In Whose Interests: Walter B. Skinner, his Friends, or The Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta (LAMA)? Of Two Soccer Legends

Monday, June 22, 2009    

Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh

     When he appeared at the May 2009 inaugural ceremonies of the “Greenvillian,” or Greenville Development Association – an offshoot of the poorly run Sinoe County Association in the Americas (SCAA) in Atlanta, Walter B. Skinner, President of the Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta (LAMA), made a bold and startling announcement that raised the eyebrows of many in the audience.

     Mr. Skinner announced to the group that any Liberian who is having problem paying his/her energy bill should contact him, because the Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta (LAMA) he heads would pay that person’s energy bill.

                                  LAMA President Walter B. Skinner

     It was a bold announcement; the first of its kind in the community, and the question that came to mind immediately was where did Walter Skinner get the money which he wants to pay the utility bills of an entire group in the Liberian community from?

     The funds the Liberian Community president had in mind came from Partnership for Community Action, Inc., a grass root organization in metro Atlanta, whose mission, according to the group’s website is to “strengthen individuals and families” and to “transition them from poverty to self-sufficiency through community-based partnership, low – income housing and advocacy.”

     So how did this marriage of convenience between Walter Skinner and Partnership for Community Action, Inc., come about? Is the “energy assistance program” the creative maneuvering of Walter Skinner? Did it require the use of LAMA’s 501c3 tax-exempt status to qualify for such program? Did Skinner come clean with the community during its monthly meeting when he told the body about the project? Then why was the association given a meager $345.70 in return while Skinner was paid $900.00? 

     If the deal wasn’t a community project, how come Skinner and his group did not seek to use their own tax-exempt status to secure the funds? Who was the group's employer, if not LAMA? Is it legal for one group to conveniently use (borrow) the tax-exempt status of another group to achieve its own selfish monetary interests? How did LAMA benefit from this deal?

     It all started, according to Paul Muah, Chairman, LAMA’s Board of Directors when an unnamed lady recommended Walter Skinner to President/CEO Mohammad Saleem, when Saleem, who had this surplus grant money was looking for ways to get rid of the funds before the old grant year ends and the new grant season begins. So when Skinner met Saleem and made his pitch, it was a perfect match and the right time to embark on such project.

     When I interviewed President/CEO Mohammad Saleem for this article, he cited “contracted relationship” between his organization and the Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta (LAMA), and told me he instructed Skinner, the representative of the community to go to neighborhoods and churches to recruit potential applicants for the energy assistance program, after the latter presented a proposal to the group’s leader in the community association’s name to help provide energy assistance to Liberians who were finding it hard to make their monthly utility payments.

     According to President/CEO Saleem, since Walter Skinner said he represented LAMA, Saleem said he instructed Skinner to recruit potential applicants from neighborhoods and churches for which the Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta would be compensated a sum of $3.00 for every application approved by his organization. However, when Saleem was asked how many applications were approved, the President/CEO said he did not have the exact figures but it was between 1,300 – 1,500 applications “or more", and stressed "I have no control over how the checks given to Mr. Skinner were distributed."

     “After the job was complete our organization, Partnership for Community Action, Inc., handed over two checks totaling $4,403.70 to Walter Skinner in the name of the Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta,” President/CEO Mohammad Saleem said.

      As soon as Skinner received the checks he gave them to the treasurer to be deposited, but immediately (and on the spot) instructed the treasurer, Geebly Cecelia Sungbeh (my wife) to write out individual checks from the association’s account to his friends who apparently “worked for the money.” The individuals, without any delay immediately cashed the checks.

     The question is, who did these guys work for, the community or themselves? It appears the community association was robbed, its 501c3 tax-exempt status exploited, and its bank account used as a check-cashing machinery for this questionable and sleazy transaction.

     If the energy project was about the community and the checks in question were written in the name of LAMA, wouldn’t it be wise for every penny to be deposited in the association’s account until the Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta decides what it wants to do with the money, especially at a time when the community association wants to embark on securing a building (community center) project of its own? Why was Walter Skinner in so much hurry to have the checks cashed and out of the organization’s account and distributed to him and his friends?

     When community President Walter Skinner was interviewed for this article he acknowledged receiving the checks and paying his friends, but said the “individuals worked for the money.” When asked further why anyone had to be paid, or why he particularly had to be paid such exorbitant amount? He replied, “Are you able to work for an entire month for $900.00? In fact, I will not answer anymore question from you on the phone because you have an ulterior motive. If you want to know about this issue, you’ll have to come to the regular monthly community meeting.”

     The energy project – a quasi one was supposed to be about the Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta (LAMA), and some of its members who supposedly were in need of energy assistance, but it turned out was about the community’s president, Walter Skinner and some of his unemployed friends, who like the president hid behind the name of the community association to use its 501c3 tax-exempt status as a pretense to get their own quick financial relief.

