A new political party in Liberia, Liberian Alternative People’s Party (LAPP) has expressed its opposition to the passage of an Act by the Legislature to decentralize seaports in Liberia.
In a press statement issued in Monrovia recently, the LAPP is calling on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai nto to sign “this Act into law and instead initiate broad stakeholder consultations for a revised, pragmatic reform that strengthens our ports without jeopardizing Liberia’s hard-earned stability. “
The LAPP, which is chaired by George Wesseh Blamoh who was Minister of State for Presidential Affairs in the CDC government of former President George Manneh Weah, is the latest party to appear on Liberia’s political landscape.
“While we support genuine efforts toward inclusive development and decentralization that empower our counties, this Act is fundamentally flawed, poorly conceived, and poses grave risks to national unity, economic stability, and security,” the LAPP says in its press statement.
FULL TEXT OF THE LAPP STATEMENT BELOW:
Statement from the Liberian Alternative People’s Party (LAPP) on the Liberia Sea and Inland Ports Decentralization and Modernization Act 2025
The Liberian Alternative People’s Party (LAPP) strongly opposes the rushed passage and impending enactment of the Liberia Sea and Inland Ports Decentralization and Modernization Act 2025.
While we support genuine efforts toward inclusive development and decentralization that empower our counties, this Act is fundamentally flawed, poorly conceived, and poses grave risks to national unity, economic stability, and security. It represents a hasty political maneuver that prioritizes fragmentation over sustainable progress.
We highlight the following critical flaws in the Act:
Financial Unsustainability for Smaller Ports: The decentralization grants full autonomy to the Ports of Buchanan, Greenville, and Harper without adequate revenue bases or transitional funding mechanisms. These ports, historically underdeveloped due to neglect, will struggle to operate independently, leading to potential indebtedness, operational failures, or forced reliance on central government bailouts, burdening the national budget and taxpayers.
Heightened Security Vulnerabilities: Fragmenting oversight across multiple independent authorities weakens unified national control over maritime borders. This creates gaps that could facilitate smuggling, illegal fishing, human trafficking, drug transshipment, or other transnational crimes, endangering Liberia’s sovereignty and regional stability within ECOWAS.
Regulatory Overlap and Legal Conflicts: 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), inviting administrative chaos, legal disputes, and inconsistent standards that deter investors and undermine Liberia’s compliance with international maritime obligations.
Absence of a Comprehensive Transition Plan: The Act lacks clear guidelines for asset transfer, staff reallocation, debt management, or phased implementation from the National Port Authority (NPA). This omission risks immediate disruptions in port operations, revenue losses, and institutional paralysis during the handover period.
Risk of Increased Corruption and Inefficiency: Dividing resources and authority among four separate boards, without robust anti-corruption safeguards or centralized accountability, opens doors to localized mismanagement, patronage, and graft, contrary to the principles of transparent governance we champion under our RESTORE covenant.
Undermining National Cohesion: By prioritizing port-by-port autonomy over coordinated national maritime strategy, the Act threatens to deepen regional divides, favoring Monrovia while leaving southeastern ports vulnerable, rather than fostering balanced, unified development.
LAPP demands responsible, evidence-based policies, not divisive experiments.
For National Restoration,
George Wesseh Blamoh
Chairman, Liberian Alternative People’s Party (LAPP)
December 27, 2025