Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah
By Pewu Y. Sumo
MONROVIA – Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, issued a sharp response to the former Minister of Public Works, Madam Ruth Cooker-Collins, following remarks she directed at the current Minister, Roland L. Giddings.
Piah, the official government spokesperson, blasted Cooker-Collins for statements made during her appearance on OK FM on Monday. During the interview, she alleged that Minister Giddings is “misplaced” because he is an administrator rather than a professional engineer.
The Conflict
During the OK Conversation with Julius Jeh, Cooker-Collins stated:
“Minister Roland Giddings is misplaced; he’s 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.”
Responding during the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing, the tough-talking Information Minister did not mince words. Piah praised the ongoing, rigorous road works currently being undertaken across Liberia under Giddings’ leadership.
“Road works are currently taking place on all fronts and will continue as long as environmental circumstances permit,” Piah stated. He clarified that all infrastructure projects are being led by Minister Giddings.
Performance vs. Credentials
“All this is led by the energetic but non-engineer and misplaced Minister of Public Works, whose work far surpasses what the engineer who held that position could not do in the last six years,” Piah alleged. “During those six years, officials of government, including the Head of State, had to travel through Ivory Coast to reach the Southeast.”
Piah argued that the debate regarding Giddings’ lack of an engineering degree is flawed, noting that heads of agencies are primarily administrators, not necessarily technocrats.
“If misplacement is defined by such a level of productivity, then I encourage the President to misplace people all over government,” Piah remarked. Addressing the emphasis on academic credentials, he added, “Carrying credentials around is worth it, but it is not all that matters in today’s world. People are more concerned about what you can do than the degree you carry in your head.”
Focus on Substance
Piah emphasized that the Boakai administration is focused on individuals who can deliver results rather than the titles they hold.
“We can’t be running around fighting degree battles because degrees are not lacking in the current administration,” Piah said, noting that many officials were educated at the world’s best institutions. “What they come with is the desire to perform. If you don’t perform, it doesn’t matter where you come from or the name of the school you graduated from; we care less about that. Performance is what affects the lives of our people.”
Constitutional Mandate
Addressing the legal authority of the Presidency, Piah reminded the public that the President is given a mandate by the voters to determine who can best help achieve the government’s goals.
“When you hear a former senior official saying they will petition a president to appoint an engineer, it means you are detached from the very legal instrument—our Constitution—that determines the power of the President,” Piah said.
He noted that the President does not require a petition to decide who serves. The only body with the power to “cross-check” the President’s appointments is the House of Senate through the confirmation process.
Structural Roles
The government spokesman concluded by explaining that anyone who has served in the Ministry should understand its structure. He pointed out that there is a specific role designated for technical experts: the Deputy Minister for Technical Services.
“Heads of public institutions are basically administrators. The first responsibility of the head of a public institution is to manage people,” the Information Minister concluded.
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