-Gets Senate Confirmation As Deputy Minister for Urban Affairs
MONROVIA – The Liberian Senate on Tuesday confirmed Fatima Bintu Sirleaf as Deputy Minister for Urban Affairs, a decision that has ignited controversy after she was found to have misrepresented her academic credentials during the confirmation process. The appointment was approved with 17 votes in favor, despite a cloud of scrutiny over whether her qualifications align with the role.
The confirmation follows a contentious hearing where Madam Sirleaf claimed to hold a Master’s degree with a “minor in Urban Development,” a statement that subsequent investigations have challenged.
During her initial appearance before the Senate Committee on Local Government, Madam Sirleaf presented herself as a holder of a Master’s in Social Work with an emphasis in Mental Health and Substance Abuse and a “Minor in Urban Development” from Kean University in the United States.
However, an investigation by this publication revealed that Kean University’s Social Work curriculum does not offer a course or program titled “Urban Development,” and graduate-level “minors” are not a standard feature of its academic structure. Madam Sirleaf offered a clarification to local media, walking back her initial claim. She stated that while her degree does not formally list a minor, her studies included internships and projects related to urban issues.
“In my third and fourth semesters, I did mental health and substance abuse… As senior students, we advised developers to create low-income housing,” she explained. “My degree won’t show that I did mental health and substance abuse, but I specialized and did a whole year emphasizing those areas, which included wraparound services touching on urban development.”
Even before the academic controversy, lawmakers questioned the fit between Madam Sirleaf’s social work background and the demands of the Urban Affairs portfolio. Senator J. Gblehbo Brown, Co-Chairman of the Senate Committee, pointedly asked if her expertise in mental health and substance abuse made her “better placed or misplaced” for a role focused on urban planning and development.
In her response, Madam Sirleaf argued that her background equipped her to address the human impact of urbanization. “I believe that with urban development as my minor, it helped me change lives… I can educate people about building rehab centers in our cities,” she stated.
The decision to confirm Madam Sirleaf comes amid revelations that the Senate is reconsidering other presidential nominees previously rejected for being “misplaced”—assigned to roles mismatched with their expertise. This context makes Madam Sirleaf’s confirmation, and the unusual step of a second hearing, particularly notable to political observers.
The move has sparked debate among the public and within the Liberian diaspora, with many questioning the message it sends about accountability and qualifications for high public office.
With her confirmation now secured, Madam Sirleaf assumes her role at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, tasked with managing Liberia’s complex urban challenges, but she begins her tenure under the shadow of the very questions about credibility and competence that the Senate confirmation process is designed to resolve.
