Liberia’s House of Representatives voted this week to hold the National Oil Company of Liberia and the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company in contempt after both agencies failed to appear before the House Committee on Hydrocarbon on Oct. 17, 2025, despite having been officially notified.
The vote follows what lawmakers described as a deliberate refusal to cooperate with legislative oversight. If found guilty of contempt, the chiefs of NOCAL and LPRC could face penalties ranging from financial fines to imprisonment under existing legislative and constitutional provisions.
Committee Chairman Sam P. Jallah said the absences undermined the legislature’s oversight role at a pivotal moment for Liberia’s energy sector. “The job of the legislature is to make laws and provide oversight.
When institutions under the Executive branch refuse to honor our call, they are not just defying the committee—they are disrespecting the Liberian people,” Jallah said.
By contrast, the Ministry of Public Works and the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) attended the scheduled hearing, the committee noted.
Lawmakers said those agencies’ participation demonstrated the standard of cooperation expected of state institutions.
NOCAL and LPRC have been given a second opportunity to appear: they are summoned to the Committee on Hydrocarbon on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, at 1:00 p.m., and must come accompanied by their legal counsels to “show cause” why they should not be formally held in contempt.
Committee members warned that further noncompliance could prompt additional punitive measures.
The action underscores heightened legislative scrutiny as Liberia prepares to expand its hydrocarbon sector. Lawmakers said the move is intended to reinforce accountability and transparency in institutions that oversee the nation’s oil and petroleum resources. The committee has pledged to provide public updates after the Oct. 22 proceeding.
