By Melvin Caesar
It is highly nerve wrecking that a young man would be ingrained in fraud and deception as his sole mode of survival. Randall Massaquoi Dobayou is impersonating as the Acting Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) even though he does not have a letter of appointment from President George Weah for the position the lad holds as Deputy Executive Director of the EPA. He graduated from the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU) in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Political science according to his testimony contained in his resume but he completed his courses in 2020. Again, Dobayou says he was secretary of the 2013 graduating class souvenir committee with outstanding courses. These mindboggling lies have landed him a job in government. Yes, fraud is his modus operandi for survival.
This marks a sad moment in our country’s history when people are skating on dishonesty to get opportunities at the detriment of the State and sanctity of nationhood. This is precisely the unfortunate situation involving Mr. Randall Dobayou, Deputy Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency -EPA who succeeded in deceiving President George Weah and those who oversaw his vetting for the position he presently holds whose term of reference requires a minimum of master’s degree as well as the relevant experience in the environmental sector.
In April of this year, Mr. Dobayou held a press conference at his office on 4th Street in Sinkor to inform the public about the works the EPA has done and successes achieved. During that press conference, the issue about his credentials popped up from the interviewers and journalists. The Deputy EPA Executive Director told the public via that medium that he did not graduate from any university – and further did not obtain an undergraduate degree. He cited that he did not graduate from the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU) because he was expelled by the institution for unruly behavior and had the opportunity to travel to the United States later. Dobayou also stated at that press conference and other media platforms that he was the Secretary of the AMEU graduating class of 2013 souvenir committee despite his expulsion. Mr. Dobayou also said he returned from the United States with papers from vocational training programs and enrolled at the AMEU University to complete his courses in 2020. He did not, however, reveal how he was readmitted since he was expelled in 2012.
Dobayou is now going at every length to legitimize his fraudulent by lying that he lobbied for funds under the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a financial mechanism for several major multi-lateral environment agreements which allotted US$6.13 Million for Liberia to execute environmental projects in January 2019 and he played no role.
Besides his fake credentials, the Deputy EPA Executive Director has the bloodstains of the State coffers on his hands by surreptitiously entering into a deal with a violator of the Environmental Protection and Management Law of Liberia by publicly asking York Trading Incorporated; an Indian owned business that imported dangerous chemicals into the country to pay US$1,400 as a penalty and to give him US$10,000 (illegally) as revealed – since section 55, subsections 1, 4, 5 and 6 of EPML of 2002/03 are clear in terms of fines and adjudication. The Law further states that among other things that any person who illegally imports a hazardous chemical or substances should be fined an amount between US$10,000 to US$50,000 or the equivalent of 20 years imprisonment. But the Deputy EPA Executive Director told KMTV on Tuesday, 28 April 2020, during a press interaction that York Trading Incorporated paid the amount of US $1,400, which is in contravention of the EPML – as fines to the Government Revenue Account through the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA).
To provide justify his violation of the EPML, Dobayou has decided to make the imposition of US$1,000 fines the new normal in contravention of the law.
These issues, comfortably perpetrated by the Deputy EPA Executive Director, constitute forgery and theft, which are grave crimes under our laws but the illegal Deputy Executive Director of the EPA would pay thugs to go after anyone who exposes his fraudulent deals that would cost him his job.
Pundis have raised the alarm that the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) look into this criminal behavior to bring Mr. Dobayou to book to deter others from acquiring privileges through dubious means such as the improper use of his office for personal reasons.
The AMEU University should provide a proper explanation of how students acquire documents from the University, especially those who were reprimanded for breaching provisions of the University student’s handbook.
This fraudster of a Deputy Executive Director is doing everything to ensure that President Weah continues to suffocate his boss Nathaniel Blama under his axe of suspension for falling prey to the virulent Covid-19 disease.
It is everyone’s desire that young people would be given the opportunity to grow through honesty but Randall Massaquoi Dobayou is not one of the qualified ones but a fraud sitting at the Environmental Protection Agency.
