A deepening standoff between Liberia's Executive and Legislature has thrust the controversial Telecom International Alliance (TIA) agreement back into the national spotlight, reopening long-standing debates about corruption, due process, and the balance between reform and investor confidence.
At the center of the dispute is President Joseph Nyuma Boakai's request that the Legislature de-ratify the TIA-Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) agreement for telecom traffic monitoring services--an appeal the House of Representatives has endorsed, but which the Senate has firmly resisted, instead calling for renegotiation.
The disagreement between the Senate and the House, unfolding alongside parallel tensions over the Third Amendment to ArcelorMittal Liberia's (AML) Mineral Development Agreement (MDA), highlights the checks and balances embedded in Liberia's legislative process and underscores the political and economic stakes tied to major concessionary contracts.
In a November 13, 2025 communication to Senate Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, President Boakai laid out a sweeping indictment of the TIA deal, arguing that it was illegally procured and should therefore be nullified.
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According to the President, the contract--initially signed in 2018 and amended in 2022--was awarded in blatant violation of the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) Act of 2010. He cited findings from the General Auditing Commission (GAC), PPCC, Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), and the Ministry of Justice, all of which reportedly concluded that mandatory procurement steps were bypassed.
Among the most troubling allegations raised by the Executive are that TIA was incorporated in Delaware, United States, only four days after receiving bid documents, and registered in Liberia nearly ten months after the contract was awarded. The President also pointed to a dramatic increase in TIA's revenue share--from an initial bid of 35 percent to 49 percent--along with an extension of the contract to an additional 20 years "without demonstrable value for money."
"These irregularities," the President argued, amount to fraud in the procurement process, rendering the agreement "void ab initio," or invalid from the outset. His administration contends that Liberia lost more than US$50 million in potential revenue as a result of the deal.
For Boakai, the push for de-ratification fits squarely within his broader anti-corruption agenda and campaign pledge to restore integrity to public contracting. The TIA agreement, critics say, has become emblematic of opaque deals struck during past administrations, often at the expense of state revenue.
The Senate's Counterargument: Due Process and Legal Risk
The Senate, however, sees the matter through a different constitutional and legal lens.
Following a lengthy and often emotional debate, senators on Thursday, February 5, 2026 unanimously adopted the recommendations of a joint committee of Judiciary, Human Rights, Claims and Petitions, and Post and Telecommunications, rejecting de-ratification and urging renegotiation instead.
According to the committee's report, the controversy has evolved into a contractual dispute, particularly since TIA has categorically denied committing fraud. In such circumstances, senators argued, Liberia is bound by the dispute resolution mechanisms embedded in the ratified agreement itself.
"The ratified Agreement provides for dispute settlement at Section 21.2 of the contract," the committee noted, pointing to a clause that mandates arbitration under the Rules of the International Chamber of Commerce in London should negotiations fail within two months.
The Senate warned that unilateral de-ratification could expose Liberia to a costly and protracted international arbitration process, with potentially severe financial consequences.
"It is in the best interest of Liberia to respect the terms of the contract to avoid a lengthy and costly arbitration process," the committee emphasized. "Besides, this will boost investors' confidence and attract foreign direct investment. Anything on the contrary would scare investors away and deprive Liberia of much-needed foreign direct investments."
Beyond arbitration risks, the Senate anchored its position in constitutional protections and judicial precedent.
Citing Article 20(a) of the Constitution, the committee stressed that TIA must be afforded due process of law, including the right to be heard before being condemned. Senators also invoked Article 25, which guarantees the obligation of contracts and explicitly prohibits laws that impair contractual rights.
"De-ratification of a valid, binding and enforceable contract would impair contractual rights, which the Constitution prohibits," the report stated.
The committee further recalled the Supreme Court's ruling in Atlantic Resources Inc. v. Government of Liberia and Euro Logging Company, which held that disputes arising from public procurement processes must be addressed under the mechanisms outlined in the PPCC Act--specifically Section 10, which establishes the Complaint, Appeal and Review Panel (CARP).
In that context, senators advised the Executive to pursue remedies through established legal channels rather than legislative annulment.
The TIA agreement has long been dogged by controversy. Initially conceived as a six-year service contract valued at US$3 million annually--or 35 percent of projected revenue, whichever was higher--it was intended to modernize Liberia's telecom traffic monitoring and revenue assurance systems.
But its 2022 amendment, which critics say quietly transformed the arrangement into a long-term concession, raised fresh alarms. Appearing before a Senate hearing, PPCC Executive Director Bodger Scott Johnson disclosed that his commission never issued the legally required "No Objection" for the 2018 award.
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"There was no submission for concession structuring, value-for-money analysis, fiscal risk assessment or regulatory approval, as required by law," Johnson told senators, adding that the PPCC was not consulted on the 2022 amendment either.
TIA, for its part, has rejected the government's findings, insisting the contract was lawfully awarded and ratified. The company has warned lawmakers that scrapping the deal outright could disrupt telecom revenues and weaken regulatory oversight, advocating renegotiation as a more prudent path.
The TIA dispute has unfolded alongside another legislative clash over the ArcelorMittal Liberia Third Amendment. While the House overwhelmingly approved the amendment--unlocking a projected US$200 million payment to support the 2026 national budget--the Senate proposed changes, prompting the formation of a conference committee to reconcile differences.
Together, the twin disputes underscore a Legislature asserting its independence, even when aligned politically with the Executive.
As conference committees loom and negotiations intensify, the fate of the TIA agreement will test Liberia's commitment to anti-corruption reforms, constitutionalism, and investor assurance. Whether renegotiation can satisfy the President's demand for accountability while preserving legal stability remains an open--and consequential--question for the Boakai administration and the nation at large.
