PRESIDENT JOSEPH NYUMA Boakai’s recent decision to suspend the Traffic Monitoring and Revenue Assurance Contract between the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) and Telecom International Alliance (TIA) has opened a troubling legal and constitutional debate.
BY EXECUTIVE ORDER No. 154, issued on October 31, 2025, President Boakai halted implementation of the multi-million-dollar concession, citing alleged procurement fraud, audit findings, and recommendations from the General Auditing Commission (GAC), Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), and the LTA Board of Commissioners.
THE EXECUTIVE ORDER instructs the LTA to “desist from further implementation” of the agreement and mandates the Ministry of Justice to pursue legal action “in accordance with the Penal Code and the rule of law.” It further directs the LTA and PPCC to identify a new “qualified service provider” to ensure continuity in traffic monitoring services.
WHILE THE PRESIDENT’S anti-corruption posture may appear decisive, the move raises profound legal and constitutional questions—chief among them: Can the Executive unilaterally suspend a concession that was ratified by the Legislature and validated by the Justice Ministry?
DOCUMENTS IN FRONTPAGE Africa’s possession reveal that the Ministry of Justice—under the Boakai administration—had already issued a legal opinion in October 2024 affirming that the TIA agreement was “legal, valid, and enforceable.”
THE OPINION, PREPARED by Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs, Cllr. Charles D.F. Karmo, concluded that the 2022 Amended and Restated TIA Concession was “a formal legislative statute” with the same legal force as the PPCC Act. It held that once a concession is ratified and enacted into law, it can only be invalidated by a court of competent jurisdiction, not by Executive fiat.
BY IGNORING THIS opinion—and effectively overruling it—President Boakai’s Executive Order ventures into dangerous constitutional territory, undermining the principle of separation of powers and the sanctity of legislative acts.
A LEGAL AND POLITICAL TIGHTROPE
THE TIA CONCESSION, first awarded in 2018 and later amended and ratified in 2022, was designed to strengthen Liberia’s capacity to monitor telecommunications traffic and combat revenue leakages. The agreement, which underwent legislative scrutiny and was printed into handbill, bears all the hallmarks of a duly constituted law.
IF INDEED THERE were procurement irregularities, the proper legal course would be to seek judicial review—not to suspend a law through Executive action. The Justice Ministry’s own opinion made this clear: until a court rules otherwise, the concession remains “legal and binding.”
BY SIDESTEPPING THAT process, the President risks setting a precedent that could discourage future investors. If a ratified concession can be overturned at will, the predictability and stability that foreign investors rely upon may quickly erode.
THE SHADOW OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE
EQUALLY CONCERNING ARE reports of political interference and lobbying by individuals close to the President who are allegedly pushing to replace TIA with another company. Whether substantiated or not, such reports only deepen public suspicion that the Executive Order may be driven by vested interests rather than a neutral pursuit of accountability.
IF THE ADMINISTRATION’S goal is truly to fight corruption, the process must be transparent, lawful, and grounded in evidence—not in political maneuvering or external pressure. Anything less risks compromising the very rule of law the President has vowed to uphold.
A LOOMING LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL TEST
PRESIDENT BOAKAI’S ORDER has placed his administration at a legal crossroads. On one hand, it signals a determination to address corruption and procurement malpractice. On the other, it exposes the government to potential lawsuits, constitutional challenges, and diplomatic embarrassment—particularly given TIA’s status as a U.S.-based entity.
LEGAL SCHOLARS HAVE already warned that halting a legislatively ratified agreement without court intervention is unconstitutional. If TIA chooses to pursue legal redress, the government could face costly litigation and reputational damage in international investment circles.
UPHOLD THE RULE OF LAW
THE ESSENCE OF democratic governance lies not merely in fighting corruption, but in doing so within the bounds of law. Liberia’s fragile investment climate cannot withstand actions that undermine legislative authority or disregard the country’s own legal opinions.
PRESIDENT BOAKAI MUST therefore ensure that his administration’s anti-corruption efforts do not morph into executive overreach. The Constitution is clear: laws can only be nullified through legislative act or the courts.
ANYTHING LESS NOT only weakens the rule of law but jeopardizes the very credibility of the administration’s reform agenda.
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