Hilton Strikes Back: "CDC Administration Secured Fresh World Bank Deal After $10M Drain"

IN PHOTO: Mcarthur Hilton on the left and Mo Ali on the right with Orange Vest

Battle for credit over Liberia’s water infrastructure has intensified, as McArthur Hilton, Director for Technical Services under the CDC administration, challenges Mo Ali, Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC), over claims regarding the World Bank-funded pipe replacement project. At the core of this controversy lies the question of who truly deserves recognition for advancing the initiative to improve water access in Monrovia.

Mo Ali has consistently maintained that the water project originated under the Unity Party (UP) administration during Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s presidency. He tells his role in negotiating the initial $10 million financing from the World Bank, asserting that this funding laid the foundation for LWSC’s modernization efforts. Ali’s narrative positions him as a key figure in driving progress at LWSC since his appointment [4][9].

Hilton, however, has fired back with a detailed rebuttal, accusing Ali of distorting facts to claim undue credit. According to Hilton, while the $10 million was indeed approved under the UP administration, most of it had already been allocated and utilized by 2018 when President George Weah took office. Hilton credits Duannah Kamara, appointed by Weah as LWSC Managing Director, for securing an additional $30 million—$25 million in loans and $5 million in grants—during a presentation in Cape Town in 2019. He argues that this funding was pivotal to scaling up the project and addressing urgent repairs especially for pipes that are currently being brought in[2][4][9].

Hilton further argues against Ali’s timeline, pointing out that World Bank projects operate under strict disbursement schedules tied to performance benchmarks. By 2018, much of the initial funding had already been spent on infrastructure improvements, making Ali’s claims about dormant funds misleading[4][9]. Hilton also criticized the current Unity Party-led government under President Joseph Boakai for failing to initiate significant new projects after two years in office[5][9].

Ali’s reliance on propaganda has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters. His attempt to claim sole credit for the pipe project appears to be part of a broader strategy to bolster his image and that of the Unity Party government. Yet Hilton’s detailed counterarguments show gaps in Ali’s narrative and raise questions about his transparency as LWSC’s leader[1][8][13].

Meanwhile, LWSC continues to face operational challenges under Ali’s leadership. Despite claims of progress, the corporation remains reliant on external funding from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) to pay salaries—a clear sign of financial instability. Critics argue that this dependence contradicts Ali’s assertions of improved efficiency at LWSC [5][12].

With mounting water and sanitation challenges, this public feud does little to inspire confidence in LWSC’s ability to deliver results. Whether it is Ali or Hilton who deserves credit for past achievements, what matters now is action—not rhetoric—to ensure Liberians have access to clean water. The time for political posturing is over; Liberia needs leadership that delivers tangible progress for its people [6][11].

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Additional Sources

[1] https://reports231.com/mohammed-ali-admits-to-misleading-the-public/

[2] https://www.faapa.info/en/mca-l-lwsc-launch-us18m-raw-water-pipeline/

[3] https://www.wvi.org/sites/default/files/WASH%20Hilton%20In%20Practice%20Paper.pdf

[4] https://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099101524120018443/pdf/P155947-ff29326c-bd9c-4d04-bd1d-9df9564f20e9.pdf

[5] https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberia-lwsc-managing-director-outlines-challenges-says-70-year-old-transmission-lines-hampering-water-supply/

[6] https://www.ijeast.com/papers/53-60,Tesma609,IJEAST.pdf

[7] https://analystliberiaonline.com/striving-for-a-sustainable-efficient-lwsc-managing-director-mo-ali-lays-out-his-admins-plans/

[8] https://thenewsnewspaperonline.com/mo-ali-liedabout-depth-of-mini-water-supply-project/

[9] https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099152002162317037/pdf/P155947039845b07e0bc1306f322232c9b9.pdf

[10] https://liberianinvestigator.com/news/14000-customers-less-than-5000-pay-water-bills-says-lwsc-boss-mo-ali/

[11] https://allafrica.com/stories/202412100540.html

[12] https://thenewdawnliberia.com/mo-ali-complains-of-huge-staff-list-at-lwsc/

[13] https://smartnewsliberia.com/transparency-at-stake-mo-ali-under-fire-for-alleged-inflation-of-costs-in-bopolu-water-supply-project/

[14] https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberia-cdcs-mcarthur-hilton-renovates-party-headquarters-in-mont-co-district-11%EF%BF%BC/

[15] https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/599541548555523869/pdf/Project-Information-Document-Integrated-Safeguards-Data-Sheet-Liberia-Urban-Water-Supply-Project-Additional-Financing-P169031.pdf

[16] https://smartnewsliberia.com/pac-scrutinizes-auditors-report-on-lwsc-and-clsg-re-projects/

[17] https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/world-bank-approves-us20m-grant-for-liberia-water-and-sewer-corporation/

[18] https://lwsc.gov.lr

[19] https://verityonlinenews.com/mo-ali-under-scrutiny-for-250k-bopolu-water-project/

[20] https://cct.cental.org.lr/case/rl-by-thru-the-lacc-v-duannah-kamara-et-al-of-lwsc/

[21] https://siwi.org/latest/liberian-senate-passes-water-supply-sanitation-act/

[22] https://allafrica.com/stories/202504090133.html

[23] https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/812821557782718383/pdf/Project-Information-Document-Integrated-Safeguards-Data-Sheet-Liberia-Urban-Water-Supply-Project-Additional-Financing-P169031.pdf

[24] https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/259501468266709647/liberia-urban-water-supply-project-environmental-and-social-impact-assessment

[25] https://dubawa.org/misleading-liberia-has-not-secured-3-1-billion-dollars-from-the-china-africa-summit/

[26] https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/434861550629914423/resettlement-policy-framework

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