President Boakai’s ruling Unity Party wants the President to swiftly act on the audit reports linking the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) to corruption.
By Stephen G. Fellajuah
Monrovia, Liberia, January 24, 2025 – The ruling Unity Party (UP) urges President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to take swift action following an audit report from the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA).
The party wants President Boakai to exert pressure on Justice Minister Oswald Tweh and other relevant government bodies to prosecute officials found responsible for corruption.
The appeal aims to ensure accountability and transparency in the wake of the audit findings.
A compliance audit of a Special Investigation at the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) conducted by the General Auditing Commission (GAC) revealed that the LTA failed to remit government revenue and illegally awarded its headquarters construction contract.
The compliance audit for the year January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, was conducted in compliance with relevant laws and regulations consistent with the Auditor General’s mandate as provided for in Section 2.1.3 of the GAC Act of 2014, as well as in accordance with other relevant laws.
The UP acknowledges the government’s efforts in combating corruption but emphasizes a need for President Boakai to take decisive action on the audit reports, particularly regarding the LTA, noting that the LTA’s audit findings have been widely discussed in public.
During a press conference at the Unity Party headquarters in Monrovia on January 22, 2025, National Chairman Rev. Luther Tarpeh pointed out that the audit report implicated the suspended Commissioner and Acting Chairperson of the LTA, Abdullah Kamara, in the mismanagement of funds.
He emphasizes the need for fairness and consistency in addressing findings of the audit to ensure accountability.
“We call on you, Mr. President, to look into this audit report and all those implicated in these various audit reports submitted by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and the Ministry of Justice. We kindly urge that you investigate and subsequently prosecute any member of the government who tries to steal from the Liberian people”, Tarpeh urges.
He warns that if President Boakai fails to hold public officials accountable, the Liberian people will not only be disappointed but their hope will also be dashed, noting that swift and decisive action is necessary to restore public trust and demonstrate the government’s commitment to fighting corruption.
Chairman Tarpeh also calls for an intensified fight against narcotics in Liberia, urging the government to be proactive and genuine in its efforts as it enters its second year.
He says drug cartels, who are ruining the future of the younger generation, must be dealt with severely through the country’s laws.
Subsequently, he points out that drug-related issues in the ghettos, which were multiplied under the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government, remain persistent.
According to him, the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) should take serious action against the drug menace while calling for monitoring of school campuses and involvement from community leadership and local officials to fight this societal problem.
Regarding unemployment, Tarpeh cautions the government to address the growing frustration among its partisans, who helped bring it to power but are now unemployed.
“Citizens are increasingly losing patience and want basic needs like food, education, and healthcare to be met”, he notes, and calls for leaders to work harder to meet these expectations.
Additionally, he issued a stern warning to the President, stating that any official who is not performing to support the success of the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) should be fired and replaced.
He reiterates, ”The Liberian people expect concrete actions, not political promises.”
Tarpeh urges government officials to perform above and beyond to ensure the agenda’s success and improve ordinary citizens’ lives. Editing by Jonathan Browne
