MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Cogent information obtained by Smart News Liberia speaks of growing fear, uneasiness and uncertainty at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry following the premature removal of the Ministry’s Communications Director, Jacob N.B Parley by Deputy Commerce for Administration, Scholastica Nyenkan-Nimely without any stated reasons.
Mr. Parley, an experienced print and broadcast journalist was hastily transferred from the Division of Public Affairs as director to the Division Knowledge Management as Senior Research Analyst, with no TOR mentioned in a communication served him late Thursday afternoon, Deccember 5,2024. He rose to the position about five years ago after working at the Liberia Broadcasting System for two decades, taking on key editorial titles, including sub-editor (two times), editor-in-chief (two times), news editor, news director, Executive Mansion Correspondent, among others.
The communication was reportedly handed over to him less than 15 minutes after quickly preparing a press release about the confirmation of new Commerce and Industry Minister, Madam Magdalene Dagosah by the Liberian Senate.
Information available to Smart News Liberia says Parley was about to send the release over to his bosses for approval for publication when, the letter of transfer was quickly delivered. One account is that the communication was hastily prepared, backdated and served him, with the fear that with the confirmation of a new minister, the decision would have backfired if not implemented at once.
People are wondering whether the decision by then Acting Minister Nyenkan-Nimley does not undermine President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s recent restriction on the roles to be performed by individuals acting while substantive heads are absent. It states further that financial, personnel and policy decisions to be taken by acting heads of the various agencies of government should only be those that were pre-approved by substantive heads before departure.
An investigation by this medium points to prolonged grudge Deputy Minister Nyenkan-Nimley has been harboring for the industrious Liberian journalist since the inception of the present team of managers at the Commerce Ministry.
When our reporter visited the Ministry of Commerce two days ago, some employees, standing in small groups expressed shock over the unceremonious removal of one of their productive colleagues.
“But when some of the big people who know the truth that Director Parley did not do anything wrong are refusing to talk then what can we do as common people,” “wondered some of them.
The recent negative development began when Commerce Ministry Comptroller, Gudi Neufille, asked Mr. Parley to do a memorandum requesting for payment for some publication to several media houses. After a while Parley is said to have told the comptroller that he wanted to seek the advice of Assistant Commerce Minister for Administration, Saraphen Dahn since Madam Nyekan-Nimley, Acting Minister at the time was not in country. Upon looking at the documents, Ms. Dahn who is Mr. Parley’s immediate supervisor reportedly said she herself had reservation about the matter and therefore told him to not make any further payment request besides the first one that was made through the normal process.
When she was briefed later on, Deputy Minister Nyenkan-Nimley is reported to have immediately sent for the HR and instructed him to either serve Mr. Parley a suspension or transfer letter, claiming that he had placed her mobile number on certain program in order to avoid receiving calls from her. She also said Parley’s action was a complete sabotage of the MSMEs conference slated for December 9-11, 2024. But contrary to the claims, our investigation shows that Mr. Parley did not have any role to play in the program because Madam Nyenkan-Nimley excluded him.
Our sources said on the very day she claimed that Mr. Parley was advoiding her, he had been granted excuse by Assistant Minister Dahn to attend to his health on November 21 and 22, 2024. By this time, she had already made a staff of the Public Affairs Division to write a memorandum, requesting for the payment on behave of the Division of Public Affairs.
Mr. Parley, according to our sources, reached out to the then acting minister to see how the matter could be handled but she allegedly told him that she was not going to listen to him and while he was still in speech, Madam Nyenkan-Nimley walked away. It is also reported that Assistant Minister Saraphen Dahn, knowing that Mr. Parley did nothing wrong made attempts to discourage the deputy minister from suspending or transferring him but she refused to listen.
Our sources disclosed that even other political appointees at the Ministry have acknowledged that Parley’s reservation about making two different requests for one item with the figures in disagreement did not warrant harsh decision of this kind. “But what we don’t know is whether any of them was able to engage her with boldness about the truth of the matter.”
According to our sources, Jacob, always known for productivity and respect for people, among other attributes, has been drinking from the cup of discouragement and verbal attacks at the hands Deputy Minister Nyenkan-Nimley, but everybody knows that he’s slow to anger and always exercises patience,” said another employee.
Smart News Liberia has been taking an analytical look at several factors which appear to validate pervious claims by scores of employees at the Ministry of Commerce that Madam Nyenken-Nimley has relentlessly been finding fault on Mr. Parley since she entered the ministry.
