Africa-Press – Liberia. Members of the Liberian Senate have raised serious concerns about perceived corruption and statutory violations stemming from President Joseph N. Boakai’s failure to implement the Transition Provision in the Act establishing the Ministry of Local Government, replacing the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The issue was brought to the Senate plenary on Thursday, February 19, 2026, by Bomi County Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe. The matter sparked debate among Senators, who argued that the Presidentâ€TMs alleged failure to recall Minister Francis Nyumalin and other local government officials, contrary to the transitional period mandated by the new Ministry of Local Government, which creates opportunities for corruption and hinders national development.
Minister Nyumalin and his officials avoided removal on Thursday when the presiding officer of the plenary, Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence, quickly struck her gavel, preventing a vote initiated by Senator Dillon to remove Nyumalin and stop him from acting without proper authority.
As of January 2026, Liberiaâ€TMs Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) was officially transitioned into the Ministry of Local Government, marking a significant milestone in the nationâ€TMs decentralization reforms. Driven by the 2018 Local Government Act, this transition aims to empower local communities by shifting authority from Monrovia to county administrations. The new ministry is tasked with local development, financial accountability, and peacebuilding. The Actâ€TMs transition provision requires the disbandment and renomination of all presidential appointees upon its implementation.
Speaking during the Senate plenary, Bomi County Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe, said that the Constitution of Liberia, among other things, gives power to the National Legislature to enact laws, and, based upon that, they repealed the Act establishing the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which gives rise to the creation of the Ministry of Local Government.
According to him, the Act, which was passed by the National Legislature, signed by President Joseph N. Boakai, and enacted into law, has a transitional provision that calls for the disbandment of the entire Presidential appointee.
However, Snowe lamented that, despite actions by both the Legislature and the Executive Branch, presidential appointees at the Ministry of Local Government have continued to serve indefinitely and without legal basis. He pointed out that no steps have been taken to comply with the law’s transition provision.
” Now, we don’t have any new Ministers appointed. There is also no new appointment of a superintendent or county officials regarding the establishment of the Ministry. My concern is that either you, through the Ministry, or the Senate should take the necessary action to coordinate with the Executive to ensure that what is happening is addressed. Now, we have a minister who is acting. Local official acting. Everything is just in Limbo. This is wrong. Let the transitional period provided in the law be respected,” he concluded.
For his part, Bong County Senator and Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways, Means, Finance, and Budget, Prince K. Moye, said that there are local officials who are not operating normally because they feel that the local government Ministry has been created, which has sparked debate and confusion regarding their renomination.
” This is going to stall a lot of things because if the superintendent, development officers, fiscal officers, and other local county officials do not show that they will be renominated and begin to handle all the big money in the budget for development purposes, I see the value for money not actually being actualized. So, Senator Snowe thanked you for raising this. Our objective is to bring stability to governance. If a development officer who should be putting out a bid for contractors for development is unsure whether he or she will be renominated, it causes confusion. Even the Minister himself, who is going to be presiding over a million, can’t be in transition perpetually”. He concluded.
Montserrado County Senator, Abraham Darius Dillon, said that the illegal Minister of Local Government is visiting various counties and speaking with local officials.
” I believe that he should not be acting in that position. This Senate should be deliberate in sending a clear message to the President and the Executive that he and all his officials should desist from proceeding as such until the President still wants them in the new Ministry. I’m soliciting support from the plenary by vote to send the message to the president that they are illegally acting and it has the propensity to cause corruption and stalled development,” she noted.
 But Senate Pro-Temp Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence hurriedly seized the matter and promised to engage and report to plenary.
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