By Monrovia, Liberia – In a shocking revelation that has sent shockwaves through the telecommunications industry in Liberia, it has been discovered that Mr. Abdullah Kamara, owner of Tamma Corporation and the Acting Chairman of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), received over a million dollars in contracts from the outgoing Chairperson of the LTA, Edwina Zackpah.
A communication in the position of this paper dated June 16, 2023, reveals that Mr. Abdullah Kamara, the owner of Tamma Coorporation and now Acting Chairman of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority, received over a million dollars in contracts from the outgoing Chairperson of the LTA, Edwina Zackpah.
“Pursuant to the foregoing, a committee comprising the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication, the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), and Tamma Corporation, a local private sector firm working with several government entities, has been constituted to roll out Liberia’s digital transformation project. The LTA is hereby directed to secure funding for the project,” the letter indicated.
What is even more alarming is that these contracts were awarded without going through the proper Public Procurement and Concession Commission process.
The nutty deed was an agreement between Mr. Abdullah Kamara, CEO of Tamma Corporation, former Minister of State Wesseh Blamoh, and outgoing LTA Board Chairman Edwina Crump Zackpah.
The communication, which was seeped to the People News, exposes a clear case of favoritism and potential corruption within the regulatory body responsible for overseeing the telecommunications sector in Liberia. The documents reveal that Mr. Kamara was awarded contracts worth a total of $1.2 million for services provided by Tamma Corporation, a company that he owns.
This conflict of interest raises serious questions about the integrity of the LTA and the transparency of its decision-making processes.
How could Mr. Kamara, in his dual role as both a telecommunications industry player and the Acting Chairman of the LTA, be allowed to benefit financially from contracts awarded by the regulatory body? And why were these contracts not subject to the proper scrutiny of the Public Procurement and Concession Commission, as required by law?
The revelations have sparked outrage among industry insiders and the general public, who are calling for a full investigation into the matter. Many are questioning the impartiality of the LTA under the leadership of Mr. Kamara and are demanding that he step down from his position immediately.
Meanwhile, the outgoing Chairperson, Edwina Zackpah, has refused to comment on the matter, leading to further speculation about her role in the contracts awarded to Mr. Kamara’s company.
As the controversy continues to unfold, it is clear that urgent action is needed to restore public trust in the LTA and ensure that the telecommunications industry in Liberia is governed fairly and transparently. The government of President Joseph Boakai must take swift and decisive steps to investigate the allegations and hold those responsible for any wrongdoing to account.
The people of Liberia deserve to have confidence in their regulatory bodies and to know that decisions are being made in the best interests of the country, not individual interests. Only by addressing these issues head-on can we hope to move towards a more transparent and accountable telecommunications sector in Liberia.
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By: Staff Writer
