Published: July 21, 2025
MONROVIA – A senior member of Liberia’s ruling Unity Party and former Deputy Transport Minister, J. Ebenezer Kolliegbo, is urging lawmakers to immediately reassess and suspend a controversial 25-year concession agreement that outsources the country’s driver’s license and vehicle registration services to a private foreign firm.
In a strongly worded open letter addressed to the Transport and Security Committees of both Houses of the Legislature, Kolliegbo described the deal with Liberia Traffic Management (LTM) as a “dangerous precedent” that threatens national sovereignty, undermines revenue generation, and risks the livelihoods of hundreds of Liberian workers.
“This is about Liberia—not politics,” Kolliegbo wrote. “We must place national interest above party loyalty and prevent the commodification of our sovereignty.”
Revenue Surrender and Job Losses Feared
Under the current terms of the deal, Kolliegbo revealed, LTM would receive 70 percent of revenue generated from license and registration services, while the Liberian government would retain just 30 percent—despite bearing the brunt of infrastructure and operational costs.
“This is not a fair deal,” he warned. “It risks displacing over 300 Liberians currently employed by the Motor Vehicle Division at the Ministry of Transport.”
Kolliegbo, who served in government from 2009 to 2017, said the arrangement amounts to outsourcing a core regulatory function of the state to a private entity with little regard for long-term public interest.
He also raised alarm over potential national security implications. “Licensing and vehicle registration are not just revenue functions—they are tied to law enforcement, border control, and citizen safety. Outsourcing this function opens the door to significant data and security vulnerabilities,” he said.
Calls for Public Sector Alternative
Instead of conceding such vital services to a foreign operator, Kolliegbo proposed the creation of a Liberian-owned and operated Motor Vehicle Authority (MVA) under the Ministry of Transport. This state-run agency, he argued, could retain full revenue, uphold transparency, and safeguard jobs while modernizing public service delivery.
“No other country has outsourced such essential regulatory duties to foreign firms in this fashion,” he noted. “To do so would create a precedent that could pave the way for privatizing other national functions—passport issuance, national identification, and more.”
Kolliegbo’s letter, dated July 21, comes amid growing unease over Liberia’s reliance on private concessions for public service delivery. Civil society groups have also expressed concern over the opaque nature of the LTM agreement and the speed at which it was approved.
Not a Rebuke of President Boakai, But His Advisors
While distancing his critique from President Joseph Boakai, Kolliegbo made it clear that his opposition to the deal stems from concerns over those advising the President.
“This is not an attack on the President. It is a challenge to those within his circle who continue to promote foreign interests over national ones,” he stated. “The Boakai administration campaigned on accountability and patriotism. This deal betrays both.”
Kolliegbo reaffirmed his loyalty to the Unity Party but called on fellow partisans and lawmakers to act in defense of national sovereignty and economic self-determination.
“This deal does not reflect the values our party claims to uphold,” he wrote. “The Legislature must step in—pause this agreement and launch a full, independent investigation into its approval and the interests behind it.”
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