CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia — The Liberian Senate has confirmed Madam Fatima Bintu Sirleaf as Deputy Minister for Urban Affairs, igniting a firestorm of criticism after she publicly admitted to providing false academic information during her initial confirmation hearing.
The vote—seventeen senators in favor and only one dissenting—stands in stark opposition to the Senate’s recent pledges of increased scrutiny and accountability, raising fundamental questions about its commitment to integrity in public service.
Sirleaf is the first nominee under President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to face a full second confirmation hearing. In her initial appearance, she claimed to hold a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a minor in Urban Development from Kean University. Public scrutiny and fact-checking, however, revealed that Kean University does not offer the specific academic program she cited.
“I believe that with urban development as my minor, it helped me change lives,” she told lawmakers in her first hearing.
Confronted with the facts, Sirleaf was forced to reverse her testimony in the second hearing. “I would like to clarify that I hold a Master’s Degree in Social Work with specialized studies in Mental Health and Substance Abuse and Urban Development,” she stated. “I apologize for the earlier misstatement.”
Despite the admission that she misled lawmakers, a motion by Bong County Senator Prince K. Moye led to her confirmation. River Cess County Senator Teah Twehway was the sole dissenter.
The Tuesday vote has renewed intense criticism of the Senate, particularly its leadership. Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, who led the session, had previously vowed to end the administration’s “honeymoon period,” promising stringent oversight of public officials.
“I will not sit here and allow people in major portfolios to act complacently,” Dillon declared in January, positioning himself as a strong advocate for reform.
Critics argue that the confirmation of an official who admitted to lying under oath highlights the Senate’s inability to uphold its own public rhetoric. The speed with which the presiding officer entertained and passed the motion suggests a widening disconnect between public expectations and legislative behavior, echoing a familiar political contradiction: “Do as I say, not as I do.”
Though concerns were raised by several senators, including Edwin Melvin Snowe of Bomi County and Cllr. Augustine S. Chea of Sinoe County, they were ultimately overridden.
Governance analysts view the Senate’s decision as a significant setback for reforms in Liberia. Approving a senior official who admitted to providing false information undermines efforts to enforce integrity across government institutions.
“This confirmation sends the wrong message,” one analyst told The Liberian Investigator. “If lying under oath no longer disqualifies a nominee, what standard will?”
The move prompts broader questions about the Legislature’s political stance and whether the Senate is prepared to enforce the accountability standards it demands of others. With public outrage mounting across social media and talk shows nationwide, the Senate faces increased scrutiny for what the confirmation signals about the state of Liberia’s democracy and the promises of a new era of transparency.