The Liberia News Agency (LINA), the government's official wire service, is nearing collapse despite receiving over US$706,000 in the 2024 and 2025 national budgets, according to employees who describe the newsroom as "nonfunctional" and lacking the tools needed to operate.
Reporters and editors say the agency lacks laptops, internet access, transportation, and a working website -- forcing staff to rely on personal phones, data, and makeshift systems to produce content that "goes nowhere."
The Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT), under which LINA operates, disputes the characterization and says the allocations listed under LINA are part of MICAT's broader budget, not funds reserved exclusively for the news agency.
A Wire Service in Disrepair
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Founded in 1978, LINA once served as the central distribution hub for national information. Today, employees say the agency is barely operating.
The website has been offline for months, the newsroom is largely idle, and some staff take home as little as US$90 after taxes while supplying their own working tools. One staffer described the institution as "dead," adding: "We are being paid, but we are not functioning as a national news agency."
Employees claimed LINA previously managed its own operational budget, a practice they claim continued until Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah took office.
A Budget Line That Staff Say They Never See
While the national budget includes a designated line item called Transfer to Liberia News Agency (LINA), staff insist that, aside from salaries, no operational funds actually reach the agency, sources within told The Liberian Investigator.
According to sources, with approximately 30 employees, salaries account for less than US$200,000 annually, leaving significant unspent appropriations that staff believe should support logistics, travel, website management, and basic reporting functions.
Some also noted that the state-owned New Liberia newspaper has ceased printing entirely.
MICAT: 'The Budget Is Not LINA's Alone'
Deputy Information Minister for Administration Johnny S. Tarkpah told The Liberian Investigator that the ministry redirected portions of LINA's allocation because MICAT faced "critical ministry-wide challenges."
"LINA has a budget line, but the money is not solely theirs," Tarkpah said. "We inherited serious infrastructural problems, salary disparities, and a lack of logistics. Management saw the necessity to shift some funds instead of allowing LINA to use the entire allocation exclusively."
Minister Piah also stated that position, noting: "LINA is not an autonomous agency. MICAT has its own budget that covers everyone, including LINA. I don't know anything called LINA's budget."
What the Budget Shows
Budget records confirm the following appropriations:
- FY2024: US$353,040 (US$352,853 reported as spent)
- FY2025: US$353,040 (US$243,100 spent to date)
- FY2026 Proposal: US$318,040 earmarked for LINA within MICAT's larger US$3.7 million request
Importantly, a distinct LINA budget line first appeared in 2023, as Liberia prepared for national elections. At the time, Kwame Opa Weeks served as Director General -- the first head of LINA formally appointed with that title. Previous leaders had served as Directors, not Director Generals.
Former Director General Rejects Minister's Assertion
Reacting to Minister Piah's claim that the CDC administration created the Director General position, Weeks sharply disagreed.
"LINA -- created by an Act with a Director General -- has always operated under MICAT with that title," Weeks said, citing past leaders including the late Rep. J. Nagbe Sloh, who former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appointed.
He argued that LINA has historically had its own budget line and urged the current administration not to divert funds.
"LINA is now on its knees," he said. "Professionals go to work daily and stare at the wall without writing a single story. The agency needs to be rescued."
However, an independent fact-check by The Liberian Investigator showed that LINA received its first allocation in the 2023 National Budget. The Liberian Investigator also found that Mr. Sloh was not appointed as Director General by Madam Sirleaf; instead, he was appointed as Director.
Severe Structural Problems Unresolved
A decade-long push for LINA's autonomy remains stalled at the Legislature, leaving the agency fully dependent on MICAT for financial decisions.
Employees say the absence of autonomy, combined with the alleged diversion of funds, has hollowed out the institution.
With website repairs estimated at under US$3,500, staff say the lack of progress is indefensible: "We cannot continue like this," one employee warned. "This agency is dying."
MICAT Points to Ongoing Renovations
In October 2024, MICAT began extensive renovations to its headquarters, including a new roof, structural extensions, and repairs to damaged areas. Officials say the ministry inherited a deteriorated building and that rehabilitating MICAT benefits all departments, including LINA.
On Thursday afternoon, October 24, 2024, our reporter visited the ministry, touring the entire facility from bottom to top to observe the ongoing upgrades.
During the tour, The Liberian Investigator noted a completely new roof being installed on the building, with high-quality zinc replacing the old materials, giving the ministry a refreshed look visible from across Monrovia.
Johnny S. Tarkpah, the Deputy Minister for Administration at MICAT, revealed that Minister Piah's administration inherited the ministry in a severely dilapidated state, with major parts and departments in dire need of repair. He highlighted the urgency of addressing these issues to present a more professional and functional image of the information arm of the Liberian government.
Our reporter observed significant extension work on the top floor of the building on all four sides. However, the main newsroom of the Liberia News Agency (LINA), housed within the ministry, remains in poor condition, with a flooded floor, damaged ceilings, and inadequate office furniture due to leaks.
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The general bathroom for ministry employees is also out of use because of its deplorable condition. A complete renovation of the bathroom is necessary for it to serve staff members and visiting officials comfortably.
In an interview at his office, Deputy Minister Tarkpah said, "This place has been in ruins for many years, even before the immediate past administration." He noted that for decades, the ministry received minimal attention, leading to its current state of disrepair.
"The place was completely dilapidated when we took over," he added. He explained that the senior management team, led by Minister Piah, is working within the constraints of the ministry's limited budget to undertake critical repairs.
He mentioned that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has acknowledged the challenges facing the ministry and instructed the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to provide funding. However, Deputy Minister Tarkpah disclosed that no funds have yet been allocated. "We can't sit idly because the President's intervention has not materialized, so we reached out to partners, and by God's grace, we are making steady progress."
Call for Budget Defense
Deputy Minister Tarkpah said MICAT has rarely been allowed to defend its proposed budget before the Legislature, arguing that the ministry has long operated under an "imposed budget."
He expressed hope this will change in the 2025 budget cycle so MICAT can secure the resources it needs.
