Africa-Press – Liberia. There is an old adage, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” More and more this adage appears to be increasing, something which suits the ruling Unity Party (UP) government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
He and his “rescue” government came to power going on to two years now, vowing to robustly fight corruption, fight impunity, kick against bad governance traits such as lack of transparency and accountability.
In fact, this government came into power after winning the 2023 election on the mantra that “there will be no more business as usual”.
Issues: Yellow machine saga, GTMS contract, Contract with an Indian company to manage LIS alien registration; ostentatious spending—buying of US1.3M Lexus luxury jeeps for the Liberian leader, use of private jet by the President.
The “Gentleman Agreement” that Nearly Robbed Liberia of Millions” was how prominent Liberian political activist and one of the stalwarts of Boakai’s 2023 election campaigners, Martin Kollie put it in a comprehensive investigative piece he published back in April this year. The shadowy Yellow machine, which the Executive Mansion reveal even without due diligence or legal ratification, saw the UP government later flip-flopping amid huge public backlash saying that the previously negotiated price has dropped from $84 million to $22 million. “The fact that the price could fall so drastically proves, without a doubt, that someone tried to rob Liberia of more than $60 million. No honest mistake could explain such a drop,” the top political activist said.
Mr. Martin Kollie added: “This isn’t just a case of sloppy governance. It is a blueprint for daylight robbery, concealed behind patriotic language and informal handshakes, while powerful individuals—many of them unelected or without formal procurement authority—maneuvered to push the deal through with alarming determination, despite violating nearly every rule in Liberia’s public procurement laws [1][3][12].” https://newspublictrust.com/boakais-controversial-yellow-machines-deal-a-gentlemans-agreement-that-breaks-ppcc-law
The Controversial Traffic Management deal with a Lebanese company
Now, the latest saga of bogus deal and a manifestation of bad governance practices is the controversial outsourcing Liberia’s Traffic Management Services by hiring a Lebanese company in which there is no public record of due diligence being fulfilled in the deal with the LTM so far.
LTM usurping the statutory role and authority of the Ministry of Transport, putting the jobs of up to two hundred Transport Ministry workers in jeopardy
Undermining the country’s national security
The LTM deal is coming under mounting public criticisms, not only from the opposition community but a cross-section of Liberians who are worried about the future health of good governance in Liberia.
In recent days, more opposition continues to be publicly expressed against the contract the Liberia National Police (LNP) has with a foreign company, outsourcing the country’s Traffic Management Services to the Liberia Traffic Management Services, Inc. (LTML), buttressing recent alarm raised by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defense, Intelligence and Security, Lofa County Senator Momo Cyrus. Ex-Deputy Min. In Ellen Regime Backs Sen. Momo Cyrus’s Opposition To Outsourcing Liberia Traffic Management Services – News Public Trust
”In my capacity as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defense, Intelligence, Security and Veteran Affairs, and in keeping with the oversight responsibilities assigned to this committee, I respectfully request the endorsement of Plenary to invite the Minister of Justice and Attorney General along with the Inspector General of the Liberia National Police to appear before the Liberian Senate to address mounting national security concerns surrounding the recent outsourcing of core traffic management services to a private, foreign-controlled entity, namely Liberia Traffic Management, Inc. (LTMI),” Sen. Cyrus said in the Senate plenary in Monrovia.
Also, the former Deputy Transport Minister, J. Ebenezer Kolliegbo who is a stalwart of the ruling Unity Party (UP), has also raised serious concern about the LTM deal in question, arguing that while proponents claim the move is part of modernization efforts, the lack of transparency surrounding the process raises suspicion of a more troubling agenda.
“These tasks have been traditionally and legally the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport. The lack of transparency surrounding the shift suggests something deeper—and more troubling—may be at play,” the former Deputy Transport Minister stated.
The ruling Unity Part Executive Member, Kolliegbo has also writtern a letter to the Liberian Senate Against the LTM Contract, saying that some officials in this “rescue” government “Continue To Ill-Advise The President And Prioritize Their Personal Interests”. Ruling UP Executive Member Writes Letter Liberian Senate Against LTM Contract – News Public Trust
Latest unconfirmed reports say the Traffic Management deal has since been consummated and that the Lebanese-owned company has already begun issuing driver’s licenses and vehicle registration documents in partnership with the Liberia National Police headed by LNP Inspector General, Gregory Coleman.
So far, IG Coleman is yet to officially react to the mounting criticisms and security concerns expressed against the deal with the Traffic Management Services, Inc. (LTML).
Citizens also disgusted about the LTM deal, TRC Report on Liberian politicians greed for power & wealth
Some of Liberian citizens see what’s playing out with the LTM deal as typical action of politicians in Liberia who preach integrity, transparency and accountability when in opposition but engage in cutting the same bogus deals when in power—with the common denominator being greed, personal aggrandizement and kickbacks to line their pockets
And the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report published in 2009 identified greed for power and wealth as one of the leading underlying cause of Liberia’s 14 years of fratricidal civil war that claimed the lives of some 250,00 people. xxx
One Liberians said recently on one of the local radio stations, that the bottom line behind most of the bogus deals is greed for money, which the Holy Bible warns that “the love of money is the root of all evils”.
Reflection on similar past deals: APM Terminal agreement, GTMS Cargo tracking agreement, etc.
Years back during the first Unity Party government, an international Moore Stephens audit report concluded that out of 68 concession agreements signed by the Liberian government, only two were legally flawed. The report revealed significant violations of Liberia’s laws that the government urgently needs to address the bad agreements at the time, 2013. (Ref: Liberian Government Publishes Landmark Resource Audit, but Urgently Needs to Address Findings – allAfrica.com
In fact, before leaving office in 2018, Africa’s first elected female President graciously admitted that she had lost the fight against corruption saying that this menace had become a vampire in Liberia. This obtained during her regime, although she had 12 years earlier vilified the government of her predecessor, the late transitional government head Gyude Bryant who saw himself and other officials arrested and incarcerated for alleged corruption by the UP regime.
Continuing some of the bad governance trend of the previous first Unity Party government of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, her successor, ex-President George Manneh Weah didn’t do any better in fighting corruption, bad governance and cutting good deals in the ultimate interest of ordinary citizens. Power holders emerged with the biggest dividends.
So once again, this West African nation of Liberia continues to be haunted by bogus deals, one government after another. Well, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Boakai government’s election mantra that “there will no more be business as usual” has been reduced to just a slogan and the words are not translating into deeds.
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