By: Joseph Kerkula
Aggrieved employees at Liberia’s Ministry of Transport staged a protest on Tuesday, drawing the attention of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to what they described as an “illegal agreement” recently signed by the government with a foreign company.
According to the protesters, the Ministry has unlawfully handed over key duties and responsibilities to a Lebanese-owned company, Liberia Traffic Management, without following proper procedures or consulting internal stakeholders.
Speaking to reporters during the protest, Edwina Dahn, Director of Customer Service at the Ministry of Transport, said the agreement was signed without any form of consultation with Ministry staff or oversight by the Legislature.
She explained that the 25-year deal grants Liberia Traffic Management broad control over services that were previously the responsibility of Ministry employees.
Director Dahn disclosed that, under the terms of the agreement, the Lebanese firm is expected to provide the Liberian government with USD 40 million over the 25-year period.
However, she noted with concern that the Ministry itself is only projected to generate USD 11 million during the same timeframe ; a figure she believes is significantly lower than the Ministry’s full potential.
“This deal strips the Ministry of its core functions,” Dahn said. “It was done without our input, without proper legal processes, and with clear disregard for the staff who have built and managed these systems over the years”? She noted
Also addressing the media after the demonstration, Shadrach Brown, Director of Press and Public Affairs at the Ministry, described the situation as both alarming and unacceptable.
He emphasized that the Ministry of Transport is a major revenue-generating institution for the country, and any decision to outsource its functions should be made with transparency and the consent of relevant authorities.
“Selling off the Ministry’s core operations without approval from top-level officials or the Legislature raises serious legal and ethical concerns,” Brown said. “This agreement violates the principles of transparency and is in direct contradiction with Liberia’s liberalization policy, which is intended to promote fair competition and local empowerment — not foreign monopolies”, he maintained.
Meanwhile, The protesting employees are calling on President Boakai to immediately review and possibly revoke the agreement, warning that failure to do so may lead to further actions.
