not been independently verified, raise questions about procurement, the delivery of agricultural inputs and the possible use of public funds.

According to Kwagrue, the Fiscal Year 2026 national budget, under Code 221807, allocated US$997,080 for agricultural supplies, while US$800,000 was disbursed by the Ministry of Finance for fertilizers, seed rice and agrochemicals. However, he alleged that there was no physical evidence of the supplies being delivered, no county warehouse records confirming their receipt and no traceable offices for the vendors involved.

Kwagrue further alleged that contracts were awarded to companies he described as front businesses linked to Minister Nuetah, raising concerns about possible conflicts of interest in the procurement process. He cited Mar & Mon Group of Companies, which reportedly received US$152,250 for agrochemicals, alleging that the business operates as a tailoring and sewing enterprise in Sinkor and Thinker’s Village rather than an agricultural supplier.

The lawmaker also identified Gempro Agro Chemicals and Supplies, which he said received US$210,828.84 for seed rice, and Agri Commodity Trading Company, which allegedly received US$240,920 for NPK fertilizer and US$196,000 for urea fertilizer. Kwagrue questioned the suitability of the vendors and called for the publication of procurement documents, although the alleged links between the companies and the minister have not been independently established.

Turning his criticism toward the ministry’s agricultural policy, Kwagrue questioned what he described as a contradiction between the minister’s public statements about government support for rice farmers and the reported disbursement of national budget funds for seed rice and fertilizers. “Why were supplies bought under the national budget if government money isn't supporting rice farmers this year?” the lawmaker asked, demanding an explanation for the expenditure.

Kwagrue also raised concerns about reports that ministry officials were attempting to use farmer lists from donor-funded projects to account for the agricultural inputs in question. He called for the ministry to disclose the verified names of farmers who received the supplies, their locations, the sizes of their farms and the county warehouses where the items were allegedly delivered. “Who are the verified names, locations, and farm sizes of the receiving farmers?” he asked, pressing the ministry to provide records that could establish whether the supplies reached their intended beneficiaries.

The lawmaker’s latest statement follows Nuetah’s dismissal of his earlier criticism of the ministry’s rice-related activities as “one of the cheapest things” he had ever heard from a lawmaker. But Kwagrue has shifted the dispute toward specific budget figures, named vendors and alleged procurement irregularities, insisting that questions about public expenditures should be answered with documentary evidence rather than personal criticism.

Given the seriousness of the allegations, Kwagrue is calling for an immediate independent investigation and the full disclosure of procurement contracts, payment records, delivery receipts and farmer distribution lists. The Ministry of Agriculture’s response to these specific claims, including the alleged company connections and the whereabouts of the supplies, will be essential to determining whether public funds were properly spent. The allegations remain unverified, and the minister and the companies named should be given an opportunity to respond.