By Bill W. Cooper
The chairperson of the Senate Committee on Defense, Security and Intelligence, has recommended to his colleagues, calling for the immediate cancellation of Contec Global US$40 million contract with the Government.
His recommendation was contained in his committee report to full plenary following thorough investigation into the origins and legitimacy of the contract, reiterating his earlier assertion about the company’s operation in Liberia.
It can recalled that Contec Global was awarded a contract by the government in 2021 to digitize the Liberia Alien Resident Permit but this contract which is designed for the issuance of resident permits has since sparked serious controversy with backlashes within the Liberian Senate.
Prior to the Senate’s probe, some opposition senators including Cyrus voiced out their dissatisfaction about the agreement, saying the contract was executed without proper legislative oversight coupled with procedural irregularities.
The investigation report revealed that the deal, negotiated and signed by the George Weah government has several procedural lapses, casting doubts on the contract’s validity and legality.
According to him, one of the most critical discovery is the contract’s omission from the oversight of the 54th Legislature, particularly the Senate; something he said, raise serious concerns about due process and accountability.
Sen. Cyrus further highlighted the lack of involvement from key government institutions, including the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) and the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) during the negotiation and signing of the agreement.
The Lofa County Senator also noted that the contract failed to secure approval from the National Security Agency (NSA), which is particularly concerning given the significant security implications.
Cyrus, in his report emphasized the thorough nature of the investigation, which scrutinized the roles and responsibilities of various government entities involved in the issuance of resident permits.
He argued that the contract violates Liberian laws and is fundamentally flawed in its execution and asserted that one of its contentious issues is the contract’s stipulation for the production of 350,000 resident permit cards over five years.
The senator described the number as grossly exaggerated, given Liberia’s modest immigration and alien registration statistics, thereby expressed his doubts about the feasibility of the contract’s terms.
He warned against the potential long-term entrenchment of Contec Global in Liberia’s affairs with minimal returns on their purported obligations, with call for the contract’s immediate cancellation to uphold the rule of law and prevent future instances of unchecked executive authority and security implications.
Meanwhile, following his deliberation on the report, the plenary, on the contrary agreed for the Executive Branch to handle the matter on grounds that, that branch of the government is already contemplating on cancelling the contract.