     When Rev. William B. Harris, Founder/Senior Pastor, International Christian Fellowship (ICF) in Atlanta, was interviewed for this article and was asked whether what Skinner did was legal – for his shadow group to borrow/use the community’s tax-exempt status to secure funds for themselves? Or whether it was legal for one organization to (borrow) use the tax-exempt status of another organization for that group’s own agenda?

     And what if LAMA was ever audited in the future by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and couldn’t account for these funds and how they were used? Rev. Harris opined, “yes, it is not unusual for one group to use the tax-exempt status of another group," however, "I am unaware of some of the people who were paid; but we did discussed this issue during the last meeting.”

     So if the issue was discussed at the meeting like Rev. Harris said, how come the Rev. did not know who was supposed to be paid and how much money they were being paid individually?

     It appears Walter Skinner cherry picked what he wanted the community to hear or know about during the meeting, and did not come clean with the entire story. How he came up with the names and how those that supposedly worked for the energy funds and needed to be paid were selected is still a mystery.

    What Walter B. Skinner failed to realize is that LAMA is not an extension of the Liberian Ministry of Labor or his private farm, and that he and his friends took advantage of those gullible and friendly meeting-goers, who were blindsided to rubber-stamp Skinner’s latest ponzi scheme intended to put some money into he and his friend’s pockets at the expense of the community association, which was given a pittance of $345.70 (See list below).

     Chairman of LAMA’s Board of Directors, Paul Muah, who thanked President Skinner and his team “for this partnership arrangement with PCA” denied the group ever used the association’s tax-exempt status to carry out the energy project, however, single out his only regret this way. “I wish members of the Liberian community in Georgia – registered members of the association had the chance to select the individuals to work on the project and be paid for it. As it is now, it appears only friends of the president were chosen to benefit from this project, which is my only regret.”

Here are the names or “PCA Distribution” list of individuals paid, and the e-mails from the Board Chairman and President Skinner pertaining to the funds and the energy project.

Benna, Christina --------  $600.00

Expenses   --------------- $324.96

Gabbidon, Lauramae … $650.00

Kiawu, Hassan ………...$200.00

Kingdom Destiny Ministry    $150.00

LAMA …………………     $345.70

Lewis, Joan ………………   $100.00

Prevot, Rose ……………      $150.00

Ricks, Harold ………………  $700.00

Skinner, Walter B…………..   $900.00

Supplies (WFCI Tuner) ……    $33.04

World Fellowship Church, Int’l  $250.00

      Re: LAMA-PCA DISTRIBUTION‏

Mr. President,

I want to extend a personal thanks to you and your team for this partnership arrangement with PCA. If for anything, it brought an awareness that LAMA is concern about the walfare of Liberians in the community that have fallen on tough times.

 Moreover, thank you for the many hours you have put into this arrangement. I also believe that any action to get the compensation to those who sacrificed their time for this initiative should be speedy.

God bless.

~Paul

   Walter B. Skinner came to the community’s presidency almost two years ago as a protest candidate after a contentious and bitter electoral process that pitted him against incumbent Sue Yancy Williams, who went at him viciously, often calling him “corrupt, criminal" and a "thief,” because of the sleazy way in which he handled the association’s funds when he served as treasurer in her administration.

     Sue Yancy Williams even accused Skinner of opening a bank account in LAMA's name, and ordering his own ATM card in the name of the association after she told him to stop such practice, and she even also accused him of re-routing the community’s bank statement to his home address unknown to her.

     Instead of investigating the charges levied at Walter Skinner, which should have been a red flag then, many in the community including this writer ignored the serious charges and saw the incumbent as “bitter” and “combative” and decided to give Skinner a chance, especially after the challenger came across as genuine and serious about working hard to secure a community center for the Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta. After 18 months in office, the community center is still a dream and not a reality.

     The recently resigned treasurer, Geebly Cecelia Sungbeh, during an interview I had with her for this article, admits that her resignation stems from frustration and the fact that “Skinner will not leave the community’s money alone," was a catalyst for her resignation. "I was treasurer in name only because Skinner was always into the account, or always calling me constantly in the middle of the night or the early morning hours for me to issue him, this person, or that group checks for some unknown project.”

     “Another thing: Walter Skinner is always claiming that he used his own money for projects and wants me to pay him from the community’s account, after I told him over and over - repeatedly, and the community even told him “never to use his own money” to do anything for the community,” Geebly Cecelia Sungbeh said.

     “And when I refused to go along with his scheme, he often complains to the Board Chairman– at the time Robert Garguah, who would call requesting me to release the funds to the president.”

     When I informed him that I was writing this piece and would like to interview him to get his side of the story, Walter Skinner bluntly told me “you have an ulterior motive,” and if I needed information I should come to the next community meeting.

     This is not about me but the Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta (LAMA), and if we cannot maintain our community and uphold the trust and confidence of the people in our community with the little funds entrusted in our care, how in the world are we going to do the right thing in Liberia, when we are called to serve? Stay tuned!