The newly formed Liberian Alternative People’s Party (LAPP), led by George Wesseh Blamo, former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs under ex-President George Weah has denounced the Liberia Sea and Inland Ports Decentralization and Modernization Act of 2025 as “fundamentally flawed” and “poorly conceived.”
Blamo warned that the legislation poses grave risks to national unity, economic stability, and security, describing it as a hasty political maneuver that prioritizes fragmentation over sustainable progress.
According to LAPP, the Act fragments oversight across multiple independent authorities, weakening unified national control over maritime borders. The party cautioned that such gaps could facilitate smuggling, illegal fishing, human trafficking, drug transshipment, and other transnational crimes, undermining Liberia’s sovereignty and regional stability within ECOWAS.
Blamo further argued that the creation of a new Independent Seaport and Inland Ports Regulatory Authority duplicates and conflicts with the existing mandate of the Liberia Maritime Authority (LIMA).
He said this overlap invites administrative chaos, legal disputes, and inconsistent standards that could deter investors and compromise Liberia’s compliance with international maritime obligations.
The party also criticized the Act for lacking clear guidelines on asset transfer, staff reallocation, debt management, and phased implementation from the National Port Authority (NPA). LAPP warned that these omissions risk immediate disruptions in port operations, revenue losses, and institutional paralysis during the transition.
“Dividing resources and authority among four separate boards, without robust anti-corruption safeguards or centralized accountability, opens doors to localized mismanagement, patronage, and graft,” Blamo said, adding that the measure contradicts principles of transparent governance.
By prioritizing port-by-port autonomy over a coordinated national maritime strategy, LAPP argued, the Act threatens to deepen regional divides—favoring Monrovia while leaving southeastern ports vulnerable—rather than fostering balanced, unified development.
The party called on President Joseph Boakai to reconsider signing the Act into law and instead initiate broad stakeholder consultations to craft a pragmatic reform that strengthens Liberia’s ports without jeopardizing the country’s hard-earned stability.
