MONROVIA, September 7, 2026 — Some contractors at the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) are calling on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to intervene at the regulatory agency, citing prolonged contractual employment and raising concerns over allegations of financial impropriety at the institution.
The concerns emerged last week when journalists visited the LTA and were taken on a tour of telecommunications infrastructure, including a fiber cable point near the Barclay Training Center and another location on Broad Street near the United Bank for Africa.
According to an LTA official, the tour was later cut short after LTA Chairman Clarence K. Massaquoi was reportedly called to the Executive Mansion for a meeting with President Boakai.
However, some employees and contractors who spoke with journalists during the visit questioned the current leadership’s presentation of the fiber infrastructure, claiming that much of the work had been completed under previous administrations, including that of former LTA Chairperson Angelique Weeks.
“Most of that work was done during Madam Weeks’ administration and other commissioners. Commissioner Massaquoi only got there recently. We think he is trying to claim credit,” one employee said, requesting anonymity for fear of possible retaliation.
The workers also raised concerns about their employment status, with some saying they have worked at the LTA for more than a year without being absorbed as permanent employees.
“We have been here for over a year as contractors. Each time we ask about permanent employment, they say there is no money. Yet we see how much revenue is coming in,” one contractor said.
Several of the contractors declined to be identified, saying they feared losing their jobs if they publicly criticized the institution’s leadership.
An LTA official, who also requested anonymity, rejected suggestions that management was ignoring the contractors’ concerns and said efforts were being made to gradually absorb some of them into the workforce.
“We are gradually absorbing them into the system,” the official said, while dismissing the complaints as coming from only a few contractors.
The Liberia Telecommunications Authority, established under the Telecommunications Act of 2007, is responsible for regulating Liberia’s telecommunications sector. The agency is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners appointed by the President.
The contractors’ complaints come as the LTA faces separate public allegations concerning its financial dealings with NMBTEL, a company contracted to provide telecommunications traffic-monitoring services.
Journalist Alfred Togba has accused the LTA of making payments to NMBTEL despite allegations that the company performed little or no work for several months.
Chairman Massaquoi has denied wrongdoing and maintained that NMBTEL has fulfilled its contractual obligations.
The allegations have also attracted the attention of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC). LACC Chairperson Cllr. Alexandra Zoe has said the Commission is assessing the matter to determine whether grounds exist for a formal investigation.
No finding of corruption against Massaquoi or the LTA has been announced, and the allegations remain unproven.
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