Africa-Press – Liberia. Commerce and Industry Minister Magdalene Ellen Dagoseh has come under mounting public scrutiny following revelations that her ministry authorized an expenditure of nearly US$429,000 for renovation works at the Monrovia Industrial Park (MIP) — less than two months before the end of the 2025 fiscal year.
Documents and internal correspondence obtained by FrontPageAfrica reveal that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) issued and signed a resolution approving the large-scale expenditure for renovation and related works at the Industrial Park.
The project is reportedly being executed by Wreyou Construction Company, a Grand Bassa County–based firm that has been linked to the construction of an event center allegedly owned by Minister Dagoseh in the same county.
Multiple sources within the Ministry disclosed that renovation work began at the park a month before the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) granted formal approval for the project. According to these sources, the PPCC only issued authorization on Friday, October 31, 2025, several weeks after work had already commenced — suggesting a breach of procurement regulations.
Officials familiar with the process told FrontPageAfrica that the PPCC initially rejected the Ministry’s submission due to the absence of a valid Board Resolution, a mandatory requirement under the administrative regulations governing the park.
In response to the rejection, Minister Dagoseh reportedly convened a fast-tracked board meeting on Friday, October 24, during which a resolution was hurriedly signed by a limited number of individuals present.
However, several senior government officials whose names appear on the resolution — including the Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), the Minister of Justice, and the Minister of Finance and Development Planning — have denied participating in the meeting or authorizing anyone to sign on their behalf.
Their denials have fueled serious doubts about the authenticity of the resolution and the legality of the procurement process.
Despite these unresolved issues, work on the renovation project is reportedly ongoing. Contractors have already dismantled the roof of one of the Ministry’s offices at the park and commenced additional construction activities — even though the expenditure had not received the required approval from the Minister of Finance.
Under existing financial regulations, the consent of the Minister of Finance is mandatory for any public expenditure, especially given that the Finance Minister also sits on the Industrial Park’s Board.
Officials from both the LRA and the Ministry of Justice have reportedly distanced themselves from the resolution, describing the signatures on the document as those of unauthorized proxies.
Sources further allege that Minister Dagoseh, through her Deputy Minister for Administration, bribed several proxy representatives to attend the hastily arranged board meeting and sign the resolution without the consent of their institutional heads — a move that has raised further questions about the credibility and legality of the process.
Several heads of government institutions represented on the Industrial Park Board confirmed to FrontPageAfrica that they were unaware of any official resolution granting the Minister authority to spend nearly half a million dollars so close to the fiscal year’s end.
Legal experts who reviewed the resolution document described it as irregular and questionable, noting that the names of several board members were omitted, dates were missing beside signatures, and the Minister of Finance’s signature was absent.
Governance experts and civil society organizations have warned that executing such a large expenditure near the close of the fiscal year undermines sound financial management and could damage public trust in the government’s commitment to transparency.
They argue that the timing and questionable approval process risk tarnishing the image of President Joseph Boakai’s administration, which has consistently emphasized accountability and anti-corruption as key pillars of governance.
The controversy also unfolds as the General Auditing Commission (GAC) conducts an ongoing comprehensive audit of the Monrovia Industrial Park’s operations — further heightening calls for scrutiny.
Critics have additionally flagged the alleged connection between Wreyou Construction Company and the Minister’s personal construction project in Grand Bassa as a potential conflict of interest, undermining transparency and violating ethical standards expected of public officials.
Several civil society groups and political commentators are now calling for the immediate suspension of the renovation project and a full-scale investigation by the PPCC, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), and the GAC.
They have also urged President Boakai to intervene swiftly to prevent potential misuse of public funds and to reaffirm his administration’s pledge to integrity, accountability, and transparent governance.
When contacted, The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) has taken note of a story published by several media institutions titled “Commerce Minister Under Scrutiny for US$429,000 Industrial Park Renovation.” The Ministry wishes to categorically clarify and correct the misinformation contained in the said publications regarding the Monrovia Industrial Park (MIP) rehabilitation initiative.
Background of the Monrovia Industrial Park (MIP).
