MONROVIA – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has suspended James A.S. Momoh, Superintendent of the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS), without pay, pending a full and impartial investigation into damning allegations of administrative and financial misconduct. The decision, announced through an Executive Mansion press release signed by Presidential Press Secretary Atty. Kula Bonah Nyei Fofana on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, follows a troubling series of revelations involving unauthorized contracts, kickback schemes, and systemic governance failures at the nation’s largest public school system.
The President’s action comes amid growing public concern and a formal recommendation from the MCSS Board, which cited a total collapse of administrative order, unauthorized procurement decisions amounting to over US$1.6 million, and unrest among teachers and students. At the heart of the crisis is Superintendent Momoh’s unilateral decision to procure 6,500 desks and chairs at a cost of US$357,500 without budgetary approval or proper procurement procedures. The contract, signed with Ma Mus Group of Investment, reportedly obligated MCSS to a larger deal involving 22,000 chairs valued at US$1.2 million.
Another contract, valued at US$451,150 and awarded to Kpeinja Ventures Inc. for laboratory supplies and services, was signed on July 11, 2024, again without the board’s authorization. The imported equipment has remained stranded at the Freeport of Monrovia for over 100 days, with the supplier requesting a US$50,000 partial payment to prevent auctioning by customs authorities.
President Boakai’s office noted that these transactions reflect a “disturbing pattern of mismanagement and potential corruption.” In keeping with his ARREST agenda and commitment to transparency, the President has tasked the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) with leading a thorough investigation. Mr. Momoh has been instructed to fully cooperate with investigators and immediately surrender all MCSS property and documentation to the Board Chair, John-Charuk Siafa.
This suspension also follows a scathing April 28 communication from the MCSS Board to Minister of State Sylvester Grigsby, highlighting “a toxic environment” under Momoh’s leadership. The report, based on an April 22 board resolution, warned of an educational system in freefall and a looming crisis if swift executive action was not taken.
In addition to the controversial contracts, Momoh reportedly expanded the number of volunteer teachers from 104 to 604 without board approval. This move strained an already stretched budget and helped spark a wave of teacher and student protests, leading to a March 27 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with stakeholders including the Ministry of Education, civil society groups, and the House of Representatives. The MOU, which required onboarding and salary adjustments for verified teachers by May, remains largely unfulfilled.
Concerns intensified following a letter from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to the LACC, identifying both Momoh and a senior MCSS official, Sonita Danga, as persons of interest in a suspected financial misappropriation probe. That development ignited a teacher protest on April 14, during which MCSS facilities were padlocked until police intervened to restore order.
Despite being asked by the MCSS Board to formally respond to multiple allegations, including those reported in a Verity News exposé titled “US$1.6M Corruption Scandal,” Momoh failed to reply, dismissing the coverage as political propaganda. The Board noted that he has yet to produce any financial plan capable of covering the obligations he committed the institution to.
The MCSS Board has recommended that a qualified interim superintendent be appointed immediately and pledged to work with the Civil Service Agency to vet a temporary assistant superintendent. They are also urging the General Auditing Commission to launch a comprehensive financial and operational audit of MCSS.
Chairman Siafa has emphasized the urgency of a high-level dialogue with Minister Grigsby to resolve financial liabilities and finalize the onboarding of teachers. Vendors involved in the unauthorized contracts are reportedly demanding payment and threatening legal action, potentially exposing the government to lawsuits and public disgrace.
The documentation provided to the Executive Mansion includes signed contracts, correspondence with the President, a copy of the FIU letter, and the March 27 MOU. These materials, the Board insists, support its call for decisive action and serve as evidence of a broader pattern of administrative collapse.
