The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) has strongly rejected a recent publication by Front Page Africa alleging that its Managing Director, Rudolph Merab, opposed the gazettement of the proposed Foya National Park.
The FDA described the February 5, 2026, article as “false, misleading, and intended to tarnish the reputation of the Managing Director while discrediting Liberia’s forest sector internationally.”
The contested report claimed that Merab had steered the FDA away from its long-standing “3Cs” approach—Conservation, Commercial, and Community forestry—toward commercial logging alone. It further alleged that FDA management told community dwellers that only logging revenues could finance road construction in the district, urging them to deprioritize conservation.
In a detailed response, the FDA dismissed these claims as fabricated. The agency clarified that on January 31, 2026, it convened a daylong forum in Kumbor Town, Komgba District, Gbarpolu County, to solicit citizens’ views on government’s proposal to declare the Foya landscape a protected park.
The meeting was marked by protests from youth groups opposing the designation. However, FDA emphasized that at no point did Merab suggest logging as the sole means of financing infrastructure, nor did he halt project implementation in the area, as alleged.
According to FDA, following the divergent views expressed by youth, women, chiefs, and elders, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Francis Sakila Nyumalin, requested Merab to accompany him in briefing President Joseph N. Boakai on the community’s position. Until that meeting with the President occurs, participants agreed that ongoing projects related to the gazettement of Foya would be placed on hold. “This decision was not made by MD Merab, contrary to FPA’s report,” the FDA stressed.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to the “3Cs” framework, underscoring that conservation remains central to its mandate. As evidence, FDA cited ongoing efforts under Merab’s leadership to remove illegal occupants from Sapo National Park in Sinoe County, a move it described as a clear demonstration of prioritizing conservation.
“Improving the livelihoods of community dwellers and strengthening the forest sector remain key priorities,” FDA noted, adding that livelihood concerns are cardinal to both national government and implementing partners. The agency insisted that Merab’s management team would never support commercial logging at the expense of conservation and community interests.
Calling the Front-Page Africa report “unethical and unverified,” FDA urged the newspaper’s management to retract the story. The agency maintained that Liberia’s forest governance must be reported with accuracy and responsibility, given its implications for international partnerships and national development.
