- The House of Representatives summons Orange Liberia's Chief Executive Officer, Jean Marius Yao, to appear before lawmakers on Wednesday to explain why he should not be held in contempt for repeatedly failing to honor legislative invitations.

The decision was reached on Monday, February 17, during a public hearing conducted by the House's Ad Hoc Committee on Telecommunications, which is investigating persistent network failures in southeastern Liberia.

The Ad Hoc Committee, chaired by Rep. Ivar K. Jones, was established to examine the roles of GSM providers Lonestar Cell MTN and Orange Liberia and regulatory bodies, including the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) and the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications.

This follows complaints from River Gee County District 3 Representative Johnson S.N. Williams, and Maryland County District 3 Representative Austin Taylor, who raised concerns about the severe impact of unreliable network services on citizens' daily lives and economic activities.

During the hearing, lawmakers noted that Mr. Yao has consistently ignored invitations from the House, often providing what they described as flimsy excuses.

Frustrated by his absence, lawmakers dismissed Orange Liberia's proxy representative and issued a direct summon for Mr. Jean Marius Yao himself to appear in person.

"If he fails to show up, it will be considered an obstruction of legislative functions, which could lead to contempt charges," lawmakers warn.

The committee, which is expected to present its findings to the House Plenary within two weeks, is determined to hold GSM companies and regulatory agencies accountable for poor network services affecting southeastern Liberia.

With Lonestar Cell MTN, the LTA, and the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications were all present at the hearing when lawmakers emphasized their commitment to ensuring telecommunications providers meet regulatory obligations and improve network connectivity across the country.