The Monrovia Industrial Park was established by an Act of the National Legislature in February 1966, which authorized the expropriation of 1,112 acres of land between the Mesurado River Bridge and the Gardnersville access road for the development of an industrial estate to host local and foreign manufacturers.
Over the years, significant encroachment reduced the original size of the Park to approximately 200 acres, currently occupied by small and medium industrial enterprises producing essential commodities such as nails, flour, paint, oxygen, and steel rods.
In 2017, an Administrative Regulation issued by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf transferred oversight of the Monrovia Industrial Park (MIP) from the National Investment Commission (NIC) to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI). This transfer aimed to strengthen coordination between Liberia’s industrial and trade policies and enhance effective oversight of the Park’s development and sustainability.
Governance of the Monrovia Industrial Park.
The MIP, according to the Ministry, is governed by an Inter-Agency Advisory Board established under Section 5.1 of the Administrative Regulation. The Board comprises representatives from key ministries and agencies, including the Ministries of Commerce and Industry, Finance and Development Planning, Public Works, Justice, Labor, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Investment Commission, the Liberia Business Association, the Liberia Revenue Authority, and the Liberia Chamber of Commerce.
The Board is responsible for approving all financial and operational decisions relating to the Park, including maintenance, security, sanitation, and infrastructure development. As provided under Section 5.2 of the Regulation, a minimum of seven (7) members constitutes a quorum for any official decision.
Upon review of past audit reports and preliminary findings from the ongoing audit, the new leadership of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry observed two key recurring issues since 2017 when the MIP Fund was transferred to MOCI:
That the Fund should be strictly used for the development, security, sanitation, and general upkeep of the MIP; and
That all funding decisions must be approved by the Inter-Agency Advisory Board prior to implementation.
In response to urgent complaints from Park tenants and users regarding the deplorable condition of the facility—including lack of security, electricity, waste management, and exposure to encroachment—the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, on October 7, 2025, wrote to all Board Members through their respective heads, inviting them to an emergency meeting of the Board.
The first meeting, held on October 14, 2025, did not achieve quorum and was therefore rescheduled to October 22, 2025, when quorum was established. During this session, the Board deliberated extensively and approved an adjusted operational budget of US$429,009.00 for the last quarter of Fiscal Year 2025, to address urgent infrastructure and safety needs within the Park.
The Resolution, signed by nine (9) of the ten Board Members or their accredited representatives, approved the following priority activities:
Construction and furnishing of the MIP Office Building; Construction of Security Booths and two major gates with three smaller access gates; Renovation of the existing MIP office;
Erection of concrete wall and wire fence to secure the Park.
The Ministry said The PPCC subsequently issued its approval of the MIP procurement plan on October 30, 2025, indicating the specific procurement methods and timelines.
Contrary to the media report, no contract has been awarded to any construction company, and no construction work has commenced at the Monrovia Industrial Park. The Ministry has only prepared the Expression of Interest (EOI) documents for publication in the local dailies on Monday, November 3, 2025, in line with the PPCC-approved process.
All procurement activities, according to the Ministry, remain at the planning and compliance stage, consistent with the PPCC regulations. The Ministry reiterates that it has fully complied with all legal and administrative procedures, and the Inter-Agency Advisory Board remains the sole approving authority for all funding and project implementation decisions related to the MIP.
The Ministry further clarifies that all communications and invitations were addressed to the heads of the respective institutions represented on the Board. Some officials attended the October 22, 2025 meeting alongside their designated representatives. The Ministry has received no formal communication from any member institution disputing the authority of its representative or the validity of their signatures on the approved Resolution.
Additionally, while the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning did not have a representative at the meeting, the Administrative Regulation governing the Board explicitly provides that a quorum of seven members—not specific institutions—is sufficient for binding decision-making. Therefore, the Resolution passed on October 22, 2025, was legally valid and procedurally sound.
Call for Responsible and Accurate Reporting.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has invited all media institutions and civil society organizations to visit the Monrovia Industrial Park to independently verify that no construction is ongoing. The Ministry remains committed to transparency, accountability, and adherence to the rule of law in all its operations.
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