It all started during one senior management meeting between April and May, when the experienced Liberian journalist allegedly made a passionate appeal for press releases and other matters concerning publicity be treated with timeliness and that there was a need for a designated SMT member to took at the releases for timely input or approval for publication. According to our sources, the appeal was based Parley’s experience with several press releases not being treated with timeliness after preparation by him. Madam Nyenkan-Nimley is said to have begun shouting loudly during the meeting- “Yes, but when you write something we have to re-write it all over.”
Jacob, a Certified Media Trainer and former Vice President of the Press Union of Liberia is reported to have therefore made reference to a couple of releases earlier prepared by him and not given any attention, including the one that was intended to announce Liberia’s return to the IPD Regime, drafted by him within no time upon being told almost at the close of working hours.
At that time, then Commerce Minister Amin Modad was out of Liberia and the drafted release was running to the second week when he returned. Our sources revealed that the comments, meant to discredit Parley’s writing ability caused other political appointees at the meeting to be shocked as allegedly expressed through body language. In the corridors of the ministry, those who have been following Parley’s role in the local media found it hard to accept the claims against him and said the comments were a complete display of dishonesty.
It is reported that prior to Mr. Parley being invited to the meeting, then Commerce and Industry Minister Amin Modad had earlier expressed disappointment about a lot of things not moving with the needed speed while he was out of Liberia. “So making reference to the number of releases done by him that were not acted upon with timeliness or any feedback about their status was like validating what Mr. Modad said before the Public Affairs Division came in, “said one of Parley’s colleagues.
Our sources said since then, Madam Nyenkan-Nimley has been finding way to justify her claims against him about not being of to the task.
The game plan includes either ignoring or keeping for the longest time before approval, any press release or work done by him, but when similar work is done by those she brings in from outside, she treats it with urgency, including sponsoring the publication.
It has been established that two releases prepared by Parley about new Commerce and Industry Minister Madgalene Dagoseh’s appointment and confirmation hearing, Oct.4, and 15, respectively , and submitted were not authorized for publication . Political pundits are of the believe that this is a clever attempt to put Mr. Parley against the new Commerce Minister if she (Minister Dagoseh) does not carefully read between the lines.
Another press release about Commerce Inspector General Dorr Cooper’s visit to Buchanan, Grand Bassa County on September 10- 11, 2024, written and submitted is still being kept on her file. As Smart News Liberia delves into what may actually be responsible for the seeming suppression of Mr. Parley by Madam Nyenkan-Nimley, it was also uncovered that another release prepared on October 14 and submitted the very day following a two-day workshop in Mamba Point from October .14-15, 2024, where Madam Nyenkan-Nimley and others spoke was not authorized for publication, neither any feedback about its status.
Another release announcing Madam Nyenkan-Nimley’s own appointment as Acting Commerce Minister, quickly prepared by Parley and given to her for input or approval stayed on her desk for about four days before being authorized for publication, among others.
It was also established that Parley had begun requesting for a camera since 2022 during the past administration and re-submitted similar request on several occasions upon the coming of the current team managers at the Ministry of Commerce. Unfortunately, when the camera by procured about three months ago, Madam Nyenkan-Nimley instructed that the camera should be stored elsewhere instead of the Public Affairs Division and that anytime there was need for use, it should be signed for. The instruction allegedly made Parley to take a decision not to put his hands on the new camera but continue with using his personal phone to do the work of the office.
Those who heard about such instructions going to a man who also has background in photojournalism saw it as unnecessary display of power and Madam Nyenkan-Nimley’s unwavering resolve to find fault on him.
“If Jacob did not have solid media background prior to coming here, the Division of Public Affairs, in our Liberian way would have “chaklah”under him long time, because there is no computer, no printer so he completes a work and sends his staff from floor to floor looking for place to print.
It was also revealed that a former director of the Public Affairs Division who has been eyeing the position, sometime ago embarked of a negative campaign to put Parley against some those working along with him. The same fellow is reported to have once told some of Parley’s bosses that a communication director is not supposed to sign press releases, but the minister proper or the deputy for administration. Following the false claims, Mr. Parley is again said to have had tough times getting on course with some of his bosses as nearly any releases or announcements bearing his signature were either shelved or send back to him to redo.
Political observers say, the way the Parley issue, among others, will be addressed by new Commerce and Industry Minister Madgalene Dagoseh will either reshape the Ministry from the theater of threats, intimidation and suppressive practices by Madam Nyenkan-Nimley to an institution ready to take on the huge challenges affecting trade and commerce.
Meanwhile, all attempts to obtain a response from the Ministry of Commerce proved unsuccessful, as messages and phone calls went unanswered.
