The Vice President Didn’t Want Me at the Ministry of Mines and Energy; He Said I Don’t Support His 2029 Presidential Ambition” Wilmot Paye

Monrovia, Liberia: Former Mines and Energy Minister Wilmot Paye has made fresh allegations against Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, claiming that political differences and his refusal to participate in efforts to shield the academic fraud scandal involving D. Dorr Cooper contributed to his removal from government.

Speaking publicly, Paye alleged that Vice President Koung did not want him to remain at the Ministry of Mines and Energy because he was perceived as being aligned with former Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan.

“The Vice President didn’t want me at the Ministry of Mines and Energy; he said I don’t support his 2029 ambition to become President; he accused me of being a Ngafuan guy,” Paye alleged.

Paye further claimed that tensions between himself and the Vice President escalated during the controversy surrounding former Commerce Inspector General D. Dorr Cooper’s academic credentials. According to Paye, when allegations of academic fraud emerged against Cooper, he was allegedly contacted and asked to use his influence through his wife, a lecturer at the University of Liberia, to help suppress information relating to the case.

The former minister said he refused to make such an approach and instead suggested that Cooper resign from public office. Paye contended that his refusal to cooperate with what he described as an effort to protect Cooper became one of the factors that led to his eventual dismissal from the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

Neither Vice President Koung nor the Executive Mansion has publicly responded to the allegations. The claims remain unverified, and no independent evidence has been presented publicly to support Paye’s assertions.

Former Commerce Inspector General D. Dorr Cooper became the subject of a major academic fraud investigation after the University of Liberia determined that he had improperly obtained academic credentials. The university’s investigation concluded that records were manipulated and recommended criminal prosecution while disciplinary measures were taken against several staff members implicated in the scheme.

The findings triggered widespread public debate and calls for accountability. Amid mounting pressure, Cooper resigned from his position as Inspector General at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and his resignation was subsequently accepted by